About Me

I graduated from Penn State in 2023 with a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research and joined the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at Kummer College as an Assistant Professor right after.

My research involves numerical optimal control with mesh-free methods adopting a machine learning perspective and, more recently, the development of novel neural network architectures that mimic classic mathematical approximation schemes, such as Fourier Series, work which is being currently developed with my PhD student, Mr. Rubel. I am also investigating reinforcement learning for the control of queuing systems in manufacturing, navigating between the rising intersection of machine learning and operations research, work which is being done with Mr. Walton, PhD student under my advisement and Kummer I&E Fellow. Finally, adding to my research portfolio in decision-making with modern optimization and machine learning methods, I have established fruitful collaborations in vehicle routing problems with research groups in the University of Miami and the University of Texas at San Antonio. At S&T, I work with Dr. Mario Buchely from Materials Science and Engineering on physics-informed neural networks for advanced manufacturing, with the goal of optimizing hot rolling operations and developing new foundational, physics and data-driven models in this area.

Teaching-wise, I am the instructor for courses on Operations Research, Optimization and Finance.

Before graduate school, I worked for the investment banking industry in Brazil, first in mergers and acquisitions at Morgan Stanley and then as a project finance analyst at Itau BBA. My bachelor’s degree is from the Federal University of São Carlos (Brazil), in Industrial (Production) Engineering (Engenharia de Produção). Also, during my undergraduate studies, I was a visiting undergraduate student at the North Dakota State University and, under the influence of Dr. Om Yadav, I decided to eventually return to the US for my graduate studies and pursue an academic career.

After spending my PhD years in State College, PA, I moved to Rolla, MO, home of Missouri S&T, where I live with my lovely wife Georgette (liaison librarian to the Kummer College at S&T and PhD student at University of Missouri – Columbia) and our sweet, long-haired mini dapple dachshund, Sophia.

Education

• 2023 – Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, The Pennsylvania State University
  • Minor in Electrical Engineering
• 2020 – M.S. in Industrial Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University
• 2017 – B.S. in Industrial Engineering, Universidade Federal de São Carlos

Teaching

• Fall 2023 — 2025 | ENG MGT 5414 – Introduction to Operations Research, a senior level course for the Engineering Management major.
• Spring 2024 — 2025 | ENG MGT 6415 (SYS ENG 6110) – Optimization under Uncertainty, a graduate level course.
  • As of Spring 2026, this course will be offered biannually, with the next offering only in Spring 2027.
• Spring 2026 | ENG MGT 5412 – Intelligent Investing, an introduction and overview of financial investments, financial markets and mechanisms with which both individuals and corporations can protect and grow wealth in the complex, modern landscape of capitalism.

Prospective PhD Students

Currently, I am not hiring new PhD students. If a PhD position becomes available in the future, it will be posted here.