Russell Harpring is a Research Affiliate for the HUMLOG Institute. He defended his thesis in 2023, titled, Cash and Voucher Assistance in Humanitarian Contexts: Supply Chain Determinants for Feasibility and Operability. His research focuses on humanitarian logistics with a special interest in cash and voucher assistance in complex emergencies, including how services are procured and implemented. He holds a Master of Engineering in Industrial Engineering from the University of Louisville, with a thesis on the use of simulation techniques in the public sector to improve efficiency.
Russell is a Supply Chain CVA Technical Advisor for Catholic Relief Services (CRS). He has worked with UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs, both in field locations and headquarter offices, including Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and the United States. At the UNHCR Division of Emergency, Security, and Supply, he supported global procurement activities from the Headquarters in Budapest, Hungary. In addition, he received Emergency Preparedness training from UNHCR and was on the standby deployment list. Russell was appointed to a consortium of NGOs for the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to work on Universal Period Reviews for Member States, emphasizing the right to education and livelihoods for vulnerable populations, especially women and children. He has also participated in the 57th Commission on the Status of Women in New York.
Outside of work, Russell has a passion for travel and experiencing other cultures, whether it’s on vacation with his wife and children, or related to humanitarian research. He is always ready for a new adventure.
