Honors and Awards

Dr. Roger Z. Ríos
Professor
Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering
Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León


    Professional: Mexican System of Research Scientists (SNI)
  • SNI Fellow, Level 3, 2025 - 2029
    Highest country-wide distinction granted by the Mexican National System of Research Scientists (SNI) for scientific merit.

  • SNI Fellow, Level 3, 2020 - 2024
    Highest country-wide distinction granted by the Mexican National System of Research Scientists (SNI) for scientific merit.

  • SNI Fellow, Level 2, 2015 - 2019
    Second highest country-wide distinction granted by the Mexican National System of Research Scientists (SNI) for scientific merit.

  • SNI Fellow, Level 2, 2010 - 2014
    Second highest country-wide distinction granted by the Mexican National System of Research Scientists (SNI) for scientific merit.

  • SNI Fellow, Level 2, 2006 - 2009
    Second highest country-wide distinction granted by the Mexican National System of Research Scientists (SNI) for scientific merit.

  • SNI Fellow, Level 1, 2000 - 2005
    Third highest country-wide distinction granted by the Mexican National System of Research Scientists for scientific merit.

 
    Professional
  • SMIO Thesis Award, 2025
    Supervising professor of thesis: "A Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure for a Territory Design Problem Arising in Microfinancial Institutions" by Eduardo Salazar, which won the nation-wide award to the Best Undergraduate Thesis in Mexico in operations research.

  • 2025 UANL Research Award, 2025
    Most prestigious university-wide award granted by UANL to the best research work. Exact Sciences category.
    [ Interview Vida Universitaria]

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 7, 2025 - 2026
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • INFORMS Senior Member, 2025
    Distinction granted by INFORMS in recognition of sustained commitment and contributions to the INFORMS community.

  • Albertis Award on Sustainable Mobility Research, 2024
    Supervising professor of thesis: "Modelos y Algoritmos de Optimización en Tiempo Real de Sistemas de Transporte Público Basados en Autobuses" by Citlali Olvera, which won the Albertis Award to the Best Doctoral Thesis on Sustainable Mobility.

  • SMIO Thesis Award, 2024
    Supervising professor of thesis: "Modelos y Algoritmos de Optimización en Tiempo Real de Sistemas de Transporte Público Basados en Autobuses" by Citlali Olvera, which won the nation-wide award to the Best Doctoral Thesis in Mexico on operations research.

  • Plenary Speaker, 2024
    SMIO Lecture at CLAIO, Guadalajara, Mexico.

  • Fulbright Visiting Scholar Award, 2024 - 2025
    Award granted by the Fulbright Scholar Program, the US government's flagship international exchange program, for visiting scholars on sabbatical leave at USA.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 7, 2024 - 2025
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • NL State Science Award, 2023
    Most prestigious state-wide award granted by the state of Nuevo Leon government to the best scientific contributions. Exact Sciences category.

  • SMIO Thesis Award, 2023
    Supervising professor of thesis: "A Heuristic for the α-Neighbor p-Center Problem" by Ernesto Ortiz, which won the nation-wide award to the Best Undergraduate Thesis in Mexico in operations research.

  • PRODEP Fellow, 2023 - 2029
    Distinction granted by the Secretary for Public Education (SEP) under its Faculty Improvement Program (PRODEP).

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 7, 2023 - 2024
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 7, 2022 - 2023
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 7, 2021 - 2022
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • PRODEP Fellow, 2020 - 2023
    Distinction granted by the Secretary for Public Education (SEP) under its Faculty Improvement Program (PRODEP).

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 7, 2020 - 2021
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • PC Chair, 2019
    INFORMS-ALIO Joint International Meeting, Cancun, Mexico.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 7, 2019 - 2020
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • Plenary Speaker, 2018
    EURO Conference, Valencia, Spain.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2018 - 2019
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • 2017 UANL Research Award, 2017
    Most prestigious university-wide award granted by UANL to the best research work. Exact Sciences category.

  • PRODEP Fellow, 2017 - 2020
    Distinction granted by the Secretary for Public Education (SEP) under its Faculty Improvement Program (PRODEP).

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2017 - 2018
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2016 - 2017
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • AmexComp Fellow, 2015 -
    Distinction granted by the Mexican Academy on Computing for scientific and research contributions on computer science.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2015 - 2016
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • FIME-UANL Published Work, 2014
    Recognition granted by the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at UANL for book publishing.

  • 2014 UANL Research Award, 2014
    Most prestigious university-wide award granted by UANL to the best research work. Exact Sciences category.

  • PROMEP Fellow, 2014 - 2017
    Distinction granted by the Secretary for Public Education (SEP) under its Faculty Improvement Program (PROMEP).

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2014 - 2015
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2013 - 2014
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • Fulbright Visiting Scholar Award, 2012 - 2013
    Award granted by the Fulbright Scholar Program, the US government's flagship international exchange program, for visiting scholars on sabbatical leave at USA.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2012 - 2013
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • PROMEP Fellow, 2011 - 2014
    Distinction granted by the Secretary for Public Education (SEP) under its Faculty Improvement Program (PROMEP).

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2011 - 2012
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • FIME-UANL Technological Innovation Merit, 2010
    Recognition granted by the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at UANL for technological innovation accomplishments.

  • UANL Thesis Award, 2010
    Supervising professor of thesis: "Diseño de Territorios Comerciales con Costos de Ruteo" by Juan Salazar, which won the university-wide award to the Best Master Thesis at UANL in the Natural and Exact Sciences category.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 6, 2010 - 2011
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • FIME-UANL Research Merit, 2009
    Recognition granted by the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at UANL for research accomplishments.

  • FIME-UANL Published Work, 2009
    Recognition granted by the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at UANL for book publishing.

  • UANL Thesis Award, 2009
    Supervising professor of thesis: "Un Procedimiento de Búsqueda Miope Aleatorizada y Adaptativa para el Diseño Eficiente de Territorios de Atención Comercial con Requerimientos de Asignación Conjunta" by Saúl Caballero, which won the university-wide award to the Best Master Thesis at UANL in the Natural and Exact Sciences category.

  • 2009 UANL Research Award, 2009
    Most prestigious university-wide award granted by UANL to the best research work. Engineering and Technology category.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 5, 2009 - 2010
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • PROMEP Fellow, 2008 - 2011
    Distinction granted by the Secretary for Public Education (SEP) under its Faculty Improvement Program (PROMEP).

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 5, 2007 - 2009
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • AMC Fellow, 2005 -
    Distinction granted by the Mexican Academy of Sciences for scientific and research contributions.

  • TECNOS Award, 2005
    Supervising professor of thesis: "Operación Eficiente de Redes de Transporte de Gas Natural mediante el Método de Gradiente Reducido Generalizado" by Humberto Flores, which won the Tecnos Award to the Best Master Thesis given by the state of Nuevo Leon Government.

  • PROMEP Fellow, 2005 - 2008
    Distinction granted by the Secretary for Public Education (SEP) under its Faculty Improvement Program (PROMEP).

  • Visiting Scholar Award, 2005 - 2006 (sabbatical leave)
    Awarded by the Spanish Ministry for Education and Science for visiting scholars on sabbatical leave at Spanish institutions.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 5, 2005 - 2007
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • AMC-FUMEC Young Investigator Award, 2004
    Award granted by the Mexican Academy of Sciences and the Mexico-USA Science Foundation to pursue Summer research in an American institution.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 5, 2004 - 2005
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 5, 2003 - 2004
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • SEP-UANL Fellow, Level 3, 2002 - 2003
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • SEP UANL Fellow, Level 3, 2001 - 2002
    University-wide distinction granted by SEP through UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • ALIO Vice-President, 2002 - 2004
    Elected by the Latin-American Association on Operations Research (ALIO).

  • Young Investigator Award, 2000 - 2003
    Granted by CONACYT to fund a 3-year research project.

  • 1999 UANL Research Award, 2000
    Most prestigious university-wide award granted by UANL to the best research work. Exact Sciences category.

  • Host Researcher, 2000 - 2001
    CONACYT's "Catedra Patrimonial de Excelencia" Program, hosting Dr. Slava Kalashnikov from Central Economics and Mathematics Institute, Moscow, Russia.

  • Invited Cluster Co-chair, 2000
    "Energy", INFORMS National Meeting, Salt Lake City.

  • UANL Academic Corps Fellow, Level 2, 1999 - 2001
    Third highest university-wide distinction granted by UANL to outstanding faculty members for teaching and research.

  • Invited Cluster Chair, 1998
    "Energy", INFORMS National Meeting, Seattle.

 
    As a graduate student at UT-Austin
  • Best Graduate Student Paper Award, 1996
    2nd Student Research Conference, U. of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA.

  • E. D. Farmer Fellowship, 1996 - 97
    Granted by the U. of Texas to an outstanding Latin-American doctoral student.

  • David Bruton Fellowship Award, 1996 - 1997
    Granted by the U. of Texas to an outstanding doctoral student.

  • E. D. Farmer Fellowship, 1995 - 96
    Granted by the U. of Texas to an outstanding Latin-American doctoral student.

  • Best Graduate Student Paper Award, 1995
    1st Student Research Conference, U. of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA

  • E. D. Farmer Fellowship, 1994 - 95
    Granted by the U. of Texas to an outstanding Latin-American doctoral student.

  • University Continuing Fellowship, 1993 - 1994
    Granted by the U. of Texas to an outstanding continuing doctoral student.

  • Scholarship for Ph.D. Studies, 1993 - 1995
    Granted by the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology.

  • Omega Rho International Honor Society Inductee, 1992
    Inducted by the Operations Research Society of America (now INFORMS).

  • Scholarship for M.S. Studies, 1991 - 1992
    Granted by the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology.

 
    As an undergraduate student at UANL
  • Top ranked Mathematics major student, 1983 - 1987
    UANL, Facultad de Ciencias Físico-Matemáticas.

  • Scholarship for undergraduate studies, 1983 - 1987
    Granted by the Mexican Mathematical Society and the UANL.

  • 1st place on Mathematics Contest, 1983
    Granted by the Mexican Mathematical Society and UANL to the winner of the state-wide contest for high school students in the state of Nuevo León.

 

Revised: Aug 2025