Troy, N.Y. — James M. Tien has been named the prestigious Yamada Corporation Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, President Shirley Ann Jackson has announced today.

Tien, chair and professor in the Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems (DSES) and professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering, is the first to be selected for the named professorship established last year.

"This endowed professorship recognizes the exceptional faculty member who is committed to excellence in engineering education and who inspires others to achieve their personal best, and Jim Tien is such an individual," said Bud Baeslack, dean of engineering. "Jim has been a driving force in the field of systems modeling and analysis, and its practice has had substantial impact in areas ranging from health care and public-service planning to law enforcement. His demonstrated leadership and dedication to service have greatly benefited the School of Engineering, the Institute, and his profession."

About James Tien
Tien joined the Rensselaer faculty in 1977 in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering and was the department's acting chair from 1986 to 1987. In 1988, he became the founding chair of the Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems. He twice served as acting dean of engineering at Rensselaer (1992-1994; 1998-1999).

Last year, he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the highest honors accorded an engineer. Before joining Rensselaer, Tien worked at Bell Laboratories and at Rand Corporation, a nonprofit think tank headquartered in California.

Tien earned his bachelor's in electrical engineering from Rensselaer in 1966 and received a Ph.D. in systems engineering and operations research from MIT in 1972. His research interests include systems modeling, public policy, decision analysis, and information systems. He is chair of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Publication Products and Services Board.

About the Yamada Corporation
The Yamada Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is a leading worldwide producer of industrial equipment in the areas of space, aircraft, defense, information technology, and biotechnology.

The Yamada-Rensselaer relationship dates back to the late 1980s when the university shipped a historic table to Japan. The table was used to sign a treaty in Portsmouth, N.H., in September 1905 to end the Russo-Japanese War. Lt. Charles Parks, an 1884 Rensselaer graduate, purchased the table at an auction for about $100. When he died in 1930, the table was inherited by his relatives, who, in turn, donated it to Rensselaer.

Japanese alumnus Takashi Obata, who earned his Ph.D. at Rensselaer in 1979, was instrumental in arranging plans to send the table to Japan, where it is housed in the Meiji-mura Museum.

In gratitude, Masashi Yamada, president and CEO of the Yamada Corp., made a $1 million donation to Rensselaer to support education. The money was used to form the Masashi Yamada Fellowship geared toward Japanese graduate students.

The fund, which has grown over the years, was split to create the recently endowed Yamada Corporation Professorship when the company took a renewed interest in Rensselaer last year.

Contact: Jodi Ackerman
Phone: (518) 276-6531
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