UT Arlington College of Engineering hires Iowa State professor as IMSE chair
New industrial engineering department chair sees University as launching pad for new jobs
The University of Texas at Arlington has hired Paul Componation as the new chair of its Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, or IMSE, Department. He will start July 7.
Most of Componation’s current work has been in improving launch system development for NASA. He also worked on the application of decision-analysis tools to support Defense Department aviation and missile systems.
Khosrow Behbehani, dean of the College of Engineering, said Componation’s primary research work in managing aerospace and defense systems is ideal for UT Arlington.
“Dr. Componation is an expert in applying industrial engineering principles to a number of fields that are of great interest to the College of Engineering and the industry that we serve,” Behbehani said. “Defense, manufacturing and engineering management are areas of growth for us and Dr. Componation has extensive experience in them. We are very excited that he will be joining us.”
Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering is a discipline that makes complex processes, systems or jobs efficient and profitable. They work to eliminate the waste of time, money, materials and energy. Many industrial engineers’ careers take them into management positions.
“The University is growing very quickly,” Componation said. “It’s exciting to be on a campus where that is happening.” He added that the growth areas in the field and at UT Arlington drew him to the position.
Componation said growth areas in the field and at UT Arlington drew him to the position.
“I was drawn to industrial engineering because it’s about choices. Rather than focus on one specific set of skills, industrial engineers learn to analyze and improve processes, so they can work in a wide range of industries,” Componation said “I think there’s great opportunities for IMSE students in consulting, entertainment and healthcare, as well as traditional areas like manufacturing and logistics.”
Currently a professor and director of Graduate Education for Engineering Management at Iowa State University, Componation said UT Arlington “is a good fit for me.”
He said IMSE works well with other colleges, schools or private businesses. “I’m looking forward to that collaboration on the UT Arlington campus,” he said.
Besides systems engineering and engineering management, Componation’s research interests include commercial transportation and supply chain systems; and the institution of lean practices.
In addition to serving as a professor at Iowa State University and the University of Alabama at Huntsville, Componation also has worked as a resident researcher in systems engineering for the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and as an engineering officer for the U.S. Air Force.
Componation received his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from West Virginia University.
About UT Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution and the second largest institution in The University of Texas System. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked UT Arlington as the seventh fastest-growing public research university in 2013. U.S. News & World Report ranks UT Arlington fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more. Follow #UTAdna on Twitter.
Herb Booth, hbooth@uta.edu, 817-272-7075
The University of Texas at Arlington, www.uta.edu
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