University of Maryland Business School Names First Dean's Professor for Extraordinary Service

College Park, MD July 27, 2007 - The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business today announced that Arjang Assad has been appointed Dean's Professor for Extraordinary Service. Assad is the first member of the Smith School to be honored with this title.

The Dean's Professor for Extraordinary Service title is a newly created honor reserved for faculty demonstrating extraordinary service on multiple levels. Appointees must have established an exemplary record of service. Additionally, distinguished service includes the application of intellectual skills drawing from the candidates scholarly and research interests to issues of public concern, as well as exceptional leadership in local and system-wide faculty governance. Assad's three-year appointment is the maximum initial appointment; reappointment is possible.

"Arjang has worked tirelessly to advance the Smith School in our drive toward greatness," said Howard Frank, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. "I am pleased to create this distinction and to name him as its first recipient in recognition of his outstanding service to the Smith School and university communities."

Most recently Assad served as senior associate dean of the Smith School from 2004 through June 2007. He joined the University of Maryland in 1978, and was promoted to professor of management science in 1988, and chair of the Decision and Information Technologies department in 1998.

Assad has conducted research in operations management, optimization of distribution systems, and mathematical programming. He has published more than 60 research articles and six scholarly books and compilations in these areas. His most recent book, co-authored with Saul Gass, is titled An Annotated Timeline of Operations Research (Springer, 2005). Assad has chaired the INFORMS History & Traditions Committee and served on the editorial boards of several leading journals including: Operations Research, Transportation Science, Production and Operations Management, and the INFORMS Journal on Computing.

Assad received his Ph.D. in Management Science from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978. He also holds a B.S. in mathematics and masters degrees in chemical engineering and operations research from the same institution.