Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineering Annual Induction and Awards Banquet

Photos Submitted

AAIE Class of 2015 Inductees

The Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineering held its annual Induction and Awards Banquet on Friday, April 24. The Annual Academy Weekend is a special celebration in the college looked forward to by alumni, faculty and staff each year. Saturday, April 25, the academy held its spring business meeting in the Bell Engineering Center, which was followed by an old-time catfish picnic.

AAIE is select group of accomplished industrial engineering alumni who support the department in many ways such as providing scholarships and global experiences, facilitating mock interviews, mentorship, guest lecturing and faculty/staff awards.

This year the academy inducted 14 new members. Each new member is nominated by a current member and elected by membership vote.

Inductees this year include the following:

• Marc Alley, B.S.I.E. 2000
• Jairo de Jesus, B.S.I.E. 1999
• Mark Goings, B.S.I.E. 1980
• Jeff Hardcastle, B.S.I.E. 1995
• Drew Harrison, B.S.I.E. 2000
• Randall Hughes, B.S.I.E. 1981
• Mary Kirby Iverson, B.S.I.E. 1981
• Karen Kelly Jewell, B.S.I.E. 2000
• Jeff Loftin, B.S.I.E. 1996
• Derek Malstrom, B.S.I.E. 2000, M.S.I.E. 2002
• Steve Schulte, B.S.I.E. 1985
• Jeremy Smith, B.S.I.E. 1998
• Stuart Staggs, B.S.I.E. 2000
• Wesley Trussell, B.S.I.E. 1990

Industrial engineering covers a broad spectrum of professions. This year's, inductees are from a diverse group of organizations including a non-profit foundation, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, aerospace, retail, medical, and others.

During the banquet AAIE recognized members whose scholarship donations have met milestones. The scholarship giving thresholds to be achieved are Permanent Named Scholarship, with a level of $10,000 of giving; the One-Time Named Scholarship, with a level of $5,000; and Imhoff Fellow, with a level of $1,000. The Permanent Named Scholarships added this year were the Mike and Mary Shupe Scholarship and the Larry Stephens Family Scholarship. At the level of One-Time Named Scholarship was the Ron Classen and Kris Cooper Scholarship and at the level of Imhoff Fellow were Frank and Mandy Broadstreet and Ami F. Spivey. Student scholars are invited to attend the banquet to be recognized and to meet personally with their donor.  For the coming academic year AY15-16, the academy provided AAIE and related scholarships to 41 students totaling near $80,000.

This year AAIE presented an award to Manuel D. Rossetti as AAIE Faculty Member of the Year. In addition, staff award recipients were Jerra Hill and Garn LeBaron. Hill was named the Support Staff Member of the Year, and LeBaron received the award for Administrative Staff Member of the Year.

The AAIE events next year are tentatively scheduled for April 8-9, 2016.