Afrooz Moatari-Kazerouni, MSc, PhD
- Assistant Professor
Education
- Post-doctorate, Manufacturing Engineering
McGill University, Quebec, Canada - Post-doctorate, Management and Technology
Université du Québec à Montréal, Quebec, Canada - PhD, Industrial Engineering
École Polytechnique de Montréal, Quebec, Canada - MSc, Manufacturing Engineering, Production Management
Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
About Me
I am an assistant professor of operations management at Widener University. Prior to joining the university, I was a faculty member with the Dhillon School of Business, University of Lethbridge of Lethbridge, Canada, and a visiting assistant professor at Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, Adelphi University, NY. I received my MSc in production management from Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and my PhD in industrial engineering from Polytechnique Montreal, Canada. I completed two post-doctorate fellowships at McGill University and at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM), Canada.
Research Interests
My research interests fall into various areas of operation and supply chain management, process improvement, technology and information management, RFID and Blockchain technology, project management, and quality management.
My current research direction is on improving the processes by adopting the technology advancements. One of my recent projects is on supply chain transparency with Blockchain technology, in which the influence of trending technologies such as Blockchain on the supply chain management and information security of healthcare services is being investigated.
Moreover, I have participated in several empirical projects in collaboration with the manufacturing and service sector, involving simulation modelling and quantitative analyses. As such is my experience practicing as a process improvement consultant at the healthcare settings in Canada and USA; including the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal and the University of Iowa Hospital and Care Centre, IA. The projects revolved around envisioning layout and process redesign for improving the traceability of medical equipment from sterilization center to the operating rooms, by implementing the RFID technology.
In addition, I collaborated with the telecommunication Ciena as a business analyst, on projects related to supply chain management and inventory management. My work concentrated on analyzing the supply chain of telecommunication products and their short lifecycle in order to identifying sets of metrics to flag demand changes, and proposed a forecast modelling based on the metrics.
I also worked on projects for investigating the success measures for the new product development processes, in collaboration with several North American aeronautics companies such as: Pratt & Whitney Canada, Rolls-Royce, Bombardier, CAE, and MDA.
Media Expertise
- Operations and production management
- Supply chain management
- Business process management
- Supply chain resilience
- Sustainability and ESG
- Healthcare process improvement
- Process digitalization
- Technology management
- RFID and Blockchain
- Occupational health and safety
- Facility planning and layout design
- New product development
Publications
- Sasanfar, S., Bagherpour, M., Moatari Kazerouni, A. (2020). Improving Emergency Departments: Simulation-Based Optimization of Patients Waiting Time and Staff Allocation. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 1-8.
- Moatari Kazerouni, A., Bendavid, Y. (2017). Improving Logistics Processes of Surgical Instruments: Case of RFID Technology. Business Process Management Journal, 23(2), 448‐466.
- Hisarciklilar, O., Woozageer, A., Moatari Kazerouni, A., Schiffauerova, A., Thomson, V. (2016). Setting priorities in healthcare institutions: the case of McGill University Health Centre. Journal of Hospital Administration, 5(6), 38-45.
- Moatari Kazerouni, A., Pennathur, P., Tucker, S. J.; Leyden, L. A. (2015). Engineering Redesign Implications to Increase Utilization of Stairwells vs. Elevators. International Journal of Workplace Health & Safety, 64(2), 57-64.
News
In the Media
- SupplyChainBrain
Podcast | Is Healthcare Catching Up to Blockchain Technology?
Noteworthy
Business Faculty Named to INFORMS Ambassadors Program, Use Grant Funding to Advance Diversity in Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics Careers
Afrooz Moatari-Kazerouni, assistant professor of operations and supply chain management, and Jeff Lolli, associate dean for undergraduate programs and professor of sport and event management, received grant funding from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) to expose high school students to careers in supply chain management and business analytics with a particular focus on first-generation students and students of color. Moatari-Kazerouni and Lolli were one of only nine projects to be accepted and funded as part of the 2025 INFORMS Ambassadors program which aims to create long lasting pathways of inclusion in supply chain management and business analytics careers.
Presently, representation of first-generation students and students of color is limited in these fields due to barriers in access to mentorship which can hinder a sense of belonging for students interested in these career fields. Moatari-Kazerouni and Lolli took nearly 40 area high school students for a behind-the-scenes tour of the NFI Distribution Center in Hillsboro, New Jersey, whose primary client is L’Oreal Groupe. Students experienced real-world supply chain management and business analytics applications and engaged with Widener faculty and industry professionals. The group took a tour of the facility, learned about industry safety protocols, attended a career insights panel, and more.