In recognition of his leadership and contributions to global disaster response efforts, Jarrod Goentzel, founder and director of the MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab (HSCL), has been awarded the 2024 Humanitarian Logistics Award by the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN). This honor underscores the vital work of the lab, particularly during times of crisis, including the ongoing relief efforts during and following Hurricane Milton.
For over a decade, Goentzel’s lab at MIT has played a pivotal role in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian responses around the world. By leveraging advanced supply chain technologies and methodologies, the HSCL focuses on delivering aid where it’s needed most, especially in the face of natural disasters and other large-scale emergencies.
“We’re proud to spotlight the efforts of Dr. Goentzel and the other honorees, who serve as exemplary models of what it means to uplift one’s community and the overall humanitarian ecosystem,” says ALAN Executive Director Kathy Fulton. “They are truly leading the way for our industry to help disaster survivors in their own backyards and around the world.”
The 2024 ALAN award recognizes Goentzel’s innovative approach to logistics, which emphasizes collaboration between public, private, and nonprofit organizations. The lab’s work has been instrumental in improving disaster preparedness and response strategies, helping communities across the United States and globally recover more quickly from devastating events.
Focus on U.S. disaster relief and Hurricane Milton
The lab’s efforts have been especially critical during U.S. storm seasons. With hurricanes becoming more frequent and severe, the HSCL has worked closely with government agencies and aid organizations to provide real-time solutions for relief logistics. During Hurricane Milton, which recently devastated parts of the southeastern United States, the lab’s expertise was in high demand.
Using data-driven tools and predictive models, the lab assists in assessing infrastructure damage, forecasting supply chain needs, and coordinating logistics between responders. Following a Washington roundtable earlier this year, Goentzel and Research Associate Lauren Finegan published a report on “Scaling Post-Disaster Housing Capacity” to better understand housing demands, survivor needs, response policies, and the potential for scaling construction capacity. Another paper from Goentzel’s lab, co-authored with Shraddha Rana, Justin Boutilier, and MIT CTL Research Engineer Timothy Russell, looked to model fuel distribution operational flow capacity in post-disaster areas. The lab also works on planning to ensure that critical resources such as food, water, and medical supplies reach the most affected areas as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“The scale and complexity of natural disasters like Hurricane Milton require sophisticated logistics planning and coordination,” says Goentzel. “Our lab works on anticipating disruptions and ensuring that response efforts can adapt to the dynamic nature of these events.”
A history of impact
This latest recognition from ALAN is not the first time Goentzel and his team have been honored for their work in humanitarian logistics. In 2018, the HSCL received recognition from ALAN for its efforts in hurricane relief, which at the time included responding to hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. The lab’s contributions helped streamline supply chain operations and coordinate response teams, making a meaningful difference in how aid was delivered to impacted communities.
Under Goentzel’s leadership, the lab has focused not just on responding to crises, but also to building more resilient supply chains that can withstand future challenges. This research has helped humanitarian organizations and governments improve their preparedness, reducing the time and cost of getting aid to where it’s needed most.
Beyond natural disasters
Although natural disasters remain a core focus, the lab’s work extends beyond storm seasons and hurricanes. The team supports efforts in various humanitarian contexts, including refugee crises, pandemic responses, and large-scale conflicts. Goentzel and his colleagues have also contributed to global initiatives aimed at addressing longer-term challenges such as food insecurity and climate change, and enabling communities to streamline training for local responders, optimizing aid delivery, and building scalable and adaptive supply chains.
The guidance and expertise within the Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab has grown along with the frequency and severity of natural disasters. “This recognition from ALAN is a testament to the incredible work of our team and partners,” Goentzel says, “but our mission is to continuously understand and improve supply chain systems to meet human needs. There’s still much more to be done.”
The mission of the MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab is to understand and improve the supply chain systems behind public services and private markets to meet human needs. Based within the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, the lab combines MIT expertise in engineering, management, information technology, social science, economics, urban planning, and other disciplines to drive practical innovation for humanitarian interventions.
Founded in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, ALAN is a philanthropic, industry-wide organization that provides free logistics assistance to disaster relief organizations before, during, and after catastrophic events. It does this by bringing the expertise and resources of the logistics industry together with humanitarian organizations so that help can arrive sooner, and each relief dollar can be maximized. Over the years it has coordinated compassionate supply chain services for disasters including hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods.
Established in 2017, ALAN’s Humanitarian Logistics Awards recognize companies and individuals who exemplify the best that the supply chain has to offer by assuring that aid is rapidly delivered to communities in crisis. Presented annually, they are open to any logistics professional, organization, or department. For a complete list of previous winners, visit ALAN’s website.