Dean Pohl Inducted as MORS Fellow

Ed Pohl, dean of the Graduate School and International Education, was recently inducted as a fellow of the Military Operations Research Society (MORS), one of the society's highest honors.  

Pohl was inducted as the 89th Fellow in the history of the society at the 94th annual MORS Symposium held June 9-13, themed "Sharpening Our Analytical Edge." At the 94th MORS Symposium, the organization continued its mission of fostering innovation, collaboration and rigorous analysis as it leads the way in advancing analytic excellence in support of national security.  

Pohl has served as dean of GSIE since 2023. Prior to that, he has held numerous leadership roles at the university, including head of the Department of Industrial Engineering, director of the Center for Innovation in Healthcare Logistics, director of the Master of Science in Engineering program and director of the Operations Management master's degree program.  

He has also held two prestigious appointments at the U of A: the 21st Century Professorship in Engineering and the John Imhoff Endowed Chair.  

"I am deeply honored to have been selected as a MORS Fellow," he said. "It is extremely humbling to have my name appear alongside many of the leaders and pioneers in Military Operations Research." 

Prior to entering academia, Pohl dedicated 21 years to the United States Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. His military career spanned a wide range of engineering, research, testing and operations roles. He holds a Ph.D. in systems and industrial engineering from the University of Arizona, along with advanced degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology and the University of Dayton, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Boston University. His research spans critical areas such as risk and reliability analysis, engineering optimization, healthcare logistics, supply chain risk, decision-making and military and homeland security operations analysis.  

As a prolific scholar, he has authored more than 85 journal articles, 15 book chapters, 90 conference papers and 250 conference presentations. He currently serves as the editor of the Military Operations Research (MOR) Journal.  

Pohl has also received other distinguished honors, including the MORS Barchi Prize for the best paper honoring outstanding contributions to national security operations research, INFORMS/MAS J. Steinhardt Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Operations Research and ASEM Bernard Sarchet Award for Lifetime Achievement in Engineering Management.  

MORS is a non-profit member association that brings together analysts, researchers and decision-support professionals dedicated to strengthening national and homeland security through rigorous, mission-focused analysis. The symposium is dedicated to one mission: delivering high-quality, decision-ready analysis to support the warfighter.

To learn more about MORS, visit the MORS website.  

About the Department of Industrial Engineering: Since its founding in 1950 under the leadership of John L. Imhoff, the Department of Industrial Engineering has been driven by a vision of creating meaningful, global impact through engineering. Today, that vision continues to shape a dynamic and growing community of learners and innovators.  

The department is home to more than 250 students (undergraduate through doctoral). In addition, our three fully online master's degrees - Operations Management, Engineering Management and Operations Analytics - serve more than 450 students annually, expanding our reach to working professionals around the world. 

Our faculty and researchers are deeply engaged in solving real-world challenges across a wide range of disciplines through our five specialized research centers, where innovation meets application to drive industry and societal progress. 

To learn more about our programs, research and community, visit our Department of Industrial Engineering website.