Dr. Ed Pohl has been named head of the Department of Industrial Engineering

Photo of Ed PohlDr. Edward A. Pohl joined the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas in 2004. He is a Professor and holder of the 21st Professorship in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas.

Prior to his appointment as Department Head, Dr. Pohl served as the Director of the department’s Operations Management graduate program, the largest graduate program at the University of Arkansas. He currently serves as Director of the Center for Innovation in Healthcare Logistics (CIHL) and the Director of Distance Education for the College of Engineering.

Dr. Pohl received his Ph.D. in Systems and Industrial Engineering from the University of Arizona. He holds a M.S. in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and M.S. in Reliability Engineering from the University of Arizona, an M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Dayton, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Boston University. He has also completed programs in the Squadron Officers School, the Academic Instructors School and the Air Command and Staff College.

Dr. Pohl teaches courses in statistics, systems engineering, project management, optimization, and reliability and risk analysis. He has received numerous awards including the 2004 Alan O. Plait Award for Tutorial Excellence, Outstanding Service to Students Award (2006, 2007, 2010), Outstanding Faculty Member Award (2005, 2009, 2012), Outstanding Teaching Award (2004, 2012, 2013), and Outstanding Research Award (2013). Most recently, he was the recipient of the University of Arkansas Alumni Award for Outstanding Service, for which he will be recognized October 24th at the Annual Alumni Banquet.

Before coming to Arkansas, Dr. Pohl spent twenty years in the United States Air Force where he served in a variety of engineering, analysis and academic positions during his career. Previous assignments include the Deputy Director of the Operations Research Center at the United States Military Academy, Operations Analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he performed independent cost schedule, performance and risk assessments on Major DoD acquisition programs, and as a munitions logistics manager at the Air Force Operational Test Center. Dr. Pohl has been recognized by the military for his service to the United States of America. He was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal (Two Bronze Oak Leaf) and the Air Force Commendation Medal (One Bronze Oak Leaf).

He has participated and led several research efforts at the University of Arkansas. His primary research interests are in reliability, engineering optimization, supply chain risk analysis, decision making, and quality. His research includes 39 funded projects with more than $4.8 million in grants. He has contributed 43 journal articles, 10 book chapters and more than 100 conference papers and presentations.

Dr. Pohl is also active in professional service having held many leadership positions in several professional societies. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and a member of the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM). He is an active member of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), and the Society of Reliability Engineers (SRE).

"I am very pleased to announce Dr. Pohl's appointment as department head," said John English, dean of the College of Engineering. "Dr. Pohl has done a fantastic job as interim head of that department since last spring, and I look forward to continuing to work with him."

Dr. Pohl responded, "I am grateful for the confidence the dean and the industrial engineering faculty have expressed in my ability to lead the department. I applaud the efforts of this team who have worked to build an outstanding national reputation. I am honored to have the privilege to serve the department and work with the faculty in this new role."

Release date: 9/5/2014