Professor Garavito-Hernandez is a highly qualified Industrial Engineer, holding a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus. He is currently a dedicated tenured professor at the Universidad Industrial de Santander, specializing in the field of production systems design and discrete simulation. His research interests encompass a wide range of areas, including optimization, heuristic methods, production management, production systems design, and simulation. With a notable publication record, he has authored numerous scientific articles and book chapters, as well as presented over 30 papers at national and international conferences. Professor Garavito-Hernandez’s expertise extends to mentoring approximately 80 undergraduate and graduate projects, while his leadership as a principal researcher and co-researcher in various projects within the industrial, agricultural, and health sectors of Santander has been instrumental in driving process improvement and innovation.