Operations Management and Engineering Management Programs Host Annual Faculty Meeting

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Faculty meeting attendees are photographed by a drone used for instruction in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems course.

The Master of Science in Operations Management and Engineering Management programs held their annual Faculty Meeting in July. Over 40 faculty members from all over the United States attended the meeting and several joined in the days preceding to work on course development and to participate in training. Industrial Engineering Department Head Ed Pohl started the meeting by welcoming the group to Fayetteville. Don Judges, the vice provost for distance education and head of the Global Campus, served as keynote speaker, and Pat Koski, the associate dean of the Graduate School and International Education, was the dinner speaker.

During the meeting, instructors learned best practices from one another, engaged in a panel discussion with current students in the Master of Science in Operations Management program, and received insightful information and updates regarding department plans and online services such as ProctorU. Adam Brown, instructional designer with the Global Campus, attended the meeting to be available to instructors to aid in course revamp initiatives. MSOM and MSEM staff members also attended to provide insight from all perspectives.

During the meeting, the program was pleased to award Phil Jones the 2017 Faculty of the Year award. Phil is an adjunct instructor for the MSOM program. He not only does an excellent job in the classroom, leading innovative projects that help the community, but he also attends multiple functions on campus to show his support for the MSOM students and program.

Matthew Cilli was awarded the 2017 Rookie Instructor of the Year award. Teaching for the MSOM program since spring 2016, Cilli is the lead course developer for EMGT 5033 Introduction to Engineering Management. This will be the debut course for the Master of Science in Engineering Management graduate program in fall 2017.

The Master of Science in Operations Management is the largest graduate degree program offered by the university. Operations Management coursework emphasizes practical knowledge in areas such as project management, economic decision-making, supply chain management, human behavior analysis, quality management, and operations research, as well as many other areas of importance to today's manager. Program content focuses squarely on the concepts, methods, and tools that are essential to the successful management of work processes, projects, and people in a wide spectrum of organizations. The curriculum has an Industrial Engineering perspective on the science of management and equips graduates to carry out their managerial responsibilities more efficiently and more effectively.

The master's degree in Engineering Management program provides leadership and business skills to manage technology teams. The program is designed for engineers with bachelor's degrees who want to move into leadership positions in engineering organizations. The program complements student's technical, problem-solving skills with key management skills. Students learn to lead technical teams in research and development, systems design and technical improvements. The coursework focuses on the core elements of successful engineering leaders in highly complex environments. 

Students are able to select from 29 graduate courses to make up the 10 required to complete each degree.