Matthew J. Robbins

Dr. Matthew J. Robbins is a Professor of Operations Research in the Department of Operational Sciences at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). His research focuses on advancing operations research and artificial intelligence techniques for solving computational stochastic optimization problems, particularly in defense applications. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois (2010) and has received numerous awards, including the 2024 Distinguished Teaching Professor and 2019 Best Paper Award in Omega. He serves as an associate editor for Military Operations Research and Naval Research Logistics, and on the council of the INFORMS Military and Security Society.

Education:

• Ph.D., Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois, 2010
• M.S., Operations Research, AFIT, 2005 (Distinguished Graduate)
• B.S., Computer Systems Engineering, University of Arkansas, 1999

Research Interests:

• Approximate dynamic programming and reinforcement learning for large-scale decision-making
• Medical evacuation dispatching and military logistics optimization
• Autonomous systems control and asset management
• Stochastic optimization and simulation-based modeling

Awards:

• 2024 Distinguished Teaching Professor, AFIT
• 2018 Richard H. Barchi Prize (Military Operations Research Society)
• 2011 Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award (1st Place)

Advising & Grants:

• Advised over 20 MS/PhD students in operations research and defense applications
• Recipient of research grants in military logistics, healthcare systems, and AI applications

Labs/Teams:

• Part of AFIT's Operational Sciences research group
• Collaborates with military and defense organizations on applied research