Nasrin Mohabbati, an assistant professor of logistics and supply chain management at Cal State San Bernardino, is focused on transforming the future of logistics and manufacturing in the Inland Empire by developing new research tied to efficient, sustainable and socially responsible strategies.

Mohabbati, who teaches in the Department of Information and Decision Sciences (IDS) at the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, is helping to bridge academia and industry to identify the current and projected workforce requirements to train and mentor students beyond the classroom.

“International trade competition has been the fuel to the IE’s logistics and manufacturing operations, and consequently, economic and job growth. Yet the current system poses problems such as traffic congestion, air and noise pollution,” says Mohabbati, who joined CSUSB in 2019. “On the other hand, the cost of operation for distributors and carriers is high due to the inefficiency of the distribution system.”

With a background in engineering and logistics, Mohabbati’s research interests have revolved around decision making under uncertainty, operations research and data analytics with applications in emerging transportation systems and supply chain management. She has been involved in designing logistics systems and supply chain networks through different research projects, which she incorporates in teaching her classes to demonstrate real-world applications to students.

Her latest research focuses on improving the current logistics systems in the IE to meet the growing cargo movement demands. By some accounts, the region is among the nation’s largest distribution hubs, including sorting, storage and shipping.

Currently, Mohabbati is a key member, along with her colleagues, IDS professors Conrad Shayo and Barbara Sirotnik and Leonard Transportation director and public administration professor Kimberly Collins, of a consortium developing the strategic plan for a new California Sustainable Logistics Center of Excellence. The center’s primary goal is to elevate the IE as a world leader in the logistics and supply chain industry through support of innovative emerging logistics systems. In turn, efforts will enhance local quality jobs, environmental sustainability and economic growth.

Mohabbati weaves related needs and challenges of the region into teaching, encouraging students to think critically, be creative, communicate effectively and develop problem-solving skills so they can be ready to thrive in related careers. She also serves as a mentor for student research projects, competitions, presentations, master’s theses, creative activities and more. Many of her students have been acknowledged with awards and scholarships and received job offers upon graduation.

Last year, she received the Office of Student Research’s Research and Creative Activity Mentor Award and the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration’s Emerging Scholar Award in recognition of her excellence in research and her dedication to mentoring and preparing students to meet the highest professional and ethical standards as scholars.

Her service to students and the community does not stop there. Mohabbati advocates for students, women, minorities and underrepresented groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. She aims to create inclusive and diverse environments within communities on and off campus by collaborating with off-campus organizations and serving for the JHBC Office of Academic Equity.

Mohabbati has published nine peer-reviewed papers in high-ranking journals as well as one book chapter, and she has presented her research at 12 conferences. She has received numerous awards acknowledging her leadership skills, including the 100+ Women Strong Graduate Leadership Award in 2017 and INFORMS Student Chapter Annual Award at the Summa Cum Laude level in 2018.

Mohabbati holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering both from Auburn University, a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Tabriz.