TAMIU Prof. Named A&M System Research Fund Recipient for Supply Chain Study

A Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) faculty member was recently named a recipient of a Research Excellence Fund awarded by the Texas A&M University System.

Dr. Miguel Gaston Cedillo-Campos, assistant professor of Business, in the TAMIU A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business (ARSSB), was awarded funding for his proposal, “Stress-Testing Cross-Border Supply Chains with Intelligent Digital Twins.” The project focuses on how cross-border supply chains behave under pressure and focuses particularly on the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo-Monterrey corridor, explained Cedillo-Campos.

“Every day, thousands of trucks, companies, workers, and communities depend on this logistics system. When something goes wrong: a border delay, a cyberattack, extreme weather, a port closure, or a major policy disruption, the effects can spread very quickly across industries,” said Cedillo-Campos.

He continued, “What we are proposing is to build an intelligent digital twin of this cross-border corridor. In simple terms, that means creating a sophisticated virtual model that allows us to simulate different disruption scenarios before they happen in real life. The goal is to understand where the system is vulnerable, how disruptions propagate, and what kinds of decisions could reduce economic losses.”

The project explores Supply Chain Catastrophic Bonds, a concept involving financial instruments designed to help companies access liquidity during severe supply chain disruptions. The project, which combines logistics, artificial intelligence, simulation, and financial risk management, will count on the funding to help support the first stage of the intelligent digital twin, the integration of data, the development of initial disruption scenarios, and the design of potential indicators that could later be used to structure Supply Chain Catastrophic Bonds, said Cedillo-Campos.

“For my research, this award is a catalyst. It helps connect several areas I have worked on for many years: freight fluidity, logistics value, transportation resilience, supply chain risk, and cross-border trade. Now, with this support, we can bring those ideas together into a more advanced and actionable platform. The award will also help us prepare for larger external funding opportunities, particularly at the federal level. In that sense, this is not only a one-year research project. It is the foundation for a broader research agenda that can position TAMIU and the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business as leaders in cross-border supply chain resilience,” Cedillo-Campos explained.

The research project is a collaborative endeavor with TAMIU serving as the lead institution, and is made possible through the collaborative efforts of University faculty members that include Dr. Haibo Wang, professor; Dr. Antonio Rodríguez, professor and International Banking and Finance Studies interim division chair; Dr. Leonel Prieto, associate professor and director of the ARSSB PhD Program, and Dr. Daniel Covarrubias, director of the ARSSB Business Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development.

The project includes collaboration with Texas A&M University’s TAMIDS Digital Twin Lab, led by Dr. Jian Tao, and with Dr. David Salgado of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Both scholars bring strong expertise in their respective fields.

Additionally, the project seeks to engage regional stakeholders, including carriers, logistics providers, manufacturers, and public agencies connected to border operations and freight movement. The proposal also includes international academic interactions with the Berlin School of Economics and Universidad Panamericana to strengthen the theoretical and applied dimensions of the work.

For Cedillo-Campos who has spent much of his career studying transportation infrastructure, the long-term goal of this research aims to contribute toward making supply chains more intelligent, more resilient and more valuable for the regions they serve.

“It is not enough to ask how trucks can move faster or how companies can reroute shipments. We also need to ask how firms, especially small and medium-sized companies, can survive financially when a major disruption interrupts their operations. The Laredo–Nuevo Laredo–Monterrey corridor is an ideal place to develop this work because it is a living laboratory for North American trade. What happens here matters far beyond the border. It affects automotive, electronics, medical devices, agriculture, retail, and many other industries across the United States and Mexico,” Cedillo-Campos emphasized.

He reiterated, “Although this project begins with the U.S.–Mexico corridor, its potential scope is global. If we can develop a reliable methodology here, it could be adapted to other critical trade corridors around the world. That is what motivates me most: the possibility of creating tools that help supply chains become not only more efficient, but also more prepared, more inclusive, and more resilient.”

Dr. Claudia San Miguel, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, said the award reflects both the quality of TAMIU faculty scholarship and the University's growing research impact.

“Dr. Cedillo-Campos' project exemplifies the innovative, interdisciplinary research that addresses critical regional and global challenges while advancing knowledge in ways that benefit our communities and industries. This Research Excellence Fund award not only recognizes the strength of his scholarship but also reinforces TAMIU's commitment to expanding research opportunities, fostering strategic collaborations, and elevating the University's role as a leader in cross-border and international studies,” San Miguel said.

The Research Excellence Fund (REF) is a Texas A&M University System–wide, competitive, merit‑based funding program designed to strengthen research capacity, foster collaboration among System members, and enhance competitiveness for major external funding. The REF is administered by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research with guidance from a System‑level advisory committee. Proposals are reviewed competitively and in alignment with System, state, and national research priorities.

A Research Excellence Fund was also awarded to Dr. Brittany Hood, assistant professor of Criminal Justice, at the University. 

For more information on the research project, contact Cedillo-Campos at miguel.cedillo@tamiu.edu.

Registration for the Fall 2026 semester at TAMIU is now underway. Visit our dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration to learn more and register.

The first day of classes for the Fall 2026 semester is Monday, Aug. 24, 2026.

More of the University’s story is available on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and at tamiu.edu.