Brandon McConnell

Brandon McConnell is an Associate Research Professor in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at NC State University's College of Engineering. He also serves as Director of the Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program and the Military and Veteran Liaison for the College. Previously an Infantry officer in the US Army, McConnell leads the Military Operations Research Group, which focuses on solving military and national security challenges through operations research (OR) and industrial engineering methods. His work emphasizes decision-making under uncertainty, particularly in logistics, expeditionary operations, and AI-driven planning.

McConnell holds a Ph.D. (2018) and M.S. (2015) in Operations Research from NC State, along with a B.S. in Operations Research from the United States Military Academy at West Point (2006). His research has received recognition, including the 2019 Richard H. Barchi Prize for Best Paper and multiple teaching and mentorship awards from NC State.

His current research interests span military logistics optimization, risk-aware decision systems, AI applications in planning, and expeditionary logistics networks. He actively mentors active-duty and veteran students in OR and ISE programs, emphasizing translational research with direct military and civilian applications.

Key contributions include:

• Developing heuristic models for air movement operations
• Analyzing US Army aviation readiness policies
• Pioneering blockchain solutions for military contracting
• Advancing additive manufacturing in defense supply chains

McConnell's work bridges academic research with operational impact, particularly in enhancing military logistics efficiency and decision-support systems in high-risk environments.