Dr. Ernst is the Baratta Chair in Global Business, Professor of Operations and Global Logistics and the former Deputy Dean of the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University. He holds a Civil Engineering degree from the Universidad Católica Andres Bello and an MBA from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración, both in Venezuela. He received an MA degree and his Ph.D. in Operations Management from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He joined Georgetown in 1987.
His research interests include strategic analysis of logistics systems (supplier –manufacturing – distribution linkages) at both macro (strategic positioning of logistics, marketing/manufacturing interfaces) and micro level (models and methods of inventory control, inventory classification procedures). He has been involved in developing metrics and performance evaluations for the logistics requirements and challenges for coordinating complex supply chain projects including non-for profit organizations like the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and EX-IM Bank.
He has consulted with several national and international firms, including General Motors, Michelin, Rockwool, Casa Cuervo, FEMSA (Coca-Cola), Wal-Mart, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and The World Bank.
Co-author of a book on “Global Operations and Logistics” (John Wiley and Sons, 1998) which includes an innovative framework as well as a series of cases from Europe, Asia, the US and Latin America and was translated to Chinese and Portuguese. Over 25 publications in academic journals including Management Science, Operations Research, Interfaces, European Journal of Operational Research, Transportation Science, IIE Transactions, Naval Research Logistics, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of the Operational Research Society, International Journal of Operations & Production Management. Dr. Ernst is the Editor-in-Chief of the new virtual Journal “Globalization, Competitiveness and Governability” (http://gcg.universia.net) published by Georgetown University and Universia.
He has been awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award for the International Executive MBA program, the Joseph F. Le Moine Award for Graduate and Undergraduate Teaching Excellence at Georgetown University, and the MBA Core Curriculum Award, at The Wharton School University of Pennsylvania. He has also been listed as one of the Best Professors by Business Week magazine. He is a frequent speaker in international conferences and executive seminars and has a weekly Editorial Commentary in CNN Spanish.