3 MS & PhD Alumni

Farzad completed his doctoral studies in Industrial Engineering at Özyeğin University, where he achieved academic success and actively participated in various research projects. His research thesis focused on optimization under uncertainty and was accompanied by simultaneous involvement in multiple research endeavors. He successfully defended his thesis in February 2023 and was distinguished as the outstanding researcher at the engineering faculty of Özyeğin University during the final year of his Ph.D. studies. He also collaborated with scholars from Binghamton University to solve the electric bus scheduling challenge of the university's shuttle network. Additionally, Farzad served as a teaching assistant for various courses, particularly for heuristic algorithms for optimization courses.

Currently, Farzad continues his post-doctoral studies at HEC Montréal, where he concentrates on tackling inventory routing and distribution problems for Hydro Quebec, Canada's largest power utility and a significant global hydropower provider. Simultaneously, he remains committed to advancing projects in transportation optimization and optimization under uncertainty, particularly emphasizing public transportation. Farzad actively engages as a member of esteemed research institutes in the logistics field, including Cirrelt and GERAD.

Ecem (IE) earned her undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering with a minor in Computer Science at Özyeğin University. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she served as a teaching assistant in various courses, enhancing her academic knowledge, and took on roles in numerous events. She also gained business experience through internships at companies such as Marks&Spencer, Credit Europe Bank Romania, Bosch, and Kariyer.net. She participated in innovative idea development workshops held in Turkey and the Netherlands.

Ecem also completed her master's degree at Özyeğin University, where she made significant contributions to international and interdisciplinary research projects. She had the opportunity to present her research at international conferences and took part in organizing committees. She continued her role as a teaching assistant in various courses. Due to her outstanding performance, she was awarded the Best Teaching Assistant in 2022 and the Outstanding Research Assistant in 2023. Additionally, her undergraduate and graduate studies were supported by scholarships from the Istanbul Chamber of Industry Foundation and TÜBİTAK BIDEB.

Ecem is currently pursuing her PhD in Technology and Operations Management at INSEAD, one of the world's top business schools. She is focusing on areas such as humanitarian logistics, sustainable operations, and healthcare systems, expanding her interests and continuing her research in these fields.

Birce received her bachelor’s degree from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Ozyegin University. During her undergraduate education, she developed an interest in supply chain management and acquired skills in the field through relevant coursework. She participated in Unilever’s Supply Chain Reaction Project in her senior year, gaining valuable experience that allowed her to bridge the gap between theory and practice. She also took on roles in extracurricular activities throughout bachelor’s, such as serving as a peer advisor in OZU Peer Advisor Program and being a member of student clubs.

She pursued her education by commencing a master’s program within the same department, where she focused her research on humanitarian logistics and disaster management with the motivation of making contributions to society. She enhanced her proficiency in applying advanced analytical methods and Operations Research techniques to support decision-making in the related fields. Additionally, she served as a teaching assistant during her master’s studies, which further honed her academic and professional skills.

She is currently in her third year as a Ph.D. student at HEC Montréal, specializing in the Department of Logistics and Operations Management. Her doctoral thesis focuses on humanitarian supply chain network design and management. She has received prestigious awards and scholarships in recognition of her academic achievements during her doctoral studies, including Merit Scholarship Program for Foreign Students (PBEEE), Foundation J. Armand Bombardier Scholarship, and CIRRELT Doctoral Excellence Scholarship.