- 3033 North Engineering Research Center
- Phone (205) 348-1708
Dr. Alice Smith
Endowed Shelby Distinguished Professor
Contact
- 3033 North Engineering Research Center
- phone (205) 348-1708
Research Areas
Education
- B.A. Spanish, 2022, Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama).
- PH.D., Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, 1991, Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, Missouri).
- M.B.A., 1988, Saint Louis University (St. Louis, Missouri).
- B.S., Civil Engineering, 1979, Rice University (Houston, Texas).
Alice E. Smith’s research focus is analysis, modeling, and optimization of complex systems with emphasis on intelligent computation inspired by natural systems integrated with traditional approaches. Dr. Smith is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a Fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), a senior member of the Society of Women Engineers, a member of Tau Beta Pi, and a Registered Professional Engineer. She holds one U.S. patent and several international patents and has authored publications which have garnered nearly 19,000 citations, an H Index of 53, and an i10 Index of 137 (Google Scholar). Dr. Smith is the outgoing Editor in Chief of INFORMS Journal on Computing and an Area Editor of Computers & Operations Research.
Dr. Smith has been a principal investigator on over $12 million of sponsored research with funding by Department of Homeland Security, NASA, U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency, National Security Agency, NIST, U.S. Department of Transportation, Frontier Technologies Inc., Lockheed Martin, Adtranz (now Bombardier Transportation), the Ben Franklin Technology Center of Western Pennsylvania, and U.S. National Science Foundation, from which she has been awarded 18 distinct grants including a CAREER grant and an ADVANCE Leadership grant. Her industrial partners on sponsored research projects have included DaimlerChrysler Electronics, Toyota, Eljer, Frontier Technology Inc., Extrude Hone, Ford Motor, and Crucible Compaction Metals. International research collaborations have been sponsored by Germany, Mexico, Japan, Turkey, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Egypt, South Korea, Iraq, China, Colombia, Chile, Algeria, and the U.S., and by the Institute of International Education.
She is a four-time Fulbright Scholar (2013, 2016, 2017, 2020) with residencies in Turkey, Chile, and Colombia.
Affiliated Areas
Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering
Selected Publications
- “Light Rail Vehicle Having Predictive Diagnostic System for Motor Driven Automated Doors,” CURTIS W. MCCULLERS, KENNETH A. KARG, DEAN J. CAMPBELL (all, Adtranz – now Bombardier Transportation), ANDREAS H. ETZEL (DaimlerChrysler Research, Germany) and ALICE E. SMITH, U.S. Patent 6,636,814 B1, granted 10/21/2003, International Patent PCT/US00/30348. European Patent Application 00976897.9-2422-US0030348.
- Women in Computational Intelligence: Key Advances and Perspectives on Emerging Topics (ALICE E. SMITH, editor), Springer, E-book ISBN 978-3-030-79092-9 and hardbound ISBN 978-3-030-79091-2, 2022. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-79092-9 Part of the series Women in Engineering and Science. https://www.springer.com/series/15424
- Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering: Key Advances and Perspectives on Emerging Topics (ALICE E. SMITH, editor), Springer, E-book ISBN 978-3-030-11866-2 and hardbound ISBN 978-3-030-11865-5, 2019. https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783030118655#aboutBook. Part of the series Women in Engineering and Science. https://www.springer.com/series/15424
- “Multi-objective genetic algorithms: A tutorial,” ABDULLAH KONAK, DAVID W. COIT AND ALICE E. SMITH, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 91, 2006, 992-1007. Most cited article of Reliability Engineering & System Safety (of over 7,000 papers).
- “Reliability optimization of series-parallel systems using a genetic algorithm,” DAVID W. COIT* AND ALICE E. SMITH, IEEE Transactions on Reliability, vol. 45, no. 2, June 1996, 254-260. 4th most cited article of IEEE Transactions on Reliability (of over 7,000 papers).
Awards and Honors
- Member, National Academy of Engineering (elected 2025)
- Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS)
- Fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
- 2020 Yellowhammer Women of Impact (20 women are honored each year in the State of Alabama alabamawomen.org/#2020)
- Global Seal of Biliteracy with Functional Proficiency Level in Spanish
- Chancellor’s Fellowship, Missouri University of Science and Technology
- National Merit Scholar, George R. Brown Engineering Scholar, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, cum laude graduate of Rice University (Houston, Texas)