[1][2] Liles studied engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he received his BS in 1970, his MS in 1974 and his PhD in 1978 all in industrial engineering.
From 1989 to 1998 he was also associate director at the Automation and Robotics Research Institute.
From 1998 to 2012 he was professor of industrial engineering, and chair of the IMSE Department at the University of Texas at Arlington.
[3] Liles has been executive council member of the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, and member of the National Honor Society for Industrial Engineering.
[3] Liles authored and co-authored several books and articles.