Luckny Zephyr

Luckny Zéphyr, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School Bunisess Administration at Laurentian University. He is also cross-appointed at the Bharti School of Engineering and Computer Science. He received his PhD from Université Laval, in Management Science, with a major in Operations and Decision Systems, an MBA from Universite Laval, with a major in Modeling and Organizational Decision, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Quantitative Economics (major in Statistics) from Centre de Techniques de Planification et d’Economie Appliquée (CTPEA), Haiti. Professor Zéphyr is also a former Postdoctal Associate in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, at Cornell University, and cofounded a successful consulting company, Diagnostic & Development Group S.A., in his originating country.

• Postdoctoral Studies, Cornell University, 2015-2018
• Doctorate (Ph.D.), Université Laval, 2010-2015
• MBA, Université Laval, 2008-2010
• Bsc., Centre de Techniques de Planification et d’Economie Appliquée (CTPEA), Haiti, 2002-2006​

Director School of Business Administration, July 1, 2025 - present

Associate Professor, July 1, 2022 - to present

Cross Appointment: Bharti School of Engineering and Computation, January 2024 -

Assistant Professor, July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2022

Professor Zéphyr's research has focused on developing numerical methods to solve complex decision-making problems, in particular power system problems, including the integration of renewable energy into power networks. Dr. Zéphyr has worked on real-world applications in Canada and Colombia. His research spans Stochastic Dynamic Programming, Stochastic Programming, Convex Analysis, Power System Management, and Integration of Renewable Energy into Power Systems. Professor Zéphyr is also interested in Data Science, and Machine Learning. 

• NSERC Alliance Grant (ALLRP), project entitled "Improved Midterm Reservoir Management Model under Renewable Energy Integration", with Rio Tinto, 2024 - 2028
• NSERC/FRQNT NOVA Grant, project entitled "Electrified transportation: a collaborative and data-driven approach for a smart city”, 2023-2026 (Co-PI)
• Mitacs Accelerate Grant, project  entitled "Comparison of two Approximate Stochastic Dynamic Programming Schemes for
  Mid-term Hydropower System Management" with Rio Tinto, Sep-2022- Mar-2023
• One of the 2018 Top 10 Research and Innovations Achievements Awards, Laurentian University
• ÁMBAR 2018 Award: Research and Development of the Colombian Energy Sector (Research Category) from the Colombian Association of Electrical Energy Distributors (Joint work with José L. Morillo, Juan F. Pérez, C. Lindsay Anderson and Ángela Cadena)​ http://www.asocodis.org.co/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=177
• 2018: Certificate of Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing, European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR)
• 2016: 2nd Place, Poster Contest (Environmental Engineering), Cornell University, 8th Research Symposium
• 2014: Best Student Paper Prize, 11th International Conference on Computational Management Science, CMS 2014
• 2012: Award of Excellence of the Faculty of Business Administration Dean, Université Laval
• 2010: Diploma in Operational Research, Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS)
• 2008-2010: Merit Scholarship, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

Refereed Journal Articles

1. Zephyr, L., Lamond, B.F., Demeester, K. et al. Two simplex-based approximate stochastic dynamic programming schemes for a real hydropower management problem. Ann Oper Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-025-06561-4

2. Zephyr, L., Lamond, B.F. & Lang, P. Hybrid simplicial-randomized approximate stochastic dynamic programming for multireservoir optimization. Comput Manag Sci 21, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10287-024-00517-y

3. José L. Morillo, Luckny Zephyr, Juan F. Pérez, Angela Cadena, C. Lindsay Anderson, Distribution-free chance-constrained load balance model for the operation planning of hydrothermal power systems coupled with multiple renewable energy sources, International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, Volume 142, Part B, 2022,108319, ISSN 0142-0615, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijepes.2022.108319. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142061522003398)
4. Mohamed Dia, Shashi Shahi, and Luckny Zephyr. An Assessment of the Efficiency of Canadian Power Generation Companies with Bootstrap DEA. J. Risk Financial Manag. 2021, 14(10), 498; https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14100498 

5. Lamond, B.F. and Zephyr, L., 2021. Note on “Parameters estimators of irregular right-angled triangular distribution”. Model Assisted Statistics and Applications, 16(4), pp.273-276.

6. Guo, Ge, Luckny Zephyr, José Morillo, Zongjie Wang, and C. Lindsay Anderson. "Chance Constrained Unit Commitment Approximation under Stochastic Wind Energy." Computers & Operations Research (2021): 105398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cor.2021.105398

7. Liu, J., Zéphyr, L., & Anderson, C. L. (2020). Optimal Operation of Microgrids with Load-Differentiated Demand Response and Renewable Resources. Journal of Energy Engineering, 146(4), 04020027.
8. Morillo, J. L., Zéphyr, L., Pérez, J. F., Anderson, C. L., and Cadena, A. (2019). Risk-averse stochastic dual dynamic programming approach for the operation of a hydro-dominated power system in the presence of wind uncertainty. International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, 115, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijepes.2019.105469
9. Zéphyr, L. & Anderson, C.L. (2018).  Stochastic dynamic programming approach to managing power system uncertainty with distributed storage. Computational Management Science, 15: 87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10287-017-0297-2
10. Tupper, L. L., Matteson, D. S., Anderson, C. L., & Zephyr, L. (2018). Band depth clustering for nonstationary time series and wind speed behavior. Technometrics, 60(2), 245-254
11. Zéphyr, L., Lang, P., Lamond, B. F. and Côté, P. (2017). Approximate Stochastic Dynamic Programming for Hydroelectric Production Planning. European Journal of Operational Research, 262(2):586–601, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2017.03.050
12. Zéphyr, L., Lang, P., Lamond, B. F., Côté, P. (2015). Controlled Approximation of the Value Function in Stochastic Dynamic Programming for Multi-Reservoirs Systems. Computational Management Science, 12:539–557,
13. Zéphyr, L., Lang, P., and Lamond, B. F. (2013). Adaptive monitoring of the progressive hedging penalty for reservoir systems management. ​ Energy Systems, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12667-013-0110-4

Peer-Reviewed Papers in Conference Proceedings

1. Zephyr, L. and Lamond, B.F., 2022, May. Randomized Simplicial Approximate Stochastic Dynamic Programming for Mid-term Reservoir Optimization. In 2022 8th International Conference on Control, Decision and Information Technologies (CoDIT) (Vol. 1, pp. 468-474). IEEE. DOI: 10.1109/CoDIT55151.2022.9804070
2. Luckny Zephyr, Guo, Ge, José Morillo, and Zongjie Wang (2022). Approximate Chance-Constrained Unit Commitment under Wind Energy Penetration. “Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/79752.
3. Liu, Jialin, Luckny Zephyr, and Judith Cardell. "Co-optimizing High and Low Voltage Systems: Bi-Level vs. Single-Level Approach." Proceedings of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/64107
4. Morillo, J. L., Pérez, J. F., Zéphyr, L., Anderson, C. L., & Cadena, A. (2017). Assessing the impact of wind variability on the long-term operation of a hydro-dominated system. In Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference Europe (ISGT-Europe), 2017 IEEE PES (pp. 1-6). IEEE
5. Anderson, Lindsay, Luckny Zéphyr, and Judy Cardell. "A vision for co-optimized T&D system interaction with renewables and demand response." Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/41517
6. Zéphyr, L., Lang, P., Lamond, B. F., Côté, P. (2014). Controlled Approximation of the Value Function in Stochastic Dynamic Programming for Multi-Reservoirs Systems. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Computer Management Science
7. Lang, P., Zéphyr, L., and Lamond, B. (2014). Computing the expected value function for a multi-reservoir system with highly correlated inflows. In Y. Guan and H. Liao, eds, Proc. Industrial and Systems Engineering Research Conference (ISERC 2014), Montreal, Canada, May 31 - June 3, 2014

Abstracts

1. Mohamed Dia, Shashi Shahi, and Luckny Zephyr. An Assessment of the Efficiency of Canadian Power Generation Companies with Bootstrap DEA. Operations Research Society of South Africa 2021 Conference.
2. Luckny Zéphyr, José Morillo, Júan Peréz, Lindsay C. Anderson, and Angéla Cadena. A Data-driven Scheme For The Operation Planning Of Power Systems Under Renewable Energy Penetration.  INFORMS 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting, November 8-12, 2020
3. Zéphyr, L., Morillo, J., Pérez, J., Anderson, C. L, and Cadena, A. Risk-averse stochastic dual dynamic programming approach for the management of hydro dominated power systems coupled with wind energy and distributed storage. Canadian Operational Research Society 61st Annual Conference, Saskatoon, May 26-29, 2019
4. Zephyr, L., Liu, J., and Anderson, C. L. Co-optimizing the Interplay between Micro and Macro Grids. INFORMS Annual Meeting, Houston, USA, October 25, 2017
5. Zephyr, L., Liu, J., and Anderson, C. L. Stochastic co-Optimization of Transmission and Distribution-as-Microgrids Networks with Renewables and Energy Storage. SIAM Conference on Optimization, Vancouver, Canada, May 22, 2017
6. Zephyr, L., Liu, J., and Anderson, C. L. Co-Optimizing the Interaction between Micro and Macro Grids: Challenges and Perspectives. INFORMS Annual Meeting, Nashville, USA, November 16, 2016
7. Zephyr, L., Lang, P., Lamond, B.F. Adaptive Monitoring of the Progressive Hedging Penalty for Reservoir Systems Management, Optimization Day, HEC, Montreal, May 6, 2013
8. Zephyr, L., Lang, P., Lamond, B.F. Adaptive Monitoring of the Progressive Hedging algorithm for Reservoir systems Management, Hydro-Québec, Montréal, Canada, November 30, 2012

Technical Reports I co-authored

1. Étude sur l’hésitation et le refus de la COVID-19 en Haïti, on behalf of Centres GHESKIO (Haiti), 2022

2. François, Caron, Luckny Zephyr, Megan Moore, Pronnapa Sanongboon, David Zekveld. “Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Economic Feasibility and Cost-Benefit Study for Remote Mining in the Canadian North: A Case Study”, on behalf of MIRARCO, CNL, and OPG, 2021.

3. Étude épidémiologique descriptive sur la Covid-19 et le comportement de la population dans l’aire métropolitaine de Port-au-Prince, pour les Centres GHESKIO, 2020

4. Peacekeeping Economy Survey of Haiti, on behalf of the Organization for Economic and Co-operation Development (OECD), 2020
5. Etude sur les filières porteuses des communes de Beaumont, Jérémie et Roseaux (Haïti), on behalf of CARE Haiti, 2020
6. Types de conflits et leurs méthodes de résolution formelle et informelle dans les zones rurales, desservies ou éloignées, on behalf of Chemonics International, 2017
7. Baseline Study on Child Labor, on behalf of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the United States Department of Labor, 2017
8. Ligne de base et mesure des indicateurs de référence, on behalf of the Ministry of Economics and Finance of Haiti, 2016
9. Final evaluation of the Southeastern Integrated Families’ Project (Haiti), on behalf of the Salvation Army, 2017
10. Ex Post Evaluation of the project « Kay Solid Nan Plas Kan yo » (Haiti), on behalf of CARE Haiti/American Red Cross, 2016
11. Enquête sur la demande de crédit sur la population cible du projet Chanje Lavi Plantè, on behalf of Chemonics International, 2016
12. Final Evaluation of the « LiveliHood Project» (Haiti) on behalf of Caritas Austria, 2015
13. Final Evaluation of the project TOUNEN LAKAY II on behalf of GOAL Haiti, 2015
14.  Pre-Reproductive Age Mortality Survey Assessment, on behalf of The President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)/Ministry of Public Health and Population (Haiti)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, Atlanta), 2015
15.  Enquête sur la demande de logement par les familles, on behalf of the United Nations Development Program (UND) and the Haitian Government, 2012
16. Final Evaluation of the project Assistance aux enfants affectés et non-afféctés par le séisme, on behalf of CARE Haiti, 2013
17.  Final Evaluation of the project Food-Voucher Program-Kore Lavni Nou, on behalf of CARE Haiti, 2013
18. Household Income Survey, on behalf of Chemonics International, 2013
19.  ​Étude sur les opportunités économiques pour les jeunes de 15-17 ans dans certains quartiers du projet 16-6, on behalf of IDEJEN (Haiti) and the International Labor Organization, 2009