Kimberly P. Ellis

• Ph.D., Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
• M.S., Industrial Engineering, University of Tennessee
• B.S., Industrial Engineering, University of Tennessee

• Associate Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech
• Site Director, Center for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution (CELDi)
• Associate Director, Center for High Performance Manufacturing (CHPM)

• ISE 4204: Production Planning and Inventory Control
• ISE 5004: Production Systems Analysis
• ENGR 5004: Systems Engineering Process

Please click a title in brown to view the abstract.

• K. Albi, L. Krometis, E. Ling, A. Cohen, K. Xia, A. Gray, E. Dudzinski, K. Ellis, "Comparing in-home and bottled drinking water quality: regulated and emerging contaminants in rural Central Appalachia." Journal of Water and Health. Vol. 23, No. 9, pp 1078–1094, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2025.073
• E. Dudzinski, K. Ellis, L. Krometis, K. Albi, A. Cohen, "Analyzing multiple-source water usage patterns and affordability in rural Central Appalachia." PLOS Water. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000284
• W. Ferrell, K. Ellis, P. Kaminsky, C. Rainwater, "An approximate method for the optimization of long-horizon tank blending and scheduling operations." Computers & Chemical Engineering. Vol. 141, Article 106839, 2020. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009813541931155X
•  S. Lyon-Hill, M. Tilashalski, K. Ellis, Elli Travis, "Measuring the effects of drone delivery in the United States." Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development. 2020. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/items/ab84e0fb-a204-44e9-a51b-99e237d60293
• L. DeWitt, K. Ellis, D. Masel, L. Farrokhvar, M. Ogle, and E. Van Aken, “A Program to Engage College Students in the Material Handling and Logistics Industry,” International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 2543-2555, 2016.
• Y. Feng, K. P. Ellis, C. Crawford, “Trailer Fleet Planning for Industrial Gas Distribution,” IIE Transactions on Scheduling and Logistics, Vol. 46, No. 12, pp. 1329-1342, 2014.
• Y. H. Lin, R. D. Meller, K. P. Ellis, L. Thomas, and B. Lombardi, “A Decomposition-Based Approach for the Selection of Standardized Modular Containers,” International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 52, No. 15, pp. 4660-4672, 2014.
• K. P. Ellis, H. D. Sherali, L. Saunders, S. Shao, and C. Crawford, “Bulk Tank Allocation to Improve Distribution Planning for the Industrial Gas Industry,” IIE Transactions on Scheduling and Logistics, Vol. 46, No. 6, pp. 557-566, 2014. Article received Scheduling and Logistics Best Application Paper, June 2015.
• J. Smith, K. P. Ellis, Rene De Koster, S. Lavender, B. Montreuil, and M.K. Ogle, Editors, Progress in Material Handling Research: 2014, Material Handling Industry Association, Charlotte, NC,  2014.

• College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE)
  • Representative, MHI Board of Governors, 2016-2017
  • Past-President, 2014 - 2015
  • President, 2012 - 13
  • Vice-President, 2010 -11
  • Chair of Events Committee, 2007 - 2009
• Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), Member 
  • Program Co-Chair, IISE Annual Conference and Expo, 2022
• Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), Member
• Alpha Pi Mu Honor Society, Faculty Advisor

• William E. Wine Achievement Award for Teaching Excellence, 2021
• COE Faculty Fellow, 2016 – 2019
• Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence,  2009 – 2010, 2020 – 2021
• Dean’s Award for Service Excellence, 2011-12
• Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, 2009-10
• Sporn Award for Teaching Engineering Subjects, Fall 2005
• Ralph R. Teetor Award for Young Educators, Society of Automotive Engineers, Spring 2002

Kimberly Ellis named W.S. 'Pete' White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education (September 2024)

Mastering manufacturing systems through gameplay (September 2023)

Rural water access is focus of Virginia Tech study (July 2023)

Lack of access to clean water impacts economic and health disparities (April 2023)

Scholar of the Week: Kimberly Ellis (September 2017)

ISE Faculty and Staff recognized for combined 180 years of service (June 2017)

Alpha Pi Mu received another National Outstanding Chapter Award (September 2016)

Navid Ghaffarzadegan and Kimberly Ellis received COE Dean’s Awards for Excellence (May 2016)

Virginia Tech announces search committee for dean of the College of Engineering (May 2016)

Alpha Pi Mu received National Outstanding Chapter award (September 2015)

Three ISE professors and three students won IIE Awards (August 2015)

Horizontal Collaboration and its Impact on Transportation, Sustainability, Service and Profits (March 2013)

National Science Foundation award to help improve the efficiency of DNA fabrication, creating educational opportunities and jobs (September 2012)

Six undergraduate researcher projects selected for ACC Meeting of the Minds (March 2009)

Ellis wins Sporn Award for Teaching Engineering Subjects at Virginia Tech (September 2005)