Dr. Kathryn (Kathy) E. Stecke has been the Ashbel Smith Professor of Operations Management at the University of Texas at Dallas since 2002. An internationally-recognized scholar in flexible manufacturing and supply chain issues, Stecke speaks globally about issues related to supply chain management, operations and marketing interface issues, flexible manufacturing systems, and seru, a Japanese organizational and production system that focuses on electronics product assembly. Before joining UT Dallas, she taught at the University of Michigan. She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of South Australia since 1999. Stecke is an active member of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and has chaired international and national meetings for the organization. She served two terms on the organization's board of directors, and in 2009 was elected as an INFORMS fellow. She is also a current board member of the Production and Operations Management Society.