Professor Alice Smith named prestigious IEEE fellow

Alice Smith

Alice Smith, the Joe W. Forehand/Accenture Distinguished Professor in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, has been named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for her research contributions to computational intelligence for complex systems. 

The IEEE fellow designation is the highest level of membership in the organization and is bestowed on less than 0.1 percent of voting members each year. Smith’s elevation to IEEE fellow is effective Jan. 1, 2017. 

“Being recognized with this honor is one of the most significant awards I have received in my career,” Smith said. “Having joined IEEE in the late 1980s, I have been continuously involved in the association as I moved from industry to academia. I look forward to continuing my contributions through IEEE in engineering education and outreach and in computational intelligence research.” 

During her career, Smith has made significant contributions to computational intelligence in both research and teaching. On the subject, she has generated more than $7 million in research funding, authored more than 100 journal articles and book chapters, and delivered several keynote addresses. She has also mentored more than 50 doctoral students and visiting scholars in the research field. 

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 is a former department chair of industrial and systems engineering. 

Before arriving at Auburn, Smith was on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh following a 10-year career in telecommunications engineering with Southwestern Bell Corp. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Rice University, an MBA from Saint Louis University and a doctorate in engineering management and systems engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. 

With more than 420,000 members in over 160 countries, IEEE is the world’s largest association of engineers and a leading authority in many disciplines spanning the field of engineering.