Marla Lavanya

Marla Lavanya is an Associate Professor (with tenure) in the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a PhD from MIT and has held academic positions at UIUC, Carnegie Mellon University, and visiting roles at NYU and the Indian School of Business. Her research focuses on optimizing large-scale transportation systems using tools from operations research, machine learning, and data analytics, addressing challenges in air transport, emergency medical services, and logistics resilience.

Education:

• PhD in Transportation Systems, MIT, 2010
• M.S. in Transportation and Operations Research, MIT, 2007
• B.Tech. in Civil Engineering with a minor in Industrial Engineering, IIT Madras, 2004

Research Interests: Dr. Lavanya's work emphasizes decision-making under uncertainty, robust network design, and sustainability. She develops data-driven models to enhance system resilience in aviation, EMS, and logistics. Recent projects include climate change impacts on airline networks, cyber-physical port operations, and personalized airline pricing strategies.

Key Contributions: Her research bridges operations research and AI, with applications in disruption management, emergency response coordination, and sustainable infrastructure. Notable outputs include models for electric aviation infrastructure, EMS systems in emerging economies, and algorithms for dynamic network recovery.

Awards and Recognition:

• Center for Advanced Study Fellow, 2021-22
• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship, 2008-2009
• Best Paper Awards in AGIFORS and ICRAT conferences
• Recipient of NSF grants and industry partnerships

Teaching and Mentorship: Teaches graduate courses on large-scale optimization and network systems. Mentors over 30 students, many of whom pursue roles in academia and industry-leading firms like Walmart Labs and Deepair Solutions.

Service and Outreach: Serves on NSF panels, reviews for top journals, and chairs AGIFORS. Committed to diversity in STEM and advancing women in engineering.