James M. Tien became dean of the University of Miami College of Engineering in September 2007. An internationally renowned researcher, he formerly served as the Yamada Corporation Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was founding chair of its Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems, and professor in its Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering. Tien joined the Rensselaer faculty in 1977 and twice served as its acting dean of engineering. In 2001 he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest honors accorded an engineer. His research interests include systems modeling, public policy, decision analysis, and information systems. He has served on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Board of Directors (2000-04) and was its vice president in charge of the Publication Services and Products Board and the Educational Activities Board. Tien earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer and his Ph.D. in systems engineering and operations research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
