Dr. Chase E Rainwater is Professor and Head of the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas College of Engineering, serving since 2009 while co-directing the Arkansas Security Research and Education Institute. A University of Arkansas alumnus with bachelor's and doctoral degrees in Industrial Engineering from UF, he commands significant research funding and leadership recognition. His educational credentials: B.S.I.E., University of Arkansas Ph.D., University of Florida Rainwater's research integrates large-scale optimization with critical applications in supply chain security, food safety systems, and national infrastructure protection. His work bridges machine learning, cybersecurity, and homeland security through $20M+ in NSF, DoD, and USDA-funded projects, developing algorithms for drug interdiction networks, poultry supply chain safety, and aerial image analysis. Recent publications reveal accelerating interdisciplinary convergence: 2021-2025 works combine computer vision (wildfire segmentation, solar PV monitoring) with operations research (supply chain security, network interdiction). This reflects his strategic pivot toward AI-driven solutions for environmental monitoring and critical infrastructure resilience while maintaining core logistics expertise. Major honors include: University of Arkansas Teaching Academy Fellow (2022) Five-time IE Department Outstanding Teacher (2012,2014,2015,2017,2022) IISE Innovation in Education Award (2021) College of Engineering Collaborative Research Award (2018) Arkansas Academy of IE Outstanding Faculty (2017,2022) FIRST Tech Challenge Compass Award (2017) He has advised six Ph.D. graduates while securing $20M+ in grants including EPSCoR DART ($4.3M), Cybersecurity Workforce Development ($4.6M), and Walmart food safety initiatives ($3.2M+). His leadership spans IISE Board of Trustees, INFORMS committees, and Arkansas FIRST robotics mentorship since 2015. Rainwater co-directs the Arkansas Security Research Institute while mentoring FIRST robotics teams for over a decade, including coaching Team USA at the FIRST Global Challenge. His departmental leadership focuses on data science integration and cross-college security initiatives.








