Dr. John A. White gave the inaugural lecture of the Pritsker Scholars Distinguished Lectureship Series

DrJohnWhite
Dr. John A. White
In his lecture, Professor White examined the roots of the industrial engineering profession, considered the leadership role Purdue University has played, assessed the current status of the profession, identified major challenges confronting the profession, and provided recommendations for industry and academe.

Biographical Sketch:

On July 1, 2008, after serving eleven years as Chancellor of the University of Arkansas, Dr. White "stepped down" from the position and returned full-time to the UA faculty. Before returning to his undergraduate alma mater as chancellor, White served for six years as Dean of Engineering at Georgia Tech and was a member of the Georgia Tech faculty for twenty-two years. From 1988 to 1991, he served as Assistant Director for Engineering at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. White received his BSIE degree from the University of Arkansas. His graduate work was performed at Virginia Tech (MSIE) and The Ohio State University (PhD). White, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, has received honorary doctorates from the Katholieke Universitiet of Leuven in Belgium and George Washington University. Among White’s awards are The Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award.

About the Pritsker Scholars Distinguished Lectureship Series:

This distinguished lectureship series is in honor of Dr. Alan Pritsker, who made tremendous contributions to the field of industrial engineering, in particular the area of simulation. His impact is still felt today at Purdue University. The creation of this new lectureship series was designed to help reinforce Alan’s legacy at Purdue and within the field. As a leader in the "golden age of simulation", Alan was pivotal in building the Purdue Industrial Engineering School’s reputation and helped it become a beacon in research and thought leadership over the past fifty years. As we move into the 21st Century and are faced with the increasing complexity of a global society, it has become even more apparent that Purdue IE should meet this challenge to continue to be a leader in the field.