Hector Vergara

Hector A. Vergara is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU), part of the College of Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas (2012), an M.S. from Oregon State University (2005), and a B.S. from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (2002). Dr. Vergara's research focuses on applying operations research to transportation, logistics, supply chain design, facility location, and network resilience. He is affiliated with the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) and INFORMS.

His research emphasizes optimization frameworks for resilient infrastructure systems, disaster response logistics, and sustainable supply chains. Key projects include vaccine distribution networks, interdependent power-water systems, and blood supply chain design. His work integrates stochastic modeling, metaheuristic algorithms, and multi-objective optimization techniques.

Dr. Vergara leads the Manufacturing Systems and Logistics Lab at OSU, focusing on practical solutions for complex logistical challenges. His recent publications address pandemic response strategies (2025), supply chain resilience under simultaneous disruptions (2022), and intermodal freight hub assessments (2015). He received the IIE E.J. Sierleja Memorial Fellowship for his contributions to industrial engineering.

Dr. Vergara previously taught at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (2007-2009) and has advised numerous projects in manufacturing efficiency and humanitarian logistics. His research bridges theoretical modeling with real-world applications in both industrial and public health contexts.