The Institute of Industrial Engineers held its annual conference May 30 to June 2, and the University of Arkansas Department of Industrial Engineering was well represented by faculty and students. The conference program comprised two types of sessions: Applied Solutions, showcasing proven solutions and applications from industry, and the Industrial & Systems Engineering Research Conference, featuring research from academia and industry scholars.

It's music to your ears when you're honored by your peers and colleagues, so it was quite appropriate that the IIE Annual Conference and Expo 2015 was held in Nashville, Tennessee, dubbed "Music City" for its longtime association with the recording industry.

Below is a listing of the awards received by the University of Arkansas at the conference:

• 2015 IE Joint Publishers Book-of-the-Year. This award recognizes an outstanding published book that focuses on a facet of industrial engineering, improves education or furthers the profession. Those awarded included: John White, Kellie Grasman, Ken Case, Kim LaScola Needy, and David Pratt, for their textbook: Fundamentals of Engineering Economics Analysis.
• The 2015 ISERC Best Track Paper Award for Facility Logistics went to graduate student Mahmut Tutam and John White for their paper: A Conventional Warehouse Design with Multiple Docks.
• Graduate student Kunlei Lian, advised by Ashlea Milburn, received the $2,500 Gilbreth Memorial Fellowship.
• Undergraduate student Ashleigh Hegwood received the $2,000 CISE Scholarship for the 2015-16 academic year.

Department Head Ed Pohl commented: "It is so nice to see so many of our faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students presenting their research to their peers. The conference provides a great opportunity for our faculty and students to build their professional networks as well as get feedback on their efforts from fellow researchers. Having such a large group of UA participants involved in the conference, and having several win awards enhances the visibility of the department, college, and university."