From 1986 to 1992 she served as Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate College. Prior to 1972 she served on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University (1971-1972). She received her B. A. in Physics at the University of Colorado in 1958 and her Ph.D. in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University in 1971. Before pursuing graduate studies she worked for Convair Astronautics as an engineer, in the General Electric Research Laboratory, Ithaca, New York, as a programmer, and in the Cornell University Department of Chemistry as a programmer. Her research areas have included applications of operations research in engineering optimization, health systems, military and civil infrastructure investment, and studies directed towards improving engineering education. She has served on the Committee for Engineering Education of the National Academy of Engineering and has chaired the advisory committee to the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Dr. Liebman served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Operations Research Society of America for eleven years, where she was secretary, vice president, president and past president. During that time she chaired the committee that established the first Doctoral Colloquium, as well as the Technical Sections Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee. She also served the Society as ORSA visiting Lecturer, chair of the Health Applications Section, and chair of the ORSA/TIMS Visiting Lecturer Committee. She was Omega Rho Distinguished Lecturer in 2003 at Atlanta.
She has chaired the Advisory Committee for the National Science Foundation Engineering Directorate, and has served on the Army Science Board. She has served on the University of Colorado Foundation Board of Directors and now serves on its Board of Trustees. She has authored or co-authored many research publications and has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching.