Taha Publishes 50th Anniversary Edition of ‘Operations Research’

Hamdy Taha, emeritus professor of industrial engineering, has published the 50^th anniversary edition of Operations Research: An Introduction. Since its inception in 1971 and now in its 11^th edition, the textbook has been widely adopted by academic institutions in the U.S. and around the world.

The book introduces and teaches operations research basics, focusing on the algorithmic and practical implementation of operations research techniques. The goal is to optimize the decision-making process in a multitude of operational environments, particularly industry and business.

The latest edition introduces the new decision-making algorithms of analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

“I personally taught from earlier editions of Operations Research and can attest to its excellence,” said Heather Nachtmann, professor of industrial engineering and associate dean for research in the College of Engineering. “Dr. Taha has a rich history at the U of A and among our industrial engineering and operations research communities. We are very proud to call him one of our own.”

Taha joined the Department of Industrial Engineering in 1969 and has been a popular professor throughout his career. He retired in 2002 and remains involved with the department, which he calls his “adopted family.”

“Dr. Taha is a legend in our department,” said Ed Pohl, professor and chair of Industrial Engineering. “Many alumni speak so fondly of their experience in Dr. Taha’s operations research class. While on our faculty, Dr. Taha won many awards for his teaching, including the university’s top teaching award. It is no surprise that his textbook, which is a reflection of his approach to teaching the subject, has been used by so many and for so long. We are extremely proud of Dr. Taha.”

Taha was a Senior Fulbright Scholar to Carlos III University in Madrid, Spain. He received the Alumni Award for Excellence in Research and the Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award, both from the University of Arkansas, and numerous other research and teaching awards from the College of Engineering.

Taha’s textbook has been translated into 10 languages: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Greek, Portuguese, Korean, Farsi, Turkish and Indonesian. His peer-refereed technical articles have appeared in Management Science, Operations Research, Interfaces, Naval Research Logistics, European Journal of Operations Research, IEEE transactions, AAIE Journal and Simulation. He has also authored three other books and several book chapters.

Fluent in three languages, Taha has also held academic positions at Universidad de las Américas in Mexico and Cairo University in Egypt. In 2003, he was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineering as an honorary member. His son, Tarek, is a graduate of the U of A Department of Industrial Engineering and former president of the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineering.

In addition to his teaching and research accolades, Taha was loved by generations of students. One student, who was about to quit college due to personal problems, credited Taha with helping him overcome his difficulties. For a long time, Taha and the student met weekly for lunch, with the student talking and Taha listening. Taha helped the student get back on track and finish his degree. Taha and this student continue to be close friends.

“As I meet with former industrial engineering alumni, many fondly recall Dr. Taha as one of their favorite teachers,” said Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering. “They remember his course as tough, but useful.”

Published by Pearson, Operations Research will be available March 25.