CoE Dean Appointed To Army Science Board

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Thomas Landers, dean of the College of Engineering, was recently appointed to the Army Science Board, a federal advisory committee that advises the secretary of the Army, the chief of staff of the Army, the assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition Logistics and Technology, and major Army commanders on a wide variety of scientific and technology matters.

The Army Science Board is composed of distinguished individuals from the private sector, academia and non-Department of Defense government agencies to ensure that diverse disciplines and points of view are represented. The broad mission of the board, which was chartered in 1977, enables it to obtain the expertise and counsel essential to the successful conduct of the Army’s acquisition, logistics and technology programs. Members participate in study groups on topics of high priority to the Army. Each study is of one to two years in duration.

Landers has served the OU College of Engineering as dean and AT&T Chair since October 2005. His research interests and expertise are in military and industrial logistics systems, including supply chain management, systems reliability and material handling. He has served on several government task forces, testified before Congressional committees, advised on intellectual property litigation, managed a high-technology startup company, and provided consultative services to over 40 private-and public-sector organizations. He holds two commercial software licenses for applications in logistics systems design and decision support.

Prior to joining the OU faculty, Landers taught in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas for more than 12 years and worked in industry for more than 10 years, with assignments ranging from development engineering in the aerospace industry to management consulting. He also has extensive experience in the auto industry, including partnerships with Japanese automakers in one of the first just-in-time and total-quality initiatives in the United States, and has traveled and studied manufacturing and logistics throughout Asia and Europe.

Landers joined OU in 1998 as Morris R. Pitman Professor and director of the School of Industrial Engineering. During his tenure at OU, he has founded several multi-campus and interdisciplinary research centers.

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