Brian M. Kleiner, director of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction and professor of industrial and systems engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named the Ralph H. Bogle Jr. Professor in Industrial and Systems Engineering by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The Ralph H. Bogle Jr. Professorship in Industrial and Systems Engineering was established by the estate of Ralph H. Bogle Jr., who earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1942, and from other gifts contributed by alumni and corporations to recognize excellence in teaching and scholarship. Recipients hold the professorship for a period of five years.

Kleiner has established a world-class research program in the analysis and design of work systems and work systems interfaces with a specialization in ‘macro’ or ‘systems’ ergonomics. He also works in socio-technical systems, function allocation in automation and systems design, safety, health and performance management.

He has authored or co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed papers and has participated in more than $10 million in funded research projects. In addition, he has served as proposal coordinator and as director for three rounds of proposals for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health funded Center for Innovation in Construction Safety and Health Research, resulting in approximately $15 million in research funding and approximately $29 million more in grant proposals currently under review.

He has developed and taught innovative courses in industrial and systems engineering to hundreds of students. Kleiner has advised more than 35 graduate students to completion of their degrees.

As director of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, Kleiner oversees one of the newest schools at Virginia Tech, which is a joint venture between the College of Architecture and Urban Studies and the College of Engineering. This partnership offers a comprehensive platform for innovation and excellence in construction education, research, and outreach.

Kleiner received his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

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