Research

Brief Background

With nearly 20 years of experience in designing and managing humanitarian systems, I focus on enhancing disaster preparedness and response through data analytics and optimization models. My work aims to mitigate the impact of disasters on vulnerable communities. Having observed the fragility of healthcare and food systems during crises, I specifically address healthcare planning and food supply chains within these challenging contexts. My expertise lies in operations research and optimization, particularly in mathematical modeling related to supply chains, transportation, and logistics systems.

In a world increasingly threatened by catastrophic events, effective humanitarian logistics and disaster management are not merely necessities—they are essential lifelines for communities. As an established researcher in these fields, I strive to develop performance-based systems that significantly advance our understanding of both pre-disaster preparedness and post-disaster response. My research encompasses a broad range of challenges, employing diverse methodologies tailored to the unique needs of each situation.

Disasters often demand interdisciplinary approaches. Throughout my academic career, I have emphasized innovative problem framing by grounding theoretical models in practical realities and data. This has been achieved through close collaboration with civil society, public institutions, and experts from various disciplines.

Below is a list of my funded projects and publications. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, would like to learn more about a specific project, or are interested in exploring collaboration opportunities.

If you are a practitioner from an organization, I welcome the opportunity to discuss how my projects may enhance your operations. Please email me: burcu dot balcik ozyegin edu tr

 

Funded Projects

  • Collaborating Researcher: Artificial Intelligence to Improve the Logistics of Food Banks in Quebec, Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Quebec (PI: Paquette, J.), 06/2022 – 05/2025.
  • Collaborating Researcher: Humanitarian Supply Chain Analytics, Institute Data Valorisation (IVADO) Fundamental Research Funding Program (PI: Rancourt, M.E.), 08/2021 – 10/2024.
  • Collaborating Researcher: Information Gathering and Damage Prediction Problems and Solution Methods for Urgent Post-Disaster Damage Assessment via Drones, TUBITAK 1001 Earthquake Research Special Call (PI: E. Coban), 2021 – 2024.
  • Primary Investigator (PI): Resource Planning Problems and Models for Effective Management of Chronic Dialysis Patients after a Disaster, TUBITAK 1001, 07/2020 – 04/2023.
  • Co-PI: COVID-19 Network Technology based Responsive Action (CONTRA), Norwegian Research Council (PI: Hossein Baharmand; Co-PIs: C. Decouttere, N. Vandaele, N. Saeed, R. Phillips), 07/2020 – 12/2021.
  • PI: Modeling and Analysis of Stock Sharing and Postponement Strategies in Regional Humanitarian Aid Networks, TUBITAK 1002, 07/2020 – 07/2021.
  • PI: Designing Global Humanitarian Relief Networks through Local Partnerships, TUBITAK 2219, 10/2017 – 07/2018.
  • PI: Selective Routing Problems for Post-Disaster Needs Assessment: Models and Solution Methods, TUBITAK 3501, 03/2014 – 09/2016.
  • PI: Improving Inner City Freight Movements in Istanbul, funded by Deutsche Post (DHL) (Co-PI: O.O. Ozener), 02/2012 – 09/2012.
  • Collaborating Researcher: Stochastic Programming Models for the Post-disaster Relief Network Design Problem, TUBITAK 3501 (PI: N. Noyan), 03/2012 – 09/2015.
  • Post-graduate Researcher: Design and Control Principles for Non-Profit Supply Chains, National Science Foundation (NSF) (PIs: S. Iravani, K. Smilowitz), 07/2009 – 09/2010.
  • Graduate Researcher: Inter-organizational Decision Making and Organizational Design for Improved ICT Coordination in Disaster Relief, NSF (PIs: C. Maitland, J. Yen, A. Tapia, B. Beamon), 09/2007 – 06/2008.
  • Graduate Researcher: Inventory Policies for Pre-Positioned Response in Humanitarian Relief, Royalty Research Fund at UW (PI: B. Beamon), 09/2007 – 06/2008.
  • Graduate Researcher: Staff Restructuring at BOTAS (Natural Gas Distribution Company), Systems Sciences Research Center, METU, 06/2003 – 10/2003.

 

Journal Publications

Report by ESUPS.

 

Decision support tool for Equitable Vaccine Allocation

Received the Best Paper Award from SEIO-BBVA Foundation 2023 for the best applied paper in operations research

                                   Received the Best Paper Award from the Humanitarian Operations and Crisis Management College (HOCM of the Production & Operations Management Society (POMS)

Press release by our collaborator CDEMA

An executive summary for this article appeared in November 2014 issue of the IIE Magazine.

Book Chapters/Proceedings:

  • Yucesoy, E., Coban, E., Balcik, B., 2023. “Post-disaster damage assessment by using drones in a remote communication setting”, Handbook for Management of Threats – Security and Defense, resilience and optimal strategies (Edited by: Fytopoulos, A., Balomenos, K., Pardalos, P.).
  • Selcuk, Y. S., Coban, E., Balcik, B., 2022. “Simulated annealing heuristic for disposable medical face mask production scheduling problem”, Proceedings of the 5th European International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Rome, Italy, July 26-28, 2022
  • Yucesoy, E., Coban, E., Balcik, B., 2022. “Mobile vaccination clinic routing problem”, Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Istanbul, Turkey, March 7-10, 2022.
  • Baharmand, H., Balcik, B., Boey, L., Decouttere, C., Phillips, R., Saeed, N., Vandaele, N.  “Toward a decision support system for COVID-19 vaccine allocation inside countries”, Proceedings of the The Norwegian Conference for IT Use in Organizations (NOKOBIT), Trondheim , Norway, Nov 29-Dec 1, 2021.
  • Gultekin, C., Olmez, B., Balcik, B. Ekici, A., Ozener, O.O. 2020. “A decomposition-based heuristic for a waste cooking oil collection problem”, Green transportation and new advances in Vehicle Routing Problems, Springer.
  • Adsanver, B., Coban, E., Balcik, B., 2020. “Drone Routing for Post-disaster Damage Assessment”, Dynamics of Disasters, Springer.
  • Balcik, B. Smilowitz, K., 2020. “Contributions to humanitarian and non-profit operations: equity impacts on modeling and solution approaches”, In: “Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering: Key Advances and Perspectives on Emerging Topics”, Springer, pp. 371-390.
  • Balcik, B., 2016. “Selective routing for post-disaster needs assessments”, Dynamics of Disasters Key Concepts, Models, Algorithms, and Insights, Springer.
  • Balcik, B., Iravani, S., Smilowitz, K., 2010. “A review of equity in nonprofit and public sector: A vehicle routing perspective”, Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science.
  •  Huang, M., Smilowitz, K., Balcik, B., 2011.“Models for relief routing: Equity, efficiency and efficacy”,  Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences; papers selected for the 19th International Symposium on Transportation and Traffic Theory at University of California, Berkeley, 17, 416–437.
  • Balcik, B., Meral, S., 2004. “A multi-item integrated location/inventory model”, Proceedings of the 24th National Congress on Operational Research and Industrial Engineering, Adana, Turkey, June 2004.
  • Tursel, D.E., Balcik, B., 2004. “A tabu search approach for a multi-item integrated location/inventory problem’”, Proceedings of the International Logistics Congress, Izmir, Turkey, December 2004.
  •  4541-4565