AUBURN — Alice E. Smith, the Joe W. Forehand Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering’s Class of 2025.
NAE members are elected by their peers, and the honor is reserved for outstanding engineering accomplishments. According to an NAE news release, Smith was recognized for her advancements in computational intelligence as applied to modeling and optimization of complex systems.
Smith is the first full-time engineering faculty member at Auburn University to be inducted into the NAE. She is among 128 new members and 22 international members in the Class of 2025, bringing total U.S. membership to 2,487 and international membership to 336.
Smith said she’s gratified to be elected to the NAE, adding that the honor recognizes decades of contributions, nearly all accomplished at Auburn.
“Of course, I share this distinction with the many students, colleagues and sponsors with whom I worked with over the years on scholarly publications and research endeavors,” she said. “I love learning — inquiries and investigations are what I thrive on. I also love communicating — both orally and written — so that teaching, presenting and writing are true pleasures for me.
“In short, an academic environment is my perfect home. Auburn has provided a stable, supportive place where my talents and interests can intermingle and flourish. To me, it is all about stretching boundaries, developing knowledge and sharing outcomes for the betterment of our world — one student, one project and one article at a time.”
Tim Cook, ’82 industrial engineering and Apple CEO, has been a colleague of Smith for more than 20 years. Cook said he couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of induction into the NAE.
“Dr. Smith’s brilliance and curiosity set an example for us all,” Cook said. “She is a leader who has pushed her field forward, motivating countless students to learn, innovate and challenge themselves.
“Her election to the National Academy of Engineering is a well-deserved recognition of an extraordinary career.”
Fred Glover, chief technology officer of Engagement Inc. and fellow NAE member familiar with Smith’s research, said her work ranks her among the elite in mathematical optimization and its real-world applications.
Glover, elected to the NAE in 2002 for contributions to optimization modeling and algorithmic development and for solving problems in distribution, planning and design, said Smith is a pleasure to know personally, and Auburn University can be proud to have her as a faculty member.
“Alice Smith is making valuable and exciting contributions to the field of mathematical optimization, including serving as a principal investigator on projects for key government organizations, international groups and high-profile industrial partners,” he said. “Her election to become a member of the National Academy of Engineers is a fitting tribute to her exceptional range of accomplishments.”
An Auburn faculty member since 1999, Smith holds a joint appointment in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering. She served as department chair of Industrial and Systems Engineering from 1999-2011, becoming the first woman engineering department chair in Auburn University history.
Throughout her tenure, she has held several prestigious positions within the college, including the Joe W. Forehand Jr. Distinguished Professor, Joe W. Forehand/Accenture Distinguished Professor, W. Allen and Martha Reed Professor and the Philpott-Westpoint Stevens Professor.
Smith’s research focuses on the analysis, modeling and optimization of complex systems, emphasizing computation inspired by natural systems integrated with traditional operations research and statistical approaches. She holds one U.S. patent and multiple international patents and has authored numerous publications, garnering more than 18,000 citations.
She has also been a principal investigator on more than $12 million in sponsored research, securing funding from the Department of Defense, NASA, the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies.
Auburn President Chris Roberts, a former dean of engineering, praised Smith for her achievement.
“Being elected to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest distinctions for an engineer,” Roberts said. “This is a significant achievement and recognition for Professor Smith, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and Auburn University.
“We couldn’t be more proud of her hard work and dedication, and she is a shining example of our exceptional faculty and the excellent research being conducted at Auburn University.”
Mario Eden, dean of engineering, echoed Roberts’ sentiments.
“Dr. Smith’s work on advancing computational intelligence as applied to modeling and optimization of complex systems ranks among the best in the world, so her election into the National Academy of Engineering comes as no surprise to those who work alongside her every day,” Eden said. “Her career has been filled with accomplishments as a researcher, author and educator, and she has been a catalyst in helping the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering continue its upward trajectory as one of the best in America.”
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