Clemson’s Department of Industrial Engineering continues to rise in stature. Recent press releases convey our record numbers of graduates, research funding, scholarship, and community impact. These successes, both at Clemson and internationally in the research community, have led to an unprecedented involvement of IE faculty serving in vital leadership positions.
The most recent IE professor to follow this trend is Dr. Mary Beth Kurz, who was elected as Clemson University’s Faculty Senate President for the 2016-17 term. Kurz is the first IE faculty member to be elected as the Faculty Senate President for Clemson University. “The appointment is a tremendous honor and responsibility,” said Kurz. She went on to say that “I have served as a Faculty Senate member for the past two terms and completely understand how the faculty senate is the lifeline between faculty and administration, which is critical to Clemson’s commitment to investing in top talent and to other university goals.” Kurz currently serves as Faculty Senate vice president, and will begin her term as president in April 2016.
In addition to her duties on Clemson’s Faculty Senate, Kurz will also join the ranks of three other Clemson IE faculty members currently serving in key leadership positions for the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), the flagship organization for industrial engineers. Kurz will be the next President of the Operations Research (OR) division of IIE as of May 2015, serving a one-year term. She joins Dr. Scott Mason, who recently began serving as the senior vice president of continuing education for IIE, Dr. Burak Ekşioğlu, who is the current President of IIE’s Logistics and Supply Chain Division, and Dr. Kevin Taaffe, who is the Mid-Atlantic Region Vice President for IIE.
In addition to Clemson faculty serving in IIE, several other IE faculty members have also been actively engaged in key service and leadership roles within their professional organizations.
Dr. Bill Ferrell is the current Vice President and the 2016 president-elect for of the College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE). CICMHE’s mission is to increase awareness, understanding, exploration, and development of material handling and logistics through fostering and nurturing high value projects and events.
Dr. Sandra Ekşioğlu is the current Chair of Railway Application Section of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). INFORMS serves the scientific and professional needs of Analytics Professionals and Operations Researchers including educators, scientists, students, managers, analysts, and consultants.
Dr. Cole Smith was recently elected as the president of the Association of Chairs of Operations Research Departments (ACORD) for a term that will start in 2016. ACORD encourages interest in the field of operations research and the management sciences, encourages discussion and interaction among individuals who serve as chairs, directors, and heads of academic programs in operations research and the management sciences, and advises the INFORMS Board on aspects of the academic environment for operations research and the management sciences to keep the INFORMS Board apprised of developments in this area.
