College of

Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Dr. Sunderesh Heragu, regents professor in the School of Industrial Engineering and Management at Oklahoma State University, has been honored with the 2024-25 Lilian Gilbreth Award from the Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering. The award recognizes his outstanding contributions and dedicated service to the field of industrial engineering.

 

Heragu received the award during the 67th National Convention and 9th International Conference of IIIE, held August 8-9, 2025, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

 

Founded in 1957, IIIE is an international non-profit organization headquartered in Navi Mumbai, India. The institute works to advance industrial engineering education and practice and partners globally with organizations such as the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers in the United States. Each year, IIIE honors individuals and organizations whose work has significantly advanced the profession.

 

Heragu currently holds the John Hendrix Chair and has been instrumental in elevating OSU’s industrial engineering and management program to national prominence. He has also contributed to the advancement of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, strengthening its role as a hub for innovation, research and student success.

 

A leading authority in facility layout and logistics, Heragu is the author of Facilities Design, now in its fifth edition and used worldwide. He has published more than 250 articles and directed research projects with more than $27 million in funding from federal agencies and private industry.

 

Heragu’s achievements have earned him Fellow status in the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the World Academy of Productivity Sciences. He is the only person in IISE’s history to receive its top awards for education, research and service. His honors also include the Reed-Apple Lifetime Achievement Award, the David F. Baker Distinguished Research Award, the Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award, and induction into the Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society.

 

Currently serving as president of IISE, Heragu has also held faculty appointments at several universities and served as a visiting researcher at institutions including IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center. At OSU, he founded the Cowboy Academy of Industrial Engineering and Management, an elite alumni organization comprised of leaders in industry and academia.