Finding Purpose Through Research: Rocio Tenorio Presents at National Conference
When Rocio Tenorio walked into a room full of researchers and professionals at the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Annual Meeting this fall, she was one of the youngest scholars in attendance. As a business and marketing student, Tenorio might have seemed an unlikely participant at a major research conference. But as she presented her team’s work on strengthening food bank resilience during and following natural disasters, she proved that curiosity and collaboration can bridge any academic gap.
An international student from Nicaragua, Tenorio first became involved in the research project with her analytics and operations professors, Shital Thekdi, and Deniz Besik, and Kyle Redican, director of the Spatial Analysis Laboratory in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability, along with two fellow students. The group discovered a shared interest in food bank operations — and from that, a research collaboration was born.
“Although my concentration is marketing, I’ve always had a wide-ranging curiosity for different fields,” Tenorio said. “This project gave me the chance to apply my analytical skills to a real-world problem that I care about.”
The team’s work focused on developing an optimization model to help food banks better prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Tenorio’s experience as a Richmond Innovation Fellow — where she worked with Feed More and the Underground Kitchen (UGK) — had already exposed her to the complexities of food distribution. Seeing the logistics and challenges firsthand sparked her passion for exploring how data and modeling could make these systems more efficient and resilient.
“The research team did incredible work over the summer. We're very proud of Rocio's research and presentation. Rocio's hard work and successful presentation really exemplified the educational rigor and professionalism developed through the university and school curriculum,” said Thekdi.
Presenting at INFORMS marked a major milestone in her academic journey. Encouraged by her mentors, Thekdi and Besik, Tenorio spent the summer refining her presentation. Together, they held regular meetings, practice sessions, and mock Q&As to help her feel confident and prepared.
“Standing up there was definitely intimidating at first,” she said. “I was probably the youngest and least experienced person in the room. But it was also empowering — especially since all the presenters in my session were women. That made it feel supportive and inspiring.”
The response to her presentation was overwhelmingly positive. Several scholars complimented Tenorio on both her presentation skills and her confidence as an undergraduate student presenting at a professional conference. More importantly, the event opened doors for future collaboration.
“The conversations we had afterward were exciting,” she said. “We connected with other researchers who shared our interests, and we’re already talking about how to build on this work together.”
Beyond the research, Tenorio found the experience personally transformative. “Being surrounded by people who are so passionate about economics was incredible,” she reflected. “It showed me how research can make a tangible impact on the world — how you can use data and analysis to address real problems.”
That realization has shaped her future goals, driven by a desire to keep learning and exploring new ideas when she graduates next December. “As I told Dr. Besik, I never see myself not learning,” she said. “I’m not ready to give that up yet. I want to keep questioning systems and finding answers.”
For other students considering research opportunities or academic conferences, Tenorio’s advice is simple: go for it. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to network, learn from others, and put yourself and your work out there,” she said. “The personal and professional growth you gain from it is immense.”