Dr. Koen received B.A., Chemistry and B.S., Chemical Engineering degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He received a Diplome d'Ingenieur en Genie Atomique from L'Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucleaires, Saclay, France in 1963 and M.S. and ScD. degrees in Nuclear Engineering in 1962 and 1968 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been a professor at the University of Texas at Austin since 1968.

He was a pioneer in the application of artificial intelligence to nuclear reactor reliability. After 20 years of research in the theory of engineering design, Dr. Koen produced a widely acclaimed definition of the engineering method. Dr. Koen also introduced to engineering education and developed a method of self-paced instruction. Since its introduction in 1969, it has become an accepted alternate means of teaching.

Billy Koen has consulted for ten companies, organizations and institutions. He is a member of ten professional societies and nine honor societies including Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi. He is listed in 18 directories including Who's Who in America and International Who's Who in Engineering. Dr. Koen has written or contributed to six books, has more than 100 technical publications and has presented 97 invited lectures.

Professor Koen served from 1988-1993 as Vice President for Public Affairs for the American Society for Engineering Education. In this capacity he presided over an increase in funded projects from $4 million to $54 million. He has held 25 different Society positions and is a Fellow of the Society.

Dr. Koen has received 14 local, state and national teaching-based awards including the Standard Oil of Indiana Award for Teaching Excellence, the national Chester F. Carlson Award for Innovation in Engineering Education, and in 1992 the national W. Leighton Collins Award which is the highest American Society for Engineering Education award for service to education in engineering. In 1993 he was one of 175 engineering educators, who have had a significant and lasting impact on engineering education or engineering technology education, selected world-wide to receive the Centennial Medallion from the American Society for Engineering Education.

In 1980, he was honored by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation of San Antonio as one of the ten outstanding professors from all institutions of higher learning in Texas.

He is married and has two sons.