Constanza Lorca

About

Constanza Lorca is a Ph.D. candidate in Systems Engineering at the University of Virginia. She has a background in Industrial Engineering and earned her undergraduate degree from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile. Her research focuses on the use of operations research methods, including optimization, machine learning, and discrete-event simulation to support decision-making under uncertainty in complex systems.

Her recent work focuses on operating room scheduling, where she combines predictive models for surgery durations with risk-aware mathematical optimization to reduce operating room overtime and improve hospital resource utilization. In addition to her work in healthcare operations, Constanza is also exploring the use of deep learning to generate feasible, high-quality solutions for large-scale generalized assignment problems. More broadly, she enjoys working on problems at the intersection of operations research, artificial intelligence, and applied decision-support systems, particularly when these tools can be used to improve efficiency and resource planning in real-world dynamic systems. 

Constanza also enjoys learning and sharing knowledge with others, whether through teaching, mentoring, or working on collaborative projects. Outside of research, she enjoys strength training, learning German, and working on creative projects.