Prospective Students

I am actively looking for motivated students to join my research group at Concordia University. My group works on optimization methods for sustainable transportation, with ongoing projects in metro timetabling, electric vehicle infrastructure planning, and simulation-based optimization.

If you are excited about using mathematical programming, combinatorial optimization, and algorithmic design to tackle real-world transportation problems, I encourage you to apply.

Open Positions

Ph.D. Students

I am recruiting Ph.D. students with strong backgrounds in operations research, mathematical optimization, or a related field. Admitted students are fully funded through teaching or research assistantships, and may also be eligible for NSERC and institutional scholarships.

M.A.Sc. Students

I am recruiting M.A.Sc. students in Industrial Engineering. Positions are funded. Students with a background in industrial engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, or a related discipline are encouraged to apply.

Undergraduate / Internship

I occasionally supervise undergraduate research projects and internships (e.g., NSERC USRA). Concordia undergraduate students interested in a research experience in optimization are welcome to reach out.

What I Am Looking For

Strong candidates typically have:

• A solid foundation in linear/integer programming, combinatorial optimization, or algorithms
• Programming proficiency in Python, Julia, C/C++, or similar
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English
• Curiosity, autonomy, and the ability to work rigorously on hard problems

Prior experience with optimization solvers (CPLEX, Gurobi, OR-Tools) or constraint programming is a plus but not required.

Research Areas

Current and upcoming projects include:

• Public Transit Optimization: optimization of public transit systems under passenger demand and operational constraints, including timetabling and network design
• Multi-modal and express transit: integrated planning of multimodal transit systems
• EV charging infrastructure: locating and sizing charging stations under multi-year planning horizons and demand uncertainty
• Discrete simulation-based optimization: efficient meta-algorithmic frameworks for stochastic combinatorial problems in ride-hailing and logistics

How to Apply

Send an email to tommaso.schettini@concordia.ca with:

• Subject line: [Prospective Student – PhD/MASc/Internship] Your Name
• A brief paragraph explaining your research interests and why you want to work with me
• Your CV
• Unofficial transcripts
• (Optional) A writing sample (thesis, report, or published paper)

I read all applications but can only respond to candidates I intend to follow up with. Applying to Concordia’s graduate program is a separate step; I am happy to guide admitted or prospective applicants through the process.

Note: to be admitted to the Ph.D. or M.A.Sc. program, you must apply through Concordia’s graduate admissions portal and list me as a prospective supervisor.