Industrial and Systems Engineering professor named a 2020 Woman of Impact

Alice Smith, the Joe W. Forehand/Accenture Distinguished Professor, has been named a Woman of Impact by Yellowhammer Multimedia. Smith, a professor of industrial and systems engineering, is the first Auburn faculty member to receive the distinction. She joins Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey as one of the few Auburn women to have received the award since its inception in 2018.

“It is a great honor to be recognized with this important award, especially as it is for contributions to my adopted home state of Alabama. As I said in my Yellowhammer interview, I am not from the South, but I have become a permanent part of the Auburn Family by choice, not birth, and I love our under-appreciated great state of Alabama,” Smith said.

“I am especially pleased to be the second (I am told) woman so honored with this award with Auburn connections – the first being our Governor Kay Ivey. My work over the past 40 years on the challenges and achievements of women in STEM, especially engineering, are a huge part of this recognition, and I hope that the Yellowhammer Women of Impact Awards will continue to inspire young women and girls to follow their dreams and aspirations,” she said.

The Yellowhammer Women of Impact awards are given to individuals who are making an impact in Alabama across a wide variety of fields. The award recognizes the personal and professional accomplishments of Alabama women who have made lasting impressions across business, government, medicine and many other industries.

The publication is sharing profiles of each of the 2020 award winners. Smith’s online interview can be found by clicking here.