Dr. Hassana Abdullahi

Dr Hassana Abdullahi was born in Jos to late the Vice Admiral Husaini Abdullahi (rtd), and Hajiya Maimunatu Abdullahi from Doma LGA, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Dr Abdullahi is a Lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain Management at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales, United Kingdom. With a robust academic and research profile in Operational Research (OR), her work centres on developing innovative optimisation models and solution methods to tackle complex real-world challenges in scheduling, supply chains, logistics, and recommender systems. This research has resulted in high-impact publications and has extended into collaborative projects, such as a completed study conducted with colleagues from Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy, University of Bangor, and the Welsh Government, which examined the impact of the Pupils Development Grant on reducing student attainment gaps. Dr Abdullahi’s academic journey began at the University of Portsmouth, where she earned an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (with distinction) and later a PhD in Operational Research. Her doctoral research focused on the development of smart approaches for designing sustainable and robust freight transportation routes. Following her PhD, she held postdoctoral and senior research positions at the University of Portsmouth, contributing to funded projects such as the DfT-funded Solent Future Transport Zone (FTZ) Mobility-as-a-Service project and the Interreg 2-Seas Smart Light Concepts (SLIC) project. In her current role at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Dr Abdullahi is deeply involved in both teaching and academic administration. She leads several modules across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, serves as a personal tutor, and supervises MSc dissertations. Her teaching experience spans international logistics, contemporary operations management, and MBA-level supply chain management, ensuring her students receive both theoretical and practical insights into the field. Dr Abdullahi is also an active academic leader and mentor, having held roles such as Departmental Mentor and Postdoctoral Researchers Representative during her tenure at the University of Portsmouth. At Cardiff Metropolitan University, she contributes to academic citizenship as a School Representative on the Race Equality Charter Working Group and as a member of the Value Stream Flow Center. Her commitment to diversity and leadership is further demonstrated by her participation in prestigious programmes such as the Welsh Crucible and the UK Advance HE Diversifying Leadership Programme. Her scholarly activities are extensive, with numerous journal and conference publications addressing topics like sustainable vehicle routing, recommender systems in e-commerce, and multi-criteria decision-making in public lighting systems. Dr. Abdullahi’s work is further complemented by her active involvement in research funding initiatives; she has received best research paper awards and nominations, as well as several funding awards in leadership and research. Beyond her academic and research achievements, Dr Abdullahi maintains active memberships in professional organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the British Academy of Management, and the British Operational Research Society.