Andrew Armacost
- President, President's Office
Contact Info
- Email: andrew.armacost@UND.edu
- Office: 701.777.2121
Office Address
Carnegie Hall Room 102
250 Centennial Drive Stop 8193
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8193
Websites
Biography
Andrew P. Armacost officially began his tenure as the University of North Dakota’s 13th President on June 1, 2020.
He previously served as Dean of the Faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, retiring in the rank of Brigadier General in 2019.
As UND’s President, Armacost has led the campus to national recognition, including the 2021 Larry Abernathy Award from the International Town Gown Association and the 2022 ACE/Fidelity Investments Transformation Award from the American Council on Education. In 2021, UND was the first university in the nation to be designated as a member of the U.S. Space Force’s University Partnership Program and was recently designated a "Carnegie R1" institution, which places it among the top research universities in the nation.
Armacost currently serves on the boards of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation, the Falcon Foundation, the Energy and Environmental Research Center Foundation, the UND Aerospace Foundation, and the UND Center for Innovation Foundation. He currently chairs the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Board of Directors for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. He also serves on the advisory board for the VOICE of collegiate Esports.
In his academic career, Armacost has been a champion of shared governance, academic freedom, inclusion, student growth, and applied learning and research. He is an award-winning educator and researcher in the field of Operations Research, with international recognition from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences and the Military Operations Research Society. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the AF Commendation Medal, and the AF Achievement Medal.
A native of Glendale, Wisconsin, Armacost earned his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and his master’s and PhD in Operations Research from MIT.
My primary area of research is in developing mathematical optimization methods for a wide array of applications. Some applications have required the development of specialized algorithms, and others have been direct application of known solution methods. My areas of modeling include transportation systems (largely airlines and Air Force cargo), personnel systems, and academic planning.
Sample Publications
P. Armacost, J. K. Lowe, J. A. Pietz, D. R. Ives, K. M. Martin, J. Wilck, and, “How the United States Air Force Academy’s Undergraduate Operations Research Program Develops Effective Operations Research Practitioners,” Interfaces, 2018.
Bryant, P. Sakamoto, A. P. Armacost, S. Kolitz, C. Barnhart, and M. Abramson, “Robust Mission Planning.” Military Operations Research, Vol 16, No. 4, pp. 5-24, Dec 2011.
G. Koepke, A. P. Armacost, C. Barnhart, and S. Kolitz, “Real-Time Planning for Air Mobility Channel Route Operations.” Computers and Operations Research, Vol 35, No. 6, pp, 1771-1788, Feb 2008.
P. Armacost and J. K. Lowe, “Decision Support for the Career Field Selection Process at the U.S. Air Force Academy,” European Journal of Operational Research, Vol 60, No. 3, pp. 839-850, Feb 2005.
A. Nielsen, A. P. Armacost, C. Barnhart, and S. E. Kolitz, “Network Design Formulations for Scheduling U. S. Air Force Channel Route Missions,” Mathematical and Computer Modeling, Vol 39, No. 6-8, pp. 925-943, May 2004.
P. Armacost, C. Barnhart, K. A. Ware, and A. M. Wilson, “UPS Optimizes its Air Network,” Interfaces, Vol 34, No. 1, pp. 15-25, Jan 2004.
P. Armacost, C. Barnhart, and K. A. Ware, “Composite Variable Formulations for Express Shipment Service Network Design,” Transportation Science, Jan, 2002.
Organizational/Leadership Awards
Jacqueline Henningsen Award, the Air Force’s lifetime achievement award for contributions to Operations Research and Analytics community, 2019
Clayton Thomas Award, lifetime achievement award presented by the Military Operations Research Society, 2019
Fellow, Institute for Operations Research & the Management Sciences (INFORMS), 2018
Flight of Heroes Award, Air Force Academy Blue Alliance, for support to the Academy’s LGBT community, 2018
INFORMS UPS George Smith Prize, recognized for the US Air Force Academy’s innovative preparation of practitioners of Operations Research, Management Science, and Analytics, 2017
INFORMS Prize, recognition of the US Air Force for effective integration of advanced analytics and Operations Research/Management Science in pioneering, varied, novel, and enduring ways, 2017
Order of the West Range Award, Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation, lifetime achievement award for service to the nation and society, 2014
Research Awards
Barchi Prize (Second Prize), awarded by the Military Operations Research Society (MORS) for the best paper of the 74th MORS Symposium, nominated by the Unmanned Systems Working Group, 2007
Best Paper in Transportation and Logistics, an international award from the Transportation Science and Logistics Section of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), 2003
Robert L. Taylor Research Award, presented by the US Air Force Academy Department of Management, 2003
McDermott Award for Research Excellence in the Social Sciences and Humanities, presented by the US Air Force Academy, 2003
Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in the Management Sciences (Second Prize), an international award presented by INFORMS for the premier example of Management Science and Operations Research put into organizational practice, team from MIT and UPS, 2003
George B. Dantzig Dissertation Award (First Prize), international award presented by INFORMS for the best dissertation operations research/management sciences, 2001
Transportation Science Section Dissertation Award (Second Prize), an international award presented by the Transportation Science Section of INFORMS, 2001
Robert L. Taylor Research Award, presented by the US Air Force Academy Department of Management, 2001
Teaching and Mentorship Awards
Quay T. Snyder Award for outstanding mentorship, teaching, and service as a role model, Department of Management, US Air Force Academy, 2005
William H. Heiser Outstanding Senior Faculty Educator Award, selected by the graduating class, US Air Force Academy, 2003
Outstanding Academy Educator, US Air Force Academy, 2002
James R. Woody Teaching Award for Upper Division Courses, Department of Management, US Air Force Academy, 2001
Instructor of the Class, Operations Research, US Air Force Academy, presented by the operations research class of 1997
Ph.D. in Operations Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Operations Research Center. Thesis: Composite Variable Formulations for Express Shipment Service Network Design (Supervised by Cynthia Barnhart), 2000
Master of Science in Operations Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Operations Research Center. Thesis: Modeling Railroad Terminal Operations: Supporting Real-Time Network Planning and Control (Supervised by Cynthia Barnhart), 1995
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering with honors, Northwestern University, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences. Thesis: Interior Point Methods for Network Flow Problems (Supervised by Sanjay Mehrotra), 1989
President, University of North Dakota, June 1, 2020
Dean of the Faculty, U.S. Air Force Academy, June 2013-September 2019
Department Head, Department of Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, July 2008-June 2013)
Professor of Operations Research, Department of Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, 1995-2007
Academic Ranks: Instructor (‘95), Asst Professor (‘00), Assoc Professor (‘03), Professor (‘07)
Draper Fellow, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, 1993-1995
Non-Academic Positions
Chief Analyst, Division of Analysis and Assessments, Air Force Space Command, Colo., (2007-2008)
Program Manager for Joint Intelligence Centers, Hanscom AFB, Mass., 1989-1993
Kathy and I are the proud parents of Ava, a 2018 graduate of Northwestern University (Cognitive Science), and Audrey, a 2020 graduate of the University of Oklahoma (Drama). A graduate of Old Dominion University with a B.A. in Speech Communications, Kathy has been a great partner in building a sense of community, wherever we have lived, to include the Air Force Academy in the City of Colorado Springs. Her volunteer service has included work on the board of directors for the Pikes Peak Performance Company and significant committee work in strategic planning for local school districts. She brings that same strong sense of service and selflessness to UND and the City of Grand Forks.