The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) announced that UPS Professor of Logistics Alan Erera will serve as ISyE’s associate chair for research (ACR). Erera formerly served as ISyE’s associate chair for graduate studies for six years. During his tenure, ISyE’s graduate program maintained its long-standing No. 1 ranking according to U.S. News & World Report.

As ACR, Erera will work with the School’s faculty members to develop and sustain their research programs. This will include identifying new research opportunities and fostering relationships with funding agencies, foundations, and industry. He will also work to coordinate research efforts with other Institute units, and will look for opportunities for ISyE faculty to join or lead interdisciplinary efforts.

“I would like to thank Alan for being an outstanding associate chair for graduate studies. Under his leadership, our graduate programs have thrived and grown in size, quality, and diversity,” said ISyE School Chair Edwin Romeijn. “In his new role as ACR, Alan will be responsible for stimulating new and continued research activities in ISyE. He has the experience and vision needed for this position, and I am confident he will provide tremendous value.”

While graduate chair, Erera has continued to pursue his own research interests, focused on transportation and logistics systems planning and control, with an emphasis on planning under uncertainty and real-time operational control. In addition to funding from major U.S. freight carriers and manufacturing firms, his research has been supported by such federal agencies as the Department of Homeland Security, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“I have enjoyed leading the graduate programs for the past six years,” said Erera. “I am now looking forward to the new challenges that serving as ACR will present. One of my goals will be to help the faculty of our school to find funding resources that allow them and their student teams to achieve their research objectives. I’m also looking forward to working with our faculty to identify new research opportunities that have the potential to significantly elevate the impact of our school researchers have on the most important emerging challenges in our fields.”

Erera’s term as ACR will be effective as of December 1, 2019. He will also continue as faculty director of ISyE’s Master of Supply Chain Engineering program.