I am very glad to have this opportunity to introduce myself to the GERAD community. I will start with where I come from. I was born in Cameroon, where I also did most of my studies until I completed a first Masters degree in Applied Mathematics. Then, I was lucky to be selected by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) to complete a one year Postgraduate Diploma in Mathematical Sciences in South Africa. I subsequently completed a (second) Masters degree at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and a PhD degree at Lancaster University (United Kingdom).

My very first encounter with GERAD came in 2014, when I was lucky to obtain one of the two GERAD postdoctoral Fellowships to work with Professor Miguel Anjos. So, it is very exciting to me now that I have re-joined this research community. My research experience so far have spanned around developing solution methodologies for some classes of combinatorial optimization problems, as well as, developing models and algorithms for companies in sectors such as energy, air traffic management, logistic, food transformation (tea, sugar) and mining industries.

In recent days, my research is focused, on the one hand, on developing methodologies for binary quadratic optimization problems and their applications. I mainly use techniques such as cutting planes, branch-and-cut, dynamic programming and deterministic heuristics. On the other hand, I am also working on the use of mathematical optimization to address the issue of food waste at the consumers’ level. In this project, I am developing a mathematical optimization framework that will empower consumers in their efforts of « preventing and reducing » food waste without having to make dramatic changes to their eating habits or lifestyles. The expected impact is to support some of the United Nations sustainable development goals.

As a new member of GERAD, I welcome the opportunity to share my expertise and to explore research collaborations with other members.