Ed Pohl Named Dean of the Graduate School and International Education

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Dr. Ed Pohl

University of Arkansas Provost Terry Martin has named Ed Pohl the dean of the Graduate School and International Education, effective June 1. Pohl succeeds Curt Rom who served as interim dean since January 2022.

"I'm pleased to appoint Dr. Ed Pohl as the new dean of the Graduate School and International Education," Martin said. "Dr. Pohl led the university's largest graduate degree program and has also served as the director of the master's degree program in engineering and the department head of a large and complex department since 2014. His own personal commitment to graduate education and his extensive experience overseeing graduate degree programs and research excellence in the College of Engineering make him well suited for his new role."

"I'd like to thank Dr. Rom for serving as interim dean of the Graduate School and International Education during this transition period," Martin said. "He is respected across campus as a faculty member and advocate for international education, and I'm grateful for his continued dedication to the University of Arkansas."

Pohl joined the U of A in 2004 as an associate professor of industrial engineering. From 2007 to 2014, he was the director of the operations management master's degree program, one of the largest graduate programs at the U of A. In 2010, he also became the director of the Master of Science in engineering program, and he continues to serve in this role. He served as the director of the Center for Innovation in Healthcare Logistics from 2013 to 2017, and he was promoted to full professor in 2013. He has served as the head of the Department of Industrial Engineering since 2014 and holds the 21st Century Professorship in Engineering.

As a scholar, Pohl has conducted research in risk, reliability, engineering optimization, healthcare logistics and supply chain risk analysis, decision making and quality. He has contributed to 83 refereed journals, 17 book chapters, 87 conference papers and more than 200 conference presentations.

Pohl is a certified professional in engineering management and has held certifications as a certified materials and resource professional and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Pohl is a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Management, the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers and the Society of Reliability Engineers. Pohl is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Society for Quality. He is a diplomate in the Society of Health Systems. He is also a member of the International Council on Systems Engineering, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, and the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management.

"I'm honored to be named dean of the Graduate School and International Education, and I'm grateful for this opportunity," Pohl said. "My vision for GSIE is to be globally recognized for our innovative and transformative programs and to produce scholars who are diverse, creative thinkers, problem solvers and leaders who positively impact our state, nation and world."

Prior to joining the U of A, Pohl spent 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he retired as a lieutenant colonel. Pohl spent his entire military career serving in a variety of engineering, operations analysis and academic positions. He was an associate professor of systems engineering at the U.S. Military Academy West Point, and before that position, he was an assistant professor of aerospace and systems engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology. Other military assignments include serving as the deputy director of the Operations Research Center at the U.S. Military Academy, operations research analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, munitions logistics manager at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center and training systems engineer for the B-2 program.

Pohl received his Ph.D. in systems and industrial engineering from the University of Arizona. He holds an M.S. in systems engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, an M.S. in reliability engineering from the University of Arizona, an M.S. in engineering management from the University of Dayton and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Boston University.

About the Graduate School and International Education: The Graduate School and International Education facilitates transformational experiences and opportunities for all graduate students, all international students and all domestic students studying abroad through programming and support, collaboration with campus partners, and advocacy. The school advances the university's academic and research enterprise by attracting, recruiting, and retaining top-notch graduate students, in addition to recruiting and supporting a thriving international student population that brings diverse cultures and perspectives to our campus — and to Arkansas. GSIE also connects domestic students with study abroad experiences, sending them across the world to experience new cultures and experiences that will forever change their lives. To learn more about how GSIE transforms lives, visit graduate-and-international.uark.edu. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.