Faculty
Shima Mohebbi is an associate professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research, with affiliate appointments in Computer Science and Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering at George Mason University. Her research program is supported by the NSF, DOT, FEMA, AFRL, CCI, ASEE, and the GMU Office of the Provost. Dr. Mohebbi received the 2024 Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship. She and her research team have also received multiple honors, including Best Track Paper Awards from the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for contributions to Modeling and Simulation, Operations Research, and Sustainable Development; first place in the Poster Competition at the 2024 North American Conference on IEOM; and finalists/winners of the IISE Mobile/Web App Competition in 2024 and 2025, among others. Her work has been featured in ISE Magazine, INFORMS Press, CIO Dive, and the INFORMS Resoundingly Human podcast. She is the recipient of the 2026 IISE Teaching Award in Sustainable Development and the 2025 CEC Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching, and she serves on the editorial boards of INFORMS Decision Analysis and Sustainable Cities and Societies. She has also served as President of the Modeling & Simulation Division of IISE and as Track Co-Chair for Environment, Sustainability, and Resilience at the Winter Simulation Conference. She received her PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering, and her second master’s degree in Statistics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Prior to joining Mason, Dr. Mohebbi was an assistant professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, and a visiting scholar in University of Exeter’s Center for Water Systems, UK. In her spare time, Dr. Mohebbi enjoys playing the piano and is an outdoor enthusiast.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Babak Aslani is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research at George Mason University. Previously, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Medical Physics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Aslani holds a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering and Operations Research from George Mason University. His research focuses on integrating machine learning and optimization to address large-scale network problems. Methodologically, his work spans large-scale optimization, discrete and continuous optimization, and machine learning, with applications in resilient infrastructure systems and healthcare analytics. Outside of research, he enjoys music, playing soccer, and video gaming.
PhD Students
Behnam Momeni is a Ph.D. candidate in System Engineering and Operation Research at George Mason University. He received his BS and MS degrees in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Tehran in Iran. His research interests include game theory, optimization, modeling and analysis of uncertainties, and data analytics. During his leisure time, he prefers to watch movies, listen to music, and play soccer.
Melchizedek Essandoh is a PhD student in the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research at George Mason University, where he also earned his BSc in Mechanical Engineering and MSc in Systems Engineering. His interest in engineering design and optimization research was sparked in the fall of 2022 during an independent study focused on decision-making in engineering design as part of his undergraduate studies. This experience inspired him to delve deeper into optimization, exploring its various applications within the Systems Engineering and Operations Research fields. Outside of his academic pursuits, he enjoys playing the piano and spending quality time with his family.
Master’s Students
Christopher Wilson is a master’s student in Systems Engineering at George Mason University, where he also earned his BSc in Systems Engineering. During his undergraduate studies, he earned a certification in UML. His research interests mainly include supply chains and infrastructures resilience. In his free time, he enjoys reading, playing games, and listening to music.
Andrew Moseman is a master’s student in Computer Science at George Mason University. He received his BSc in Computer and Information Sciences from Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV. His research interests include machine learning and optimization. In his free time, he enjoys taking walks, playing games, reading, and listening to music.
Former PhD Students
Pavithra Sripathanallur Murali, Ph.D., 2026
- Dissertation: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning in Cyber-Physical Networks: Algorithms and Applications
- 2025 IISE Future Faculty Fellow
- Recipient of Daniel R. Bannister PhD Retention Fellowship, College of Engineering and Computing, George Mason University
Babak Aslani, Ph.D., 2024
- Dissertation: Learn-to-Optimize Frameworks for Large Networks: Models and Application [Read more]
- 2024 IISE Future Faculty Fellow
- Recipient of IISE Fellows William Biles, Hamid Parsaei, and Victor Zaloom Endowed Scholarship
Former Master’s Students
Melchizedek Essandoh, M.Sc., Systems Engineering, 2025
- Thesis: Integrated Model-Based Systems Engineering and Optimization Approach to Assess Cybersecurity Risks in Aircraft Supply Chains
- Recipient of the 2025 Academic Excellence Award, Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research
Graham Hulsey, M.Sc., Operations Research, 2025
- Thesis: Learn to Optimize: Self-Supervised Progressive Hedging and Adaptive Penalties for Multistage Stochastic Network Recovery Planning [Read more]
- Recipient of the 2025 Academic Excellence Award, Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research
Nischal Newar, M.Sc., Computer Science, 2024
- Thesis: AI-Augmented Games for Experiential Learning in Emergency Management [Read more]
- Recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, Department of Computer Science
Mark Herman Dsouza, M.Sc., Computer Science, 2022
- Thesis: Designing Agent-based Simulation to Assess the Impact of Coordination Schemes on Infrastructure Networks Resilience [Read more]
Katherine Barnett, M.Sc., Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Oklahoma, 2020
- Thesis: Decentralized Resource Allocation for Interdependent Infrastructure Networks Restoration: A Game Theory Approach [Read more]
- Recipient of the Best M.Sc. Thesis Award, School of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Adrien Badre, M.Sc., Data Science and Analytics, University of Oklahoma, 2018
- Thesis: Secure Decentralized Decisions in Consolidated Hospital Systems: Intelligent Agents and Blockchain [Read more]
Former Undergraduate Students (Selected)
Christopher Wilson, Systems Engineering, 2025
- Research Project: Stock-and-Flow Simulation Analysis of Armored Plate Logistics
Shakira Mangrio, Systems Engineering, 2025
- Research Project: Converging Sustainability, Social Justice, Systems Engineering, and Community Engagement (S3&C)
Morgan Pauley, Government and International Politics, 2024
- Research Project: Converging Sustainability, Social Justice, Systems Engineering, and Community Engagement (S3&C)
Sunehera Hasib, Computational and Data Sciences, 2023
- Research Project: Indigenous Environmental Mapping & Resilience Planning with Chickahominy Indian Nation
Christopher Bourgeois, Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Oklahoma, 2020
- Honors Thesis: Developing Holistic Indicators to Benchmark Readiness for Smart City Initiatives
- Recipient of the Mentored Research Fellowship ($1,000), Office of Undergraduate Research
Andrew Calder, Computer Science, University of Oklahoma, 2019
- Honors Thesis: Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Traffic Mitigation on Highway Road Networks
- Recipient of the Honors College Award for distinction in undergraduate research
High School Students, Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Matthew Kao, Rising Senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Summer 2025
Vijay Sriram, Rising Senior at Freedom High School, Summer 2025