Rice University’s Department of Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research (CMOR) proudly celebrates alumna Erica Klampfl, Executive Director of Industrial System Analytics at Ford Motor Company, on her election as a 2025 INFORMS Fellow.
INFORMS is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to operations research and analytics, with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Each year, INFORMS elects only a dozen Fellows, recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exceptional lifetime achievements and leadership in the field.
Klampfl’s was honored “for high-impact contributions through advanced analytics practice, research, and leadership, and a sustained track record of service to the field of analytics.” At Ford, she leads strategic analytics initiatives that support large-scale industrial systems and advances innovative solutions to critical industry challenges.
Her recognition highlights not only her professional impact but also the strong academic foundation she developed during her graduate studies at Rice.
“Erica’s work at Ford exemplifies how operations research and analytics can drive transformative results in industry,” said Illya Hicks, chair of the Department of Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research. “We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments.”
Klampfl joins an elite group of INFORMS Fellows whose work continues to shape the global analytics community—further underscoring the influence of CMOR alumni who apply computational and analytical methods to solve real-world problems across academia, research, and industry.