Industrial Engineering Faculty, Students Earn Honors at International Conference

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College of Engineering faculty and students earned more than a dozen awards at the recent annual conference of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers in Orlando, Florida.

Kim LaScola Needy, industrial engineering professor and dean of the Graduate School and International Education, was the recipient of two awards. The Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award and the Engineering Economy Division – Wellington Award. The Holzman Distinguished Educator Award recognizes educators who contributed significantly to the profession through teaching, research and publication, extension, innovation, or administration. The Wellington Award recognizes outstanding long-term contributions and service in the field of engineering economy that enhance the visibility of the engineering economy division of IISE. The Wellington Award is limited to individuals that have made significant contributions to the field of engineering economy. The award is named after Arthur M. Wellington, author of The Economic Theory of Railroad Location, in 1887. Learn more here.

Letitia (Tish) Pohl received the Engineering Economy Division Teaching Award. Pohl is the undergraduate advisor for the Industrial Engineering Department. In this role, she advises over 200 students on a regular basis each semester in addition to teaching five courses throughout the academic year. The award is given to recognize and promote the outstanding teaching of Engineering Economy. Pohl has been recognized previously as a Fellow of the University of Arkansas Teaching Academy.

Haitao Liao received the title of Fellow of IISE. The title of Fellow recognizes outstanding leaders of the profession who have made significant, nationally-recognized contributions to industrial and systems engineering. A fellow is the highest classification of IISE membership. The nominee must be a senior member of IISE for a minimum of 10 consecutive years or five continuous years. Candidates must demonstrate outstanding accomplishments in both their professional career and service to industrial and systems engineering. Read more here.

Other awards included:

• Conner Waybright, A.O. Putman Memorial Scholarship
• Clay Ferguson, Dwight D. Gardner Scholarship
• Kevin Haney, Dwight D. Gardner Scholarship
• Amie Westerman, Dwight D. Gardner Scholarship
• Yu (Chelsea) Jin, Gilbreth Memorial Scholarship
• Alexander Hendrickson, Harold & Inge Marcus Scholarship
• Wesley Nimmo, Harold & Inge Marcus Scholarship
• Madeline Suellentrop, Henry & Elisabeth Kroeze Memorial Scholarship
• Olivier Kwizera, John F. Fargher Scholarship

The conference, organized by the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers, features research from academia and industry scholars. The conference serves as a forum for exchanging knowledge and discoveries in the industrial and systems engineering research community featuring industry exhibits, workshops and student poster sessions.