Krystel K. Castillo

Dr. Krystel K. Castillo is a Professor and Lutcher Brown Chair in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where she also serves as Director of the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI). She holds dual Ph.D. degrees from Texas Tech University and Monterrey Tech, Mexico.

Her research focuses on mathematical modeling of supply chains, logistics, large-scale optimization (meta-heuristics), statistical quality control, reliability, and sustainable energy systems. She applies operations research and statistical methods to complex decision-making in bioenergy, defense, manufacturing, and healthcare.

Awards and Honors

• INFORMS MIF Early Career Award (2017)
• President’s Distinguished Achievement Award (2017)
• ASEE-Gulf South West Outstanding Young Faculty (2017)
• San Antonio Business Journal 40 under 40 (2017)
• HENAAC Award (2018)

She advises graduate students and leads multiple research initiatives, including the Manufacturing Systems and Automation Laboratory (MSA) where she serves as co-director. Current projects include sustainable energy research supported by CPS Energy and NSF-funded collaborations.