Dr. Snider joined the faculty of Industrial Engineering Department of the university in 1968 and served as head of the department from 1976 to 1991. He continued as a faculty member and director of the Engineering Institute for Trauma and Injury Prevention until he was killed in 1997 in the crash of a small plane that he had built. A specialist in product liability and accident reconstruction, he established a national reputation in those fields, working with major business organizations and governmental bodies to improve product and workplace safety and prevent accidents. He was also an unusually dedicated and gifted teacher, developing close and lasting relationships with his students. He was president of the East Tennessee Chapter of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers (1981–82) and in 1984 was named its Outstanding Industrial Engineer of the Year.
His contributions to the intellectual life of the university have been recognized by placement of a plaque in his honor on a faculty study.