Dr. Renee Butler is a proven leader with more than 20 years of experience in academia. Dr. Butler served as the Interim Dean of the Dr. James 'Earl' Perry College of Mathematics, Computing, and Sciences from 2024 - 2026. She was named the 2020 Engineer of the Year in Education by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers.  She previously served as the Interim Dean, Senior Associate Dean, and Assistant Dean for Operations for the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Kennesaw State University. From 2012 to 2015, Dr. Butler served as founding department chair of the Systems and Mechanical Engineering Department, and under her leadership the programs earned their initial ABET accreditation. 

She received her B.I.E. in Industrial Engineering, her M.S. in Operations Research, and her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Butler’s research interests are in strategic supply chain design, applied operations research, and STEM education. Her teaching interests span statistics, linear programming, engineering economics, and project management.

In addition to her university experience, Dr. Butler has worked for M&M, Mars, Inc. and The Torrington Company. While at Torrington, she developed a strategy for implementing manufacturing cells including the factory layout, implemented lean manufacturing tools, and facilitated a cross-functional team to implement process improvements. Previously at Mars, she conducted statistical analyses of product quality, machine downtime, and staffing levels.