معرفی
Christa Searle is an Assistant Professor in Business Analytics at Heriot-Watt University's School of Social Sciences and Edinburgh Business School. She joined in 2021 and serves as Programme Director for the MSc Business Analytics and Consultancy. Her research focuses on sustainability, logistics, and human behavior, employing operational research, agent-based simulation, and data analytics. She holds an extraordinary senior lecturer position at Stellenbosch University, where she earned her PhD in Industrial Engineering (2019).
Her work addresses challenges like hydrogen refuelling infrastructure design, supply chain optimization, and modeling complex systems such as tuberculosis spread in informal settlements. Key projects include the ATHENA framework for hydrogen infrastructure analysis and Agent-Based Modeling of forced migration and consumer behavior.
Christa has been recognized with awards including the Tom Rozwadowski Medal (2022) and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA, 2023). She actively participates in conferences and workshops, such as the 53rd Annual Conference of the Operations Research Society of South Africa (2024) and the Sustainable Road Freight Workshop (2023). She contributes to research groups like the Centre for Logistics & Sustainability and the FeMe Network.
Her teaching emphasizes authentic, industry-engaged assessments and spans business and data analytics. Current research collaborations explore decarbonizing freight transport and SDG-aligned solutions, reflecting her commitment to practical sustainability outcomes.
