Industrial Engineering Department Collects Awards at National Conference

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Industrial engineering faculty and students at the annual conference of the Institute of Industrial Engineers

The Institute of Industrial Engineers held its annual conference in May in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the University of Arkansas was well-represented at the event. "In my role as president of IIE and as the U of A industrial engineering department head, I was so proud to see how many of our students and faculty were honored at this conference," said Kim Needy, holder of the Twenty-First Century Professorship in Engineering. "Attending this event serves as a reminder to the university and to the industrial engineering community that the University of Arkansas is one of the top schools in this field."

At the conference, Russ Meller, holder of the James M. Hefley and Marie G. Hefley Endowed Professorship in Logistics and Entrepreneurship, received the Annual Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Logistics and Supply Chain. Meller and his graduate student, Lisa Thomas also received the ISERC Best Track Paper Award in Facility Logistics for their paper "Using Empirical Data to Assess Performance in Overall Warehouse Design."

Chase Rainwater, assistant professor of industrial engineering, was named an Outstanding Faculty Advisor for the South Central Region. Ridvan Gedik, a graduate student advised by Rainwater, received the E.J. Sierleja Memorial Fellowship. Jingjing Tong, a graduate student advised by Heather Nachtmann, received a Gilbreth Memorial Fellowship.

Undergraduate student Katy Accurso received the UPS Scholarship for Female Students, and undergraduate Christopher Bayles received the Dwight D. Gardner Scholarship. Hannah Corbitt, undergraduate, received an IIE Council of Fellows award.

More than 35 individuals from the University of Arkansas attended, including 22 students. Industrial engineering faculty members organized two research tracks and six sessions, and the department contributed 31 research presentations.

"The faculty and students of the industrial engineering department always do such a great job representing our college," said John English, dean of the College of Engineering. "I'd like to extend my congratulations to everyone who was recognized by the Institute of Industrial Engineers."