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Keynote Speakers – March 1, 2024

Tarek Taha

Tarek Taha is a senior engineering leader at J.B. Hunt Transport with over 25 years of experience in the transportation industry, having led multiple engineering and technology teams throughout his career. He currently leads engineering efforts for the Final Mile Services division and J.B. Hunt’s E&T Development Program, an 18-month rotational program for engineering new hires. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas and is a past president of the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineering. Tarek is a certified coach, speaker, and trainer with Maxwell Leadership. He resides in Northwest Arkansas with his wife of 32 years, Susanna. They have one daughter, Sarah, an occupational therapist in Kansas City, Missouri.

Russell D. Meller, Ph.D.

Dr. Russell D. Meller is the Principal Scientist at FORTNA, a company that designs and implements complex distribution centers.  He oversees a group of 20+ researchers that develop all algorithms in the FortnaWES™ software, perform data analysis on design projects, simulation of designs, emulation of material handling systems and all modeling aspects of the FortnaDCdesign Suite™.  Russ holds a B.S., M.S. & Ph.D. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.  He’s been with FORTNA for over 10 years after an illustrious 20+ year career in academia, holding positions at Auburn University, Virginia Tech, the University of Arkansas and the Technical University of Graz (Austria).  In 2020, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the highest honor for an Engineer in the United States.  His election was due in large part to creating a scalable design methodology at FORTNA for distribution centers.