Lavanya Marla

Lavanya Marla is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She holds a PhD in Transportation Systems from MIT (2010) and dual M.S. degrees in Transportation and Operations Research from MIT (2007). Her academic roles include visiting appointments at NYU (2023-2024), Indian School of Business (2015), and a prior position as Assistant Professor at UIUC (2013–2022). She also holds zero-time appointments in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Information Trust Institute, and the Center for Autonomy.

Her research focuses on applying large-scale optimization, machine learning, and data-driven methods to enhance logistics and transportation systems' efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. Key areas include air transportation networks, emergency medical services (EMS), and cyber-physical systems. She bridges Operations Research and AI, emphasizing decision-making under uncertainty and robust network design.

Recent work addresses climate change impacts on airline networks, cybersecurity in shipping ports, and algorithmic solutions for healthcare logistics. Her articles span journals like Transportation Science, IEEE Transactions, and Operations Research Forum. Notable awards include the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2008–2009) and the 2021 Center for Advanced Study Fellowship.

Her grants include funding from NSF, DHS, and collaborations with industries like Flyr Labs and Deepair Solutions. She mentors over 20 students, emphasizing diversity and equity in STEM. Current projects include drone-bystander-ambulance coordination and pandemic healthcare management through the Jump-ARCHES initiative.