West Point ASEM Chapter Kicks Off Year With Distinguished Speaker Greg Parnell

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The American Society for Engineering Management student chapter at United States Military Academy West Point started the academic year on a high note, welcoming esteemed guest speaker Greg Parnell. A professor of practice in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the U of A and a professor emeritus at West Point, Parnell is a highly respected authority in the field of engineering management, bringing decades of experience and expertise to the cadets.

Parnell shared his insights on systems engineering, decision analysis and resource allocation —areas of expertise vital to engineering management. His experience spans key sectors like defense acquisition, national security, homeland security and R&D planning.

Col. Julia Coxen, head of West Point's Department of Systems Engineering, expressed her gratitude for Parnell's contributions.

"Dr. Parnell is not only one of the authors of our textbook, Decision Making for Systems Engineering and Management, but also a longtime friend of our department. His visit was a fantastic opportunity for our cadets to learn about real-life systems engineering applications from a legend in the field."

Parnell's career is marked by numerous accomplishments that highlight his expertise and leadership in the field. He is the editor of Trade-off Analytics: Creating and Exploring the System Tradespace (2017), co-editor of Decision Making for Systems Engineering and Management (3rd Edition, 2022) and lead author of the forthcoming Handbook of Decision Analysis (2nd Edition, 2025) — all published by Wiley & Sons.

In addition to his publishing work, Parnell has held several prestigious roles. He chaired two study committees for the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine; served as president of the Military Operations Research Society and the INFORMS Decision Analysis Society; and is a fellow of multiple organizations, including INFORMS and the International Council on Systems Engineering.

He joined the U of A faculty in 2013, where he served as director of the M.S. in Operations Management program (2014-2024) and founded and directed the M.S. in Engineering Management program (2017-2024). Before that, he taught at prominent institutions, including West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy, Virginia Commonwealth University and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

The American Society for Engineering Management is a global organization dedicated to advancing the profession of engineering and technical management. Through student chapters, the society offers members opportunities to develop organizational and leadership skills that benefit their careers, schools and future employers. Parnell's visit to West Point exemplifies the group's mission to foster leadership and technical excellence among the next generation of engineering managers.