Dr. Rene Villalobos is the director of the International Logistics and Productivity Improvement Laboratory (ILPIL). At ILPIL he has successfully applied tools such as discrete event simulation, statistical inference, data mining, mathematical optimization, and supply chain/logistics methods to a wide variety of projects in industry, including labor productivity improvement, capacity planning and logistics.
Furthermore, he has translated industrial engineering knowledge into new applications related to agricultural planning, logistics and policymaking, bringing a fresh point of view and novel solutions to commonly observed problems in agriculture.
Through his work, he has gained an increased understanding of the challenges posed by agricultural supply chains and identified several engineering tools that are used to solve important and widespread problems. For instance, he is active in the areas of agricultural and food logistics; areas in which he has worked directly with farmers and decision-makers to find practical solutions to complex logistics and distribution problems.
He has worked with fresh produce growers of Arizona to develop innovative approaches to the farm-labor scarcity problem. He has also worked with fresh produce growers from Mexico to find better marketing alternatives for their products.
Currently he is working in the development of a planning platform for rapid-response supply chains for fresh fruits and vegetables.