Álvaro Lorca is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
He is also co-director of the Energy and Complex Systems Laboratory and co-director of Vinken, a business unit at Dictuc dedicated to specialized consulting, advanced research, and technological developments for the energy industry.
He received a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Georgia Institute of Technology, and an M.Sc. in Engineering and an Industrial Engineering degree with a diploma in Mathematical Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
His research and professional activities are centered in the application of mathematical methods and data science in energy planning, power system operations, renewable energy integration, smart grids, and resilience, among other topics.
He has published in various specialized scientific journals, including Operations Research, European Journal of Operational Research, Production and Operations Management, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Energy, Energy Economics, Applied Energy, and Energy Policy, among others.
He has worked with ISO New England, World Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional, Comisión Nacional de Energía, Chilean Ministry of Energy, Transelec, and Fraunhofer Chile Research, among others.
His research has been recognized with various awards, including the Best Paper in Energy Award from the INFORMS Section on Energy, Natural Resources, and the Environment, and the Best Paper Award from the IEEE Power and Energy Society.