Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) announced the appointment of Professor Jennifer Pazour, Ph.D., from the School of Engineering and Professor M. Hakan Hekimoglu, Ph.D., from the Lally School of Management as James M. Tien ’66 Dean’s Faculty Fellows in Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems (DSES).  

This prestigious title recognizes their contributions to advancing the frontiers of research and education in DSES, as well as honors the impressive accomplishments and legacy of James M. Tien ’66, Ph.D., who endowed the fellowships.

Pazour, professor of industrial and systems engineering at RPI, is a leading expert in applying mathematical modeling and optimization to improve logistics and supply chain systems. Currently serving as the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on four collaborative grants totaling more than $3.2 million, Pazour provides a systems perspective to address critical challenges in model-based decision making.  She holds a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas and has received numerous prestigious honors, including the NSF CAREER Award, the ONR Young Investigator Award, and the Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D Scholars Award. A fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, she also serves as the 2025 president of the INFORMS Transportation Science and Logistics (TSL) Society, is active on several editorial boards, and is RPI’s program director for the DSES Ph.D. Program.  

Hekimoglu is an associate professor of supply chain management and analytics at RPI and is program director for the highly impactful management Ph.D. program in the Lally School of Management at RPI. His research addresses complex supply chain challenges at the intersection of finance, analytics, and risk management, with a focus on uncertainty in supply, demand, pricing, and information. He has earned multiple honors, including the A.W. Lawrence Junior Development Fellowship, the Lally School’s Best Published Paper Award, and recognition as finalist for the MSOM iFORM SIG Best Paper Award. He is a co-principal investigator on a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop hemp-based insulated siding aimed at improving energy efficiency in residential buildings.

James M. Tien ’66, after whom the fellowship is named, shared his enthusiasm: “I am delighted to see professors Pazour and Hekimoglu recognized for their outstanding contributions. Their work reflects both the interdisciplinary nature and the DSES focus of the fellowship program.”

“It is a tremendous honor to receive this recognition. I’m excited to continue exploring the frontiers of decision sciences and engineering systems and to collaborate across campus and beyond to help address complex societal challenges,” said Pazour.

Hekimoglu added, “Collaborations across disciplines and schools are key to solving today’s business and engineering problems. I am thankful for this opportunity and look forward to expanding the impact of my research through this fellowship.”

“Tien, a distinguished alum of RPI, is a world-renowned systems engineer, educator, and academic leader. He has been a generous benefactor to RPI, previously supporting the James M. Tien ’66 Early Career Award, and now the Tien Fellows,” said Shekhar Garde, Ph.D., the Thomas R. Farino Jr. ’67 and Patricia E. Farino Dean of the School of Engineering.  “His generosity has helped us recognize and retain our best faculty and launch new research at the intersection of engineering and management.”

Liad Wagman, dean of the RPI Lally School of Management, noted: “The Lally School of Management at RPI thrives within the context of a technological university. The appointment of Tien Fellows will propel work at the intersection of our two schools.  Congratulations to Professors Pazour and Hekimoglu — I am looking forward to the advances they will make in the field of decision sciences and engineering systems.”  

RPI’s School of Engineering, the nation’s oldest, continues to lead in advancing research that tackles global challenges. The RPI Lally School of Management empowers students with the tools to lead in a data-driven world. Together, they reflect RPI’s mission to change the world through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.