Isenberg PhD Student Dana Hassani Honored with 2025 Outstanding Student Research Award

Dana Hassani, a PhD student in the Department of Operations and Information Management (OIM), is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Student Research Award by the Isenberg Doctoral Program. This marks the second consecutive year Hassani has received this honor, highlighting his exceptional research accomplishments and commitment to scholarly collaboration with faculty.

Hassani, who joined the PhD program in 2022, has already demonstrated a robust record of research and teaching. Over the past academic year, he taught the undergraduate core course “Business Data Analysis,” published three peer-reviewed journal articles and one book chapter, and he collaborated extensively with Isenberg faculty.

“I am deeply grateful to receive this award and feel immense joy that our research has been recognized,” said Hassani. “Research is hard work, but the impact it can make is deeply rewarding. Honors like this provide extra motivation to continue along this path.”

Central to Hassani’s research success has been his collaboration with his advisor, Professor Anna Nagurney, the Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies. Their work, in partnership with Ukrainian scholars from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE)—Professors Pavlo Martyshev and Oleg Nivievskyi—has shed light on the global food supply chain disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine.

Their recent publication in Transportation Science, titled “A Multiperiod, Multicommodity, Capacitated International Agricultural Trade Network Equilibrium Model with Applications to Ukraine in Wartime,” analyzes the severe impacts of Russia’s invasion on Ukrainian grain exports and global food security.

“Since entering the PhD program at Isenberg, I’ve been fortunate to work with Dr. Nagurney, from whom I’ve learned not only about research but also the value of hard work and resilience,” Hassani said. “Isenberg has given me a foundation to pursue my dream of an academic career.”

Professor Nagurney praised Hassani’s contributions and the support of Isenberg’s research ecosystem. “The work Dana has undertaken since arriving at UMass Amherst is truly impactful,” she said. “It is wonderful to see the Isenberg Doctoral Program—under the leadership of Isenberg Dean Anne Massey and Associate Dean of Research George Milne—continue to recognize and support research excellence.”

In addition to his lead-author publication, Hassani has co-authored two other papers:

• “Multicommodity International Agricultural Trade Network Equilibrium: Competition for Limited Production and Transportation Capacity Under Disaster Scenarios with Implications for Food Security” (European Journal of Operational Research)
   
• “Exchange Rates and Multicommodity International Trade: Insights from Spatial Price Equilibrium Modeling with Policy Instruments via Variational Inequalities” (Journal of Global Optimization)

He also contributed a book chapter to Dynamics of Disasters: From Natural Phenomena to Human Activity, focusing on international trade network performance during disruptions.

“Professor Nagurney’s dedication to meaningful research and the perseverance of our Ukrainian collaborators have been deeply inspiring,” said Hassani. “Working with them has fueled my passion for scholarship and my commitment to addressing real-world global challenges.”

• Read about all the faculty, staff, and students who were recognized in May for making notable contributions to Isenberg over the 2024-2025 academic year through their teaching, research, and leadership.