On May 28, 2026, the WIT program celebrated an important milestone: Alisson García-Herrera succesfully defended her PhD thesis at the Public University of Navarra (Upna), earning the highest distinction of Cum Laude with the International Mention. Arriving from Ecuador in May 2023, she has become the first predoctoral researcher of WIT achieving her doctorate, paving a succesful way for the researchers who will follow. 

Dr. García-Herrera, an engineer and transport expert, dedicated three years to research in the group of Logistics and Transportation-Operations Research (GILT-OR) of the Institute of Smart Cities, under the guidance of Dr. Javier Faulín and Dr. Adrián Serrano-Hernández, focused on mathematical optimization applied to crowdshipping. Her work developed innovative models to coordinate occasional drivers for last-mile devileries in urban environments. The research effectively addresses key decissions such as routing, compensation and acceptance by the drivers, making a significant contribution to urban logistics and the collaborative econonomy.

Beyond her outstanding academic results—which include several peer-reviewed journal publications and awards as the Best Oral Communication at DCE 2025 (Portugal) and Best Presentation at I3M 2025 (Morocco) conferences —Alisson has highlighted the immense value of the doctoral journey itself and has encouraged to keep going to other students even if it sometimes seems a hard path. She expressed that while a PhD is challenging, she thoroughly enjoyed every step of the process, driven by her passion for research, programming, and continuous learning.

This philosophy aligns perfectly with our program's mission. We firmly believe that the doctoral experience must be a rewarding personal and professional journey. Throughout these years, she has not only proven her high technical capabilities but also her exceptional qualities as a person, earning the highest praise and admiration from her supervisors.

As coordinators, we extend our warmest congratulations to Alisson on this milestone. Given her proven talent, dedication, and track record, we are absolutely convinced that her next professional chapter will be filled with remarkable achievements.