The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) has successfully completed an Academic Program Review (APR). Every five years, ISyE participates in an APR which affords the opportunity to assess the quality of the academic degree programs while determining ways to improve the quality of education, research and service.
"ISyE has a rich tradition of ongoing institutional improvement," said Chelsea C. White III, Chair of ISyE. "Participating in an academic review process is just one of several strategies we use as a vehicle for continuing to improve what we do."
The committee's report, received on March 18, 2007, reconfirmed that ISyE continues to be the preeminent industrial engineering program in the U. S. and the world. This is also validated by the recent rankings by the U. S. News and World Report. The committee's report also stated that ISyE is using its funds effectively to educate and train students at all levels, to develop strong research programs, and to foster active relationships with industry and government agencies worldwide.
"The committee's findings are a reflection on the quality of our students, faculty, and staff and helps the Stewart School of ISyE to maintain its reputation as producing top-notch graduates, offering an extremely innovative curriculum, and generating exceptional research," said White.
The program review committee was comprised of faculty from peer programs and institutions around the country. The Program Review Committee included:
(Chair) Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, Dean of Engineering,
North CarolinaStateUniversity ;Dr. Susan L. Albin, Professor and Director of the Graduate Program, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering,
RutgersUniversity ;Francisco Barahona, Research Staff Member,
IBMWatsonResearchCenter ;Dr. William Meeker, Professor of Statistics and Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts, Department of Statistics,
IowaStateUniversity ;Dr. Yossi Sheffin, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Systems, Director, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
]]>As spring semester drew to a close, students from Senior Design and the related workforce presentation instruction left their mark on the Workforce Communication Lab, located on the first floor of the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
"It has become a tradition for students to sign the wall of the lab, offering words of appreciation, reflection, and even some advice for next year's classes," said Dr. Judith Norback, ISyE's director of Workplace and Academic Communication.
Alyson Lee from the 2007 graduating class commented on the unique opportunity: "[Signing the wall] signifies the end of a chapter in my life*graduating from Georgia Tech."
In recent semesters, this unique and visible activity has been a highlight for students, and now 100s of signatures cover the walls of the lab foyer, the two columns, as well as other parts of the wall outside the small group practice stations. Sometimes students include quotes, and there is always a wide variety of languages such as Chinese and Japanese. Some student teams will sign as a group, and even the famous George P. Burdell has left his mark.
The mysterious George P. Burdell is a cherished part of Georgia Tech's history and culture that continues to survive today. His enduring presence at the Institute never fails to bring delight, laughter, and the retelling of the many stories of his escapades.
More on the Workforce Communication Lab:
The ISyE Workforce Communication Lab is utilized by students enrolled in core courses with a concentration in workforce communication. Students spend time enhancing their communication skills by receiving feedback and instruction as they practice in small groups. The instruction is unique in that it is based on actual interviews with industrial engineers, managers, and CEOs of organizations that recruit and employ industrial engineering majors. To date the ISyE Communications Lab has had over 7,000 student visits since it opened in 2004. For additional information, please contact Judith Norback at judith.norback@isye.gatech.edu or visit the ISyE Communication Lab web site at http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/communication/index2.htm.
]]>Default text in editor
]]>Seong-Hee Kim has been selected as a 2007 recipient of a CAREER Award
from the National Science Foundation. Her award is in the area of
Operations Research under the CMMI division.
"Eva, in conjunction with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center , has made an extraordinary difference in the health and well-being of cancer patients," Chip White said. "I couldn't be more proud of the work they are doing to help extend access to quality health care for more Americans."
Working with Dr. Marco Zaider, head of Brachytherapy Physics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Lee devised sophisticated optimization modeling and computational techniques to implement an intra-operative 3D treatment planning system for brachytherapy (the placement of radioactive "seeds" inside a tumor) that offers a safer and more reliable treatment of cancer.
Lee's optimization models and algorithms guide doctors toward the most effective dose provided by each radioactive seed, the shape of the organ being treated, the locations of tumor cells within the organ and critical structures for which radiation dose should be limited, the sensitivity of tissues to radiation, and the expected shrinkage of the organ after treatment. The system's goal is to provide consistent tumor-killing radiation doses to the tumor cells while limiting potentially damaging doses to nearby critical structures.
The real-time intra-operative planning system eliminates pre-operation simulation and post-implant imaging analysis. Based on the range of costs of these procedures, Lee estimates conservatively that their elimination nationwide could save on the order of $450 million a year for prostate cancer care alone. Effectively, this work improves the survival rate of patients with prostate cancer, reduces the side effects of treatment, and reduces costs to the health care system.
As reported in a recent article by Dr. Michael Zelefsky and his colleagues at MSKCC "real-time intraoperative planning consistently achieved optimal coverage of the prostate with the prescription dose with concomitant low doses delivered to the urethra and rectum. Biochemical control outcomes were excellent at 5 years and late toxicity was unusual. These data demonstrate that real-time planning methods can consistently and reliably deliver the intended dose distribution to achieve an optimal therapeutic ratio between the target and normal tissue structures."
Resulting reduction of complications (45-60%) due to plans that deliver less radiation to healthy structures improves the quality-of-life for patients, and has a profound impact on the cost for interventions to manage side-effects. Drs Lee and Zaider also reported that the procedure uses significantly fewer seeds and needles compared to current best-practice procedures. Thus the procedure time is shortened and less invasive, and there is less blood loss. As a result, patients experience less pain and recover faster.
The system is licensed to a medical software company, and its distribution will allow achievement of consistent treatment planning across different clinics, thus reducing the variability in the quality of treatment plans. The resulting plans limit urethral dose, decrease the operator-dependency, and reduce the influence of the learning curve associated with prostate brachytherapy. These all have important consequences for the outcome of treated patients.
The system allows for dynamic dose correction; thus clinicians can make adjustments (and re-optimize) on-the-fly during operations to arrive at the best-possible plan.
The planning system is also an important training tool for inexperienced clinicians and residents to develop effective and safe treatment plans.
Besides prostate, Lee has also been working with medical specialists on advancing treatments for breast, lung, cervical, brain and liver cancers, as well as early diagnosis and prediction of disease for proper intervention.
Each year, the Franz Edelman competition recognizes outstanding examples of operations research (O.R.) projects that have transformed companies, entire industries and people's lives. O.R. uses advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions and is a disciplined way by which management can improve organizational performance in a wide variety of situations, in nearly any type of organization in the public or private sector.
This year's Franz Edelman finalists included Coca-Cola, The U.S. Coast Guard, Hewlett-Packard and Daimler-Chrysler. Past winners of the award include Motorola, Merrill Lynch, Canadian Pacific Railway and IBM.
This is the first time that INFORMS has awarded the Edelman prize for a medical treatment. Further, the win demonstrates how operations research and mathematics are increasingly bringing improvements to health care, not only in the areas of policy, finance, and public health, but in diagnosis and treatment as well.
]]>February 2, 2007 - Vanguard Software Corporation, the leader in Web-based collaborative modeling software for enterprise simulation and planning, has partnered with the Georgia Institute of Technology's
SchoolofIndustrialand Systems Engineering (ISyE) through the Vanguard Academic Partnership Program. As part of this program, Vanguard Software donated licenses of the new Vanguard System to ISyE."We deeply appreciate this gift from Vanguard Software Corporation. The Vanguard System is a cutting-edge decision support solution and will be a valuable resource for our students and faculty," said Chelsea C. White III, the H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair in ISyE and the Schneider National Chair in Transportation.
The Vanguard System software is intended to provide valuable student learning experiences in classrooms and computer labs as well as to help faculty advance the state of research. The Vanguard System is the first business analytics application to support modeling and simulation on an enterprise scale, and combines all the elements necessary for Web-based, enterprise-wide decision-making, collaborative modeling, knowledge-capture, and sophisticated analytics.
"ISyE is the top industrial/manufacturing engineering program in the world and we are delighted to work with its faculty to integrate the Vanguard System in the classroom curricula and research activities," said Brian Lewis, Vanguard Software's VP of Professional Services. "It is also personally gratifying to be able to give back to my alma mater." Dr. Lewis received his Ph.D. from ISyE in 2005, working with Professors Chip White and Alan Erera.
The Vanguard Academic Partnership Program also offers faculty members a new teaching and research outlet, the Vanguard Global Knowledge Portal. The Global Knowledge Portal is a Wiki-style, Web portal for Vanguard's free-access, shared library of models that were created by the Vanguard System user community. Through continued use and contribution, the Global Knowledge Portal has become a key resource for analytical modelers and decision-makers. It reaches a world-wide audience of academic, business, and government users. The Global Knowledge Portal can be found at: http://wiki.vanguardsw.com.
More about Vanguard Software Corporation:
Vanguard Software, the leader in Web-based collaborative modeling software for enterprise simulation and planning, is a privately held corporation founded in 1995 to develop business Decision Support software. Customers in over 60 countries and in every major industry use Vanguard's software for forecasting, resource optimization, Web-based expert systems, and financial modeling. For more information about Vanguard Software Corporation, visit http://vanguardsw.com/. For more information, contact Katherine Robertson, Vanguard Software Corporation, at (919) 859-4101 ext. 161 or katherine.robertson@vanguardsw.com or www.vanguardsw.com.
]]>The Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) hosted Dr. Gail Pesyna, Director of the Sloan Foundation Industry Studies Program and more than forty Sloan Industry Studies researchers from twenty universities across the southeastern United States on March 30, 2007 at the
GeorgiaTechGlobalLearningCenter .Chelsea C. White III, ISyE School Chair and the Director of Georgia Tech's Trucking Industry Program welcomed the group to the Tech campus, along with Professor Pat McCarthy who is the Director of Georgia Tech's other Sloan industry studies center, the
PaperIndustryCenter . "We were delighted to host this first regional meeting at Georgia Tech. The meeting gave us a wonderful opportunity to showcase our research work and promote Georgia Tech and Atlanta as a global innovation center" remarked White.In her keynote luncheon presentation, Dr Gail Pesyna focused on the growing importance of Sloan Foundation sponsored industry studies on the global economy. "Whether it is globalization of R&D or the role of tourism in regional economies, Industry Studies researchers are recognized for their thought leadership."
Following Pesyna, Professor Frank Giarrantani from the
University ofPittsburgh talked about the impact thatIndustryStudiesCenter participation has had on his career. Profressor Giarrantani stated "While I still have a strong interest in theoretical economics, my industry studies work in regional economic development is very interesting and is having a direct impact on the Pittsburgh area's economic growth."To promoting collegiality and collaboration among meeting participants, the afternoon session was structured to promote informal information sharing and networking. Eleven ongoing industry studies projects were featured with colorful posters and informal briefings by researchers. The projects included:
This meeting was the first of several regional meetings that will be organized in the next twelve plus months. The main objective of these gatherings is to promote awareness of common interests and to build collaborative relationships among industry studies scholars. To learn more about how you can participate in these regional initiatives, email industrystudiescommittee@sloan.org.
]]>On March 1-2, 2007, Chip White, chair of the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE), and Harvey Donaldson, director of ISyE's Supply Chain and Logistic Institute, welcomed Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, deputy president and provost, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Professor Lai Choy, vice provost, NUS, to the School.
During their visit to Georgia Tech, they met with President Wayne Clough, Provost Gary Schuster, College of Engineering Dean Don Giddens, Vice Provost Wayne Hodges, ECE Professor Chin-Hui Lee, and Director of the Office of Organizational Development Hal Irvin to learn more about the Institute. They also received a briefing on the many relationships ISyE has with multi-national companies in Singapore; the Logistics Institute * Asia Pacific's outstanding educational program and industry research programs; and the Asia Study Abroad Program for Georgia Tech undergraduate students studying in Beijing and Singapore.
After lunch, students studying in the NUS/Georgia Tech dual master's program (DMP) discussed the value of the program. This prestigious program is the first of its kind to be offered in Singapore and the region. It distinguishes itself from the others by being the first program in Singapore where successful graduates are conferred two Master of Science degrees, a Master of Science in Logistics & Supply Chain Management from NUS and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech.
Professor Tan noted that he enjoyed hearing from and meeting the students and this visit reaffirmed his belief that this is a valuable and important educational program.
For more information on The Logistics Institute - Asia Pacific program, visit http://www.tliap.nus.edu.sg/.
]]>Ratings system has favored 22 of past 28 Final Four teams
Atlanta Journal Constitution * March 12, 2007
The work of three ISyE professors was featured in the AJC for creating a system to rate tournament teams. The system, called A Logistic Regression/Markov Chain Model for NCAA Basketball, "predicted tournament games more accurately than the selection committee's seedings, the RPI, the Associate Press, and ESPN/USA Today polls and the Massey and Sagarin ratings." And it's free for the download. Read full article here.
]]>
For his service and leadership on the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel that was formed in the aftermath of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, ISyE Professor Augustine Esogbue has received NASA's Space Flight Team Awareness Award and its Public Service Medal.
Esogbue was also installed as a 2006 Laureate of the Nigerian National Order of Merti by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who noted his "contributions to scholarship and research which have contributed in notsmall way to national development inthe field of engineering and technology."
]]>Mike Anderson (BIE 1979), Walter G. Ehmer (BIE 1989), Edward M. Rogers (BIE 1982, MS IL 2002), Stephen J. Rogers (BIE 1981), and Julio Villafane (BIE 1985) recently joined the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board. The Board, comprised of distinguished professionals and community leaders, serves as a sounding board for the School Chair in an advisory capacity as well as assists with the School's development goals. Each member brings extensive industry knowledge and unique expertise to this role and will serve a five year term (2007-2011).
"We are delighted to welcome our newest members to the ISyE Advisory Board. Their commitment and dedication to the Stewart School is extremely valuable to ISyE's continued success," said Chelsea C. White, III, ISyE School Chair.
Mike Anderson is corporate services vice president for the Georgia Power Company. His responsibilities include corporate safety, labor relations, fleet management, and building services. Anderson also serves as president and CEO of Georgia Power Childcare, LLC. Since joining Georgia Power in 1979, Anderson has held numerous leadership positions in Capital Budgeting, System Planning, Customer Operations, Information Technology, Marketing, and External Affairs. Prior to joining Georgia Power, Anderson was recruited from Texas Instruments Government Products Division in Dallas, Texas where he authored design criteria of nuclear warhead guidance systems technology for the U.S. military. Anderson is an Atlanta native. He and his wife Andreane have one son, Christopher, a senior at Georgia Tech.
Walt Ehmer is president and chief operating officer of Waffle House. He joined the company in the Purchasing Department in 1992. He was promoted to director in 1996, vice president in 1999, chief financial officer in 2001 and president and chief operating officer in 2005. In addition, he serves as chairman of Ozark Waffles, an operation of 38 Waffle House restaurants in Arkansas. He was president of Alpha Tau Omega and has continued his involvement with the fraternity, since graduation, by serving on its board. He was co-chair of the Thousand Club for the 54th Roll Call Leadership Circle, and he has served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Ehmer also has raised funds for cancer, leukemia and cystic fibrosis research. He lives in Dunwoody, Georgia, with his wife, Cindy, and their three children, Gregory, Anna Kate and Lesley.
Ed Rogers is a senior staff manager with United Parcel Service's corporate strategy group in Atlanta, Georgia. He has twenty-five years of experience in industrial engineering, program management, management consulting, business process redesign, operations improvement and strategy development. Rogers joined the UPS corporate industrial engineering department in 1994 and has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility. Prior to UPS, he served as a U.S. Air Force officer from 1983-87, managing programs to modernize defense industry manufacturing capabilities and reduce acquisition costs. He was an engineering management consultant with BDM International in Dayton, Ohio from 1987-1989 and later with the SysteCon division of Coopers & Lybrand Consulting from 1989-94 where he consulted on a variety of manufacturing and logistics systems improvement projects for more than twenty clients, including UPS. In addition to his Georgia Tech degrees, Rogers earned a master's in engineering management from the University of Dayton in 1994. He and his wife Jeanette, ChE 1983, have three children and reside in Roswell, Georgia. Their eldest daughter Kyla is an undergraduate at Georgia Tech; their other two children, Matlock and Kay, are students at Roswell High School.
Steve Rogers is vice president of integrated supply chain for IBM Integrated Supply Chain, where he has worked for 25 years. He joined IBM in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1981 after graduating from Georgia Tech. He spent the first five years in various production engineering and planning roles for IBM printing and banking products. After receiving an Executive MBA from Wake Forest University in 1986, Rogers held various financial management positions including manager of Financial Analysis for IBM's Personal Computer Division. He was the division controller for IBM's PC business in North and South America. Later he became the server group controller for Manufacturing where he had responsibility for all IBM's server manufacturing locations worldwide and had a seat on IBM's Corporate Manufacturing Operations Board in Somers, New York. He then became worldwide VP of Finance and Operations for IBM's System X Server division in Raleigh, North Carolina. In January of 2002, Rogers joined the newly formed IBM Integrated Supply Chain organization as director of supply chain for the Retail Store Solutions business. In August of 2003, Rogers returned to New York to take on the role of VP for Demand/Supply and Inventory Planning for all IBM hardware brands. In June of 2006, Rogers took on his current role where he is responsible for the end to end supply chain execution for two separate multi-billion dollar brands. He currently resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut with his wife of 21 years and three sons.
Julio Villafane is vice president of strategic account management for Motorola Sales and Services Inc. He is responsible for managing Motorola's business efforts with Telefonica Latin America, the region's largest telecommunications company with over $53 billion dollars invested and 112 million customers across 19 Countries. In his ten years with the company, Villafane has implemented aggressive market penetration strategies that resulted in increased revenues, increased market share and solid relationships with the region's telecommunication power players. These efforts helped position Motorola as the undisputed leader in several arenas including radio communications, digital video, and MSO broadband technologies. Prior to joining Motorola, Villafane held several international telecommunications sales management roles with EF Johnson (EFJ) Company, a leader in the two way radio industry. He helped to establish and staff the Latin American go to market organization with offices in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and HQs in Miami, Florida. He first entered the telecommunications industry as an outside plant facilities engineer at BellSouth, and developed his management and sales skills as an international management consultant at Peat, Marwick and Mitchell. In addition to his Georgia Tech degree, Villafane holds an MBA in Finance and International Business with national academic honors from Mercer University. He is of Salvadoran descent and lives in Miami with his wife, and four children.
]]>Each year the Georgia Tech Alumni Association's Gold & White Honors ceremony recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in service to the Institute. This year, two alumni of the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, David M. "Dave" McKenney, Phys 1960, IE 1964, and H. Milton Stewart, Jr., IE 1961, were among four alumni to be awarded the Joseph Mayo Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award. The Distinguished Service Award is the highest award conferred by the
Alumni Association given to an alumnus or honorary alumnus who has set a standard by exceptional and outstanding support of the Institute and the Alumni Association."Milt Stewart and David McKenney exemplify what it means to give back to Tech and the community," said Chair of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Janice Wittschiebe, Arch 1978, M Arch 1980. "They were honored for their generosity and kindness in addition to the spectacular impact they have made in advancing Georgia Tech and the Alumni Association."
Success in the business world, David M. McKenney once told a Georgia Tech audience of aspiring entrepreneurs, requires facing risk head-on and managing it * and the best way to do that, the former Marine advised, was to "prepare and follow a good business plan." It's a strategy that has served Atlanta-based McKenney's Management Corp. well. The firm made a big splash when it was hired as mechanical contractor for the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest. McKenney is chairman and chief executive officer of the firm founded by his father, John M. McKenney, Com 32, in 1943. His son, John, IE 90, is president and represents the third generation to manage the company.
About 500 co-op students have been hired by McKenney's since 1976 and in 2005, Tech's Briarean Society named McKenney the Co-op Employer of the Year. He was named to the Stewart
School ofIndustrial and Systems Engineering Hall of Fame in 2002 and the College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni in 1994 and received the Georgia Tech Young Alumni Service Award in 1974. McKenney received the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ALCO's award for distinguished public service in 2006 and the Greater Atlanta Engineer of the Year in Construction Award in 1974 and 1991.In addition to his Tech degrees, McKenney holds a master's in business administration from
GeorgiaStateUniversity. He is a trustee of the Georgia Tech Foundation and chair of the Bobby Dodd Institute. He formerly was president of the executive committee of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, vice chairman of the Atlanta Campaign Steering Committee and chair of the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board. He is a deacon and ordained elder of St. Luke's Presbyterian Church inDunwoody, Ga. He and his wife, Sarah, have two other grown children Susan and Scott, and live inAtlanta.As a student, Milt Stewart worked for Frank F. Groseclose, founder of Georgia Tech's industrial engineering program, who encouraged him to continue his studies and earn a graduate degree. But after graduating with an industrial engineering degree in 1961, Stewart returned home to help grow the family business, Standard Telephone Co., in Cornelia. At 31, he became head of the company, expanding it as such opportunities as cable television arose. In 1987, he and his sister, Kay Swanson, established the Standard Group. Arkansas-based Alltel purchased Standard Telephone in 1998.
In 2006, he and his wife, Carolyn, in a spectacular demonstration of philanthropy, made a $20 million commitment to Georgia Tech. In turn, the Institute named its
School ofIndustrial and Systems Engineering in his honor. Stewart has been generous in his support of Tech. He established the H. Milton Stewart Jr. Endowment Fund for ISyE Programs in 1995 and the H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair in 1999. He also has supported scholarships for female students coming to Georgia Tech fromHabershamHigh School.He earned an MBA from
EmoryUniversity in 1981 and was awarded an honorary doctorate fromPiedmontCollege in 1989. Stewart was elected to serve on the Georgia Tech Alumni Association board of trustees in 1988 and three years later to the executive committee, becoming its president in 1995. He is a trustee emeritus of the Georgia Tech Foundation, former chairman of the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board and former member of theCollege ofEngineering Advisory Board.The family has a white-and-gold tradition. Stewart's son, Jeb, Cls 91, is married to Stephanie, CE 97. Stewart's daughter, Jill, Mgt 93, is married to Glenn Archer, Mgt 91.
]]>ROUTE 2007, a biennial international workshop on vehicle routing and transportation, took place on May 13-16 at Jekyll Island, Georgia. The purpose of the workshop was to provide a forum for scientific exchange and cooperation in the fields of vehicle routing, intermodal transportation and related areas. The Stewart School's Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL) supported this year's program.
"This year's workshop was a great success because it was attended by most of the leading academic researchers in the area of transportation," said Conference Chairperson Dr. Martin Savelsbergh. Attendees included close to forty experts representing universities from across the globe.
This year's presentations are available online at http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/route2007/presentations/. Previous editions of ROUTE have been hosted by the Technical University of Denmark (2000, 2003) and the University of Bologna (2005). The next ROUTE workshop is scheduled to take place in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009.
For more information about ROUTE 2007, contact Martin Savelsbergh at martin.savelsbergh@isye.gatech.edu or visit the website at http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/route2007/.
]]>Each semester, Dr. Judith Norback, ISyE's director of Workplace and Academic Communication, pulls together a group of top industry executives from a variety of fields to interact directly with ISyE students in Senior Design. This year's panel included Chip Robert, BSIE 1960, recently retired chairman and treasurer of Robert Ltd.; David McKenney, BSIE 1964, chairman and CEO of McKenney's Inc.; John McKenney, BSIE 1990, president of McKenney's Inc.; and
Jeb Stewart , Cls. 1991 chairman and CEO of SciHealth Holdings, Inc. and president of Xana Management.The discussion can be downloaded in Windows Media or iPod format.
"All our panel discussions are interactive and give students a rare opportunity to ask questions of CEOs. The panelists discuss the most important communication skills needed to move up the career ladder," said Norback. The executives in Norback's panels also concentrate on communication skills for cross-cultural business interaction. After the one-hour panel interaction, time is allowed for students to meet the executives one-on-one.
The Panel is one part of the workforce communication instruction for the Senior Design course. Making our graduate's job competitive and enabling them to move quickly up the career ladder are the two goals of the instruction. Other workforce communication instructional elements include small group feedback in the Workforce Communication Lab before and after class presentations, videotaping of class presentations, and an in-class Tutorial on Workforce Presentation. The instruction is based on interviews conducted with practicing ISyEs, managers, and CEOs of organizations employing many IEs.
Past executives and companies who have participated in the ISyE Senior Executive Panel on Workforce Communication include:
Bird Blitch, BSIE 1997, Broadsource
Pepper Bullock, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Wally Buran, BSIE 1975, MSIE 1978, Edenfield Executive-in-Residence, ISyE at Georgia Tech
Alan Dabbiere, Wandering WiFi
Tom Dozier, BSIE 1963, GoldMech
Chuck Easley, BSIM 1886, Kurt Salmon Associates
Mel Hall, BSIE 1967, Comprehensive Health Services
Jody Markopoulos, GE
Don Pirkle, BSIE 1958, Dow Chemical
Bill Reed, BSIE 1957, MSIE 1963, Kurt Salmon Associates
Chip Robert, BSIE 1960, Robert Ltd.
Barbara Sanders, Delta Technology
Jeb Stewart , Cls. 1991, SciHealth
For more information on the panel, visit www.isye.gatech.edu/communication.
The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) at Georgia Tech took top billing once again as the number one graduate program in the category of industrial/manufacturing engineering, according to U. S. News and World Report's 2007 * 2008 Graduate Rankings.
This year nine of the 11 programs within Georgia Tech's
College ofEngineering ranked among the top 10 in their respective disciplines, led by ISyE. ISyE was ranked number one for the 17th straight year.Chelsea C. White III, ISyE School Chair, is pleased to see the School continue to receive this prestigious ranking, "ISyE continues to excel in the U. S. News and World Report rankings, reflecting a lot of hard work on the part of the faculty and staff this past year and in years past. I take pride in the fact that our effort and dedication to excellence in education and research are being recognized."
Tech's graduate engineering curriculum maintained its national stature, ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. The nine engineering programs ranked in the top 10 are: aerospace (5th), biomedical (2nd), civil (4th), computer (6th), electrical (7th), environmental (6th), industrial and systems (1st), materials (9th) and mechanical (7th).
U.S. News & World Report published the 2008 rankings this April in a special edition, "America's Best Graduate Schools" guidebook.
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The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech is the largest and most prestigious program in industrial engineering in the United States. More than 10,000 graduates of the School can be found in consulting, engineering, financial services, healthcare, transportation, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurial enterprises, law, retail, and major academic institutions around the world. Nearly one in ten Georgia Tech ISyE graduates rise to the top positions of their respective organizations, and distinguished faculty members are internationally known for their research in virtually every subdiscipline of industrial and systems engineering and operations research. For more information about ISyE at Georgia Tech, please visit the ISyE homepage at www.isye.gatech.edu.
]]>Jeff Wu, Coca-Cola Chair in Engineering Statistics and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, recently received an Honorary Professorship from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) for his research contributions in statistical theory, methods and quality engineering and for fostering collaborations and interactions between the statistical communities in the U.S. and China. Wu states "As China's economy is rapidly expanding, its science and technology will play a more prominent role in the world stage. I hope my connections with CAS will help contribute toward Georgia Tech's initiatives in building closer collaborations with ." Wu is the first statistician to have received this honor from CAS.
ATLANTA, GA, April 17, 2007 * ISyE Associate Professor Eva K. Lee, in collaboration with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), has been named one of only five finalists for the Franz Edelman award, an international competition acknowledging exceptional achievement in Operations Research and the Management Sciences. Lee and her client, MSKCC, are being recognized for their entry entitled "Operations Research Answers to Cancer Therapeutics."
As the world's oldest and largest private cancer center, MSKCC seeks next-generation cancer treatment advances to enhance its ability to treat patients effectively, both in terms of improved care and reduced cost.
Lee holds dual appointments as associate professor in both ISyE and the Winship Cancer Institute in the
School ofMedicine atEmoryUniversity . Further, Lee serves as director of the Center for Operations Research in Medicine and HealthCare, a collaborative education and research center established between ISyE, Georgia Tech/Emory Health Systems Institute, and medical and healthcare researchers in different disciplines.The winner of the Franz Edelman competition will be announced at a special awards banquet during The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS*) Conference on O.R. Practice in
Vancouver from April 29-May 1, 2007. http://meetings.informs.org/Practice07/Every year, the Franz Edelman competition recognizes outstanding examples of Operations Research (O.R.)-based projects that have transformed companies, entire industries, and people's lives. O.R. uses advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions and is a disciplined way by which management can improve organizational performance in a wide variety of situations, in nearly any type of organization in the public or private sector.
Past Franz Edelman winners have included Motorola, Merrill Lynch, Canadian Pacific Railway, and IBM.
Operations researchers working with Sloan-Kettering devised sophisticated optimization modeling and computational techniques to implement an intra-operative 3D treatment planning system for brachytherapy (the placement of radioactive "seeds" inside a tumor) that offers a safer and more reliable treatment.
The real-time intra-operative planning system eliminates pre-operation simulation and post-implant imaging analysis. Based on the range of costs of these procedures, Professor Eva Lee has estimated conservatively that their elimination nationwide could save on the order of $450 million a year for prostate cancer care alone.
As reported in a recent article by Dr. Michael Zelefsky and his colleagues at MSKCC "real-time intraoperative planning consistently achieved optimal coverage of the prostate with the prescription dose with concomitant low doses delivered to the urethra and rectum. Biochemical control outcomes were excellent at 5 years and late toxicity was unusual. These data demonstrate that real-time planning methods can consistently and reliably deliver the intended dose distribution to achieve an optimal therapeutic ratio between the target and normal tissue structures."
Resulting reduction of complications (45-60%) due to plans that deliver less radiation to healthy structures improves the quality-of-life for patients, and has a profound impact on the cost for interventions to manage side-effects. Drs Lee and Zaider also reported that the procedure uses significantly fewer seeds and needles compared to current best-practice procedures. Thus the procedure time is shortened and less invasive, and there is less blood loss. As a result, patients experience less pain and recover faster.
National distribution of this system will allow achievement of consistent treatment planning across different clinics, thus reducing the variability in the quality of treatment plans. The resulting plans limit urethral dose, decrease the operator-dependency, and reduce the influence of the learning curve associated with prostate brachytherapy. These all have important consequences for the outcome of treated patients.
The system allows for dynamic dose correction, thus helping the training of clinicians and residents to develop effective and safe treatment plans.
The additional 2007 Franz Edelman finalists are:
Additional information about the Edelman Competition is online at http://www.scienceofbetter.org/Edelman.
]]>Great Package Race is underway. Professor Bartholdi assists student in stuffing packages. |
On Friday, April 13th, Professor Bartholdi's class contacted UPS, FedEx, and DHL to carry identical packages to contacts in:
Packages include GT memorabilia |
Sites are chosen based on locations that challenge the business processes of the multinational package carriers. It is remarkable that most packages eventually reach their destinations, even under difficult circumstances, but there have been some dramatic lapses. One package was carried back-and-forth across the Atlantic Ocean nine times before delivery. Another was sent to Costa Rica instead of Croatia. One carrier claimed that the destination country did not exist. (It does.)
There have been dramatic finishes as well. In 2006, UPS beat DHL to Croatia by 3 minutes. One race ended in a tie when delivery folk from competing companies arrived at the door simultaneously, even though the packages had taken completely different routes to the destination. Technically FedEx made the delivery first, but we gave extra credit to the UPS person for courtesy in holding the door.
Follow the 2007 Package Race here.
]]>On an annual basis, Dr. C. John Langley Jr. of Georgia Tech conducts an industry-leading study on the use of third party logistics services in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Working with and sponsored by industry experts at Capgemini LLC, DHL, and SAP, this research examines critical trends among key markets and key customers in the 3PL industry. The study is recognized as one of the most valuable, continuing sources of up-to-date information on this major logistics industry sector.
The final report of the 2006 Eleventh Annual 3PL Study is available for download. Copies of earlier studies plus additional study information is available at www.3plstudy.com.
Dave Beasley and Professor Chen discuss Intermodal Hub activities with students. |
To complement their course work, students in the Dual Master degree Program (DMP) and the Global Logistics Scholars (GLS) program tour various manufacturing and distribution centers throughout the semester. On April 4th, the group toured Norfolk Southern's John W. Whitaker Intermodal Terminal in Austell.
"In class, we teach operations research, industrial engineering, and information systems, but in an abstract way. To provide a link between what they learn in class with real world practice, we schedule about 10 tours throughout the semester of various manufacturing, distribution, and transportation facilities," said Professor Chen Zhou. "These tours really complement what they learn in classes."
Norfolk Southern's Hub Manager, Dave Beasley, led the tour of the terminal. The first stop was the control tower where students could view the 450 acres of the terminal that includes 3,300 parking spaces as well as 20,000 feet of unloading track.
The tour stops long enough to capture a group photograph. |
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is a Virginia-based holding company with headquarters in Norfolk. It owns a major freight railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, which operates approximately 21,800 route miles in 22 states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario. The Austell hub is an intermodal hub. The terminal, the largest intermodal facility east of the Mississippi River, expedites the movement of containerized freight between the Northeast and Southwest and between the Northwest and Southeast. It transfers rail freight to road and road to rail.
Students on tour were: Paul Berman (France) GLS; Christian Buchmann (U.S.) GLS; Wei Chuen Chan (Singapore) DMP; Steve Chu (U.S.) GLS; Magdalene Chua (Singapore) DMP; Serhan Duran (Turkey) GLS; Tobias Gefaeller (Germany) GLS; Swanand Gupte (India) GLS; Sin Man Kwan (HK) DMP; Yin Sian Lai (Singapore) DMP; Jin Xiang Lee (Singapore) DMP; Chya-Yi Liaw (Taiwan) DMP; Keyao Liu (China) DMP; Wen-Chung Lu (Taiwan) GLS; Hiroki Muraoka (Japan) GLS; Ramanathan Muthiah (India) DMP; Han Meng Neo (Singapore) DMP; Evren Ozkaya (Turkey) GLS; Najmuddin Patwa (India) DMP; Qian Qian (China) DMP; Bo Qin (China) DMP; Kaushik Surendran (India) GLS; Yan Ting Tan (Singapore) DMP; Athmika Vishvesh (India) GLS; and Rui Wang (China) DMP.
Norfolk Southern's Intermodal Terminal: loading road freight to rail |
More on the Dual Degree Program: The Dual Master of Science Degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is a prestigious 18-month program pioneered in collaboration between the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Georgia Tech. The program was created to develop logistics professionals with logistics and supply chain management knowledge as well as research and industrial expertise in the context of and the Asia Pacific region. The program, which is jointly conducted by NUS and Georgia Tech, leads to two degrees: a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and a Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
More on the Global Logistics Scholars: The Global Logistics Scholar is a certificate program sponsored by the Supply Chain Logistics Institute (SCL) at Georgia Tech. The curriculum is designed for MSIE students and includes logistics seminars and tours, TLI professional education short courses, and other special events (at least one event per semester). Selected students participate in academic and extra-curricular activities with students enrolled in other international programs, allowing them to interact with logistics faculty, industry professionals and potential employers.
]]>Read the article where they discuss how many crisis response inefficiencies can be avoided with advanced planning and capacity building, as well as effective management of response activities.
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Associate Professor Steven Hackman, the faculty coordinator for Senior Design stated "Although we had several strong projects completed this semester, these three really stand out in terms of technical challenges as well as the potential value they bring to the sponsor." Finalists engaged in projects sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Office Depot, and Whirlpool Corporation.
Of the three finalists, the winning team included Allan Garcia, Jason Hoff, Mary Beth LaHatte, Alejandro Leyva, John Shea, and Ashley Thompson who worked with the CDC on a project entitled "Developing an Effective Production and Distribution Method to Eradicate Mosquitoes in Sudan, Africa." Based on the technical expertise involved in this project and the resulting impact to the client, these students were awarded first prize in the overall competition. The sponsor contact was Dr. Mark Benedict with Professor Craig Tovey serving as faculty advisor.
The CDC has proposed the use of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to reduce the Anopheline mosquito populations in Sudan, Africa. SIT is a method of biological control that involves the mass rearing of insects in a production facility and the sterilization of males by exposing them to low doses of radiation, or to chemosterilants. Malaria is transmitted exclusively by female mosquitoes. SIT effectively breaks the chain of reproduction when a female mates with sterile males, as female mosquitoes mate once in a lifetime.
The purpose of this project was to establish and provide a set of guidelines and recommendations that will aid in the implementation of SIT to
reduce the Anopheline mosquito populations in Sudan. Team members began by estimating the population densities of adult mosquitoes at the designated release sites in Merowe and determining a location for the production facility. They not only designed the production process, but provided tools for decision making, and performed an analysis of the most significant costs involved in implementation. Their research showed that the most effective means to implement SIT depends on the conditions in Merowe, such as time of year and the river level. As a result of this finding, the group developed a software tool that finds the best strategy based on a set of factors input by a user. This software tool can be used to determine the best SIT strategy in other parts of the world affected by malaria.
Runners-up in the competition included team members Ahmed Bajwa, Alison Kao, Stephanie Lake, Emil Loewy, Santiago Quintero, and Vivian Hernandez. These individuals worked with Office Depot on a project entitled "Depot Materials Handling Model." The sponsor contact was Scott King and the faculty advisor was Associate Professor Seong-Hee Kim.
Office Depot has a 550,000 square foot warehouse in Atlanta that services 156 retail stores in the Southeast. One of the problems Office Depot faces in this facility is that they are unable to determine the optimal number of material handling devices and batteries necessary to maneuver pallets and pick material. Further, it is difficult for the company to determine how many of these devices they should purchase verses how many they should rent. To address the problem, team members developed and implemented simulation and optimization models to 1) minimize the total number of machines required, 2) create an equipment schedule, 3) determine the best number of machines and batteries to purchase and rent, and 4) provide a standardized equipment usage model. As a result, students showed Office Depot a potential savings of more than 33% from current costs, which equates to approximately $550K annually. In addition, the students' model can be applied to other Office Depot facilities with a total potential savings of more than $9M annually.
"This is the third group I have sponsored since participating in the program myself as a student, and I have a fourth group slated for next semester," said Scott D. King, BS IE 2004, project engineer, Office Depot. "It is truly amazing what a group of young minds are able to accomplish in such a short time. It's a testament to the education and training they receive at the institute. Many of my colleagues agree that the particular discipline of engineering a student pursues is not as essential as learning the skills of analytical problem solving (or as we refer to it "thinking like an engineer"). These design project present the students with real-world problems, and are the perfect opportunity to put this into practice."
The third finalist team to present included Brandon Tubandt, Jacob Robinson, Jessie Spencer, Kathryn Oliver, and Timothy Dennis who worked with Whirlpool Corporation on a project entitled "Quality Express Routing." The sponsor contact was Hisham Khaki and Associate Professor Shabbir Ahmed served as the team's faculty advisor.
Whirlpool supplies the Atlanta region with more than 1700 different appliance types, all from a distribution center located in Ellenwood, Georgia. The distribution center receives orders from multiple sources on a daily basis and routes trucks to make the deliveries. The routes produced by the current process are inefficient, resulting in high transportation costs. To address Whirlpool's routing problem, team members developed a software tool, Quality Express Routing, which takes input from Whirlpool's database and mapping software and uses optimization techniques to determine improved routes while reducing overall mileage. Further, the output is in a standardized format, making it easy to understand. Based on comparisons between the current routes and the routes produced by Quality Express Routing, implementation of the tool will reduce transportation costs by more than 22%, resulting in close to $600,000 in annual savings.
All senior students in ISyE culminate their undergraduate educational experience with the Senior Design course in order to provide firsthand experience at solving real world problems in a team environment. Students typically work in teams of five to six individuals with 15-25 Senior Design groups running each semester. Each group is advised by an ISyE faculty member, and the faculty coordinator manages the overall course. Companies interested in submitting a project for consideration can either contact the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Chen Zhou at 404 894-2326, or they can post a project through the ISyE webpage at www.isye.gatech.edu/seniordesign. Senior design teams look for projects before the start of the fall and spring semesters.
]]>Supply Chain Digest - July 6, 2007
So what is "self-organizing logistics?" Well, it has something to do, literally, with the birds and the bees, or I guess the bees and the ants. Somehow, Dr. John Bartholdi observes, bees in the hive are able to run incredibly effective "logistics" operations, without the benefit of software, pick-to-light systems, or even RFID. In fact, they don't even have a boss. The queen gets treated royally, but she doesn't tell the drones what to do. To read the complete article, visit www.scdigest.com/assets/FirstThoughts/07-07-06.php?cid=1110
Industrial Engineer - August 2007; Volume 39, Number 8
The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech's Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering is leading an international consortium to improve temperature-controlled supply chains and reduce the variability that wine is subject to in its journey to the consumer. With the expertise of professors John Bartholdi, Ph.D., and Don Ratliff, Ph.D., the Georgia Tech team is collaborating with colleagues from around the world to form the Wine Supply Chain Council. There are many challenges to moving wine, said Bartholdi, beginning with its status as a natural product. Since timing is determined by nature, not planning schedules, the initial portion of the supply chain is a push system. This must be matched with the remainder of the supply chain which is a pull system, moving products only in response to customer demand. To read the full story, visit www.iienet.org (membership required).
David Cohen Solis, MS IL 2006, was recently named president of the "Asoaciacion de Usuarios de la Zona Libre de Colon" which is the Business Association of the Colon Free Zone. Founded in 1979, the Colon Free Zone is now the world's second largest free trade zone, and a tremendous entity at the Atlantic gateway to the Panama Canal. It is dedicated to re-export an enormous variety of merchandise to Latin America and the Caribbean. Cohen Solis states "Its primary roll is to look for new business opportunities for its associates through commercial missions to different countries in the region [and] to promote the opportunities and advantages that the Colon Free Zone offers such as a 0% Income Tax on income from exports."
Part of the reason for its rapid growth is its strategic advantage of being located near the Panama Canal, which allows it to efficiently serve the entire Americas region. Nearly all world routes pass the Colon Free Zone, located at the Atlantic gateway to the Panama Canal with access to both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. The Colon Free Zone also serves several other important functions. These include collecting donations for community projects in the region and facilitating meetings with diplomats and government officials from around the world.
Prior to taking this new position, Cohen Solis was director of operations at International Hardware in Panama, a wholesaler and distributor of hardware products. When he entered the Stewart School's Executive Master's in International Logistics program, he had 12 years of experience in the business, including international sales and marketing for Ace International in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Further information about the Colon Free Zone is available at: www.colonfreezone.com.
]]>Because there is such a strong need for educational development in the humanitarian relief community and little money to support that effort, the Executive Master's in International Logistics (EMIL) program offers a limited number of scholarships for individuals who work in the field of humanitarian logistics.
To read the full article click here.
]]>Greg O. Andrews will join the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering as the Managing Director of the Executive Masters in International Logistics (EMIL) program in August. With 27 years in the logistics and transportation industry and a graduate of the EMIL program, he brings an ideal mix of industry and academic expertise to the program.
"Greg has the right blend of experiences across modes as both a provider of and customer for logistics services," said EMIL Executive Director John Vande Vate. "As an EMIL alum and advisory board member, he understands the program and is hooked into the alumni network. He is committed to the vision of delivering top quality education in international logistics and supply chain strategy for experienced professionals."
As managing director, Andrews will coordinate offering annual EMIL classes beginning with a new class in January, 2008 and every September thereafter. He will lead and expand EMIL's recruiting efforts as well as share in the design and delivery of the international residences.
"I am thrilled to get the chance to return to Tech and to take on this challenge," said Andrews. "We have great leadership in Dr. Vande Vate and the supporting faculty. They are an outstanding, knowledgeable group of folks that I really look forward to working with. Engaging major corporations around the world, having our students look at significant global supply chain problems, and helping to re-write the book as we solve global complexities is the very reason that I accepted the job. What better place could there be, right in the heat of the fire. You sharpen steel with steel, that is what we will be doing, sharpening, challenging, and testing our collective knowledge of global logistics and supply chain strategies as the global economy continues its metamorphosis."
For the past seven years, Andrews has served as Director of Global Logistics and Transportation with ADTRAN Inc., an OEM manufacturer of high-speed telecommunications network transmission equipment located in Huntsville, Alabama. He was responsible for overseeing the logistics infrastructure necessary to support the distribution and manufacturing efforts in Mexico, China, Australia, Taiwan, Europe, and the U.S.
Prior to joining ADTRAN, Andrews held the position of assistant director, International Intermodal Center for the Port of Huntsville, a multi-modal transportation cargo hub providing air, sea, rail, and truck transportation services for the North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley Region.
Prior to his work at the International Intermodal Center and the Port of Huntsville, he spent six years in the LTL business working for Smith Transfer and Yellow Freight Corporation.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration with a Major in Transportation from the University of Alabama in 1980, and a Master's of Science in International Logistics from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2005.
He serves on the Board of Directors for the North Alabama International Trade Association, is an active member of the National Industrial Transportation League serving on its Air Cargo Committee, is a member of The International Intermodal Association of North America, serves on the FedEx Air Cargo Customer Advisory Committee, The Eagle Global Logistics Customer Advisory Board, and has served on the Advisory Board for EMIL.
He is married to his wife Sharon of 26 years, and has two sons Vincent and Jacob, who both are currently attending the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. In his free time, he enjoys golf, fishing, and the restoration of classic Mopar muscle cars.
]]>"ISyE has a rich tradition of ongoing institutional improvement,* said Chelsea C. White III, Chair of ISyE. "Participating in an academic review process is just one of several strategies we use as a vehicle for continuing to improve what we do.*
The committee's report, received on March 18, 2007, reconfirmed that ISyE continues to be the preeminent industrial engineering program in the U. S. and the world. This is also validated by the recent rankings by the U. S. News and World Report. The committee's report also stated that ISyE is using its funds effectively to educate and train students at all levels, to develop strong research programs, and to foster active relationships with industry and government agencies worldwide.
"The committee's findings are a reflection on the quality of our students, faculty, and staff and helps the Stewart School of ISyE to maintain its reputation as producing top-notch graduates, offering an extremely innovative curriculum, and generating exceptional research,* said White.
The program review committee was comprised of faculty from peer programs and institutions around the country. The Program Review Committee included:
(Chair) Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, Dean of Engineering, North Carolina State University;
Dr. Susan L. Albin, Professor and Director of the Graduate Program, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Rutgers University;
Francisco Barahona, Research Staff Member, IBM Watson Research Center;
Dr. William Meeker, Professor of Statistics and Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts, Department of Statistics, Iowa State University;
Dr. Yossi Sheffin, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Systems, Director, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
]]>Serving on the Program Organizing Committee, Stewart School Professor Shijie Deng stated "To host a gathering of the leading researchers from the top universities in China and the U.S. at Georgia Tech is an honor. Researchers shared insightful views at the forefront of interdisciplinary research issues in logistics, energy policy and risk management, environment and public health, making the second IRMSE meeting a remarkable success.*
The workshop consisted of formal presentations, designed to serve as catalysts for discussion. Presenters included:
Session Chair: Dr. Shijie Deng, Associate Professor, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech
* Dr. Charles Liotta, Vice Provost of Research and Graduate Studies, Georgia Tech; Welcome Address
* Dr. Ming Lei, Professor and Chair, Management Science and Engineering Department, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University; "Regional Green Input-output Accounting Analysis: Case Study of Ningxia Province in 1990s*
* Dr. Martin Savelsbergh, Schneider Professor, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Per-seat, on-demand air transportation"
* Dr. Shaun Wang, Robert W. Batten Chair of Actuarial Science, Robinson School of Business, Georgia State University; "Liquidity and Valuation with Implications in Risk Management"
Session Chair: Dr. Ming Lei, Professor, Management Science and Engineering Department, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University
* Dr. Chelsea White, H. Milton Stewart School Chair and Schneider National Chair, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Logistics and Supply Chain Systems: Trends and Research Opportunities"
* Dr. Tao Huang, Associate Professor, Management Science and Engineering Department, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University; "A Supplementary Heuristic Algorithm for Symmetric TSP"
* Dr. Xiaoming Huo, Associate Professor, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Recent Developments in Dimension Reduction in Statistical Modeling and Applications"
* Dr. Dongning Yang, Associate Professor, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University; "Accelerated Environmental Regulation and Shareholder Returns"
* Dr. Zhidong Liu, Associate Professor, Management Science and Engineering Department, Central University of Finance and Economics; "A Portfolio Selection Model and its Hybrid Genetic Quantitative Algorithm"
Session Chair: Dr. Ellis Johnson, Coca-Cola Chair and Professor, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech
* Dr. Craig Tovey, Professor, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Who, What, Why, and How: Four Keys to Successful Interdisciplinary Research"
* Dr. Craig Hill, Assistant Professor, Robinson School of Business, Georgia State University; "The Effect of CPFR on Firm Performances: An Empirical Evaluation"
* Dr. John Bartholdi, Manhattan Associates Professor of Supply Chain Management, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Deterministic Chaos in a Model of Discrete Manufacturing"
* Dr. Xin Zhai, Assistant Professor, Management Science and Engineering Department, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University; "Alternative Information Scenarios in Managing and Routing in a 1-Warehouse N-Retailer Distribution System"
Session Chair: Dr. Tao Huang, Associate Professor, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University
* Dr. Ellis Johnson, Coca-Cola Chair and Professor, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Recent Advances in Airlines Industry Research"
* Dr. Valerie Thomas, Anderson Interface Associate Professor of Natural Systems, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Reducing Energy Use in Air Transport"
* Dr. Eva Lee, Associate Professor, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Multi-modality Mass Dispensing Strategies and Emergency Response for Biodefense and Infectious Disease Outbreaks"
* Wenhui Li, Director of Information Technology, Beijing HeLiShi Information Technology Ltd Corporation; "4E Based Design of Beijing Energy Synthesis Management Information System"
* Dr. Dongjun (D.J.) Wu, Associate Professor, College of Management, Georgia Tech; "IT Contract Design and Procurement Auctions"
* Fred Zahrn, Ph.D. Student, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; "Managing Transportation for Package Delivery: Contracts and Spot Markets"
Session Chair: Dr. Menglong Le, Professor, Shanghai JiaoTong University
* Dr. Zhong Lin (ZL) Wang, Regents Professor and CoE Distinguished Professor, School of Material Science & Engineering, Georgia Tech; "Nanotechnology and Nano-biotechnology"
* Dr. John-Paul Clark, Associate Professor, School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech; "Towards the Optimum Air Transportation System"
* Dr. Ellis Johnson, Coca-Cola Chair and Professor, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech; Workshop Closing Remarks
The 2007 IRMSE Workshop was jointly sponsored by the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech and the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University in China. The Program Organizing Committee included Stewart School Professors Ellis Johnson and Shijie Deng, and Professors Wang Qiwen, Ming Lei, and Tao Huang of the Guanghua School. For more information about the 2007 IRSME Workshop, go to http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/irms2007/.
]]>Few can forget the images broadcast around the world of damage caused after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and by the tsunami in South Asia. With the increasing occurrence of natural and man-made disasters that leave massive devastation in their wake, quicker response-times and improved coordinated humanitarian relief efforts are needed to get populations in crisis the aid that they need.
A recently established Center for Humanitarian Relief Logistics at the Stewart School of ISyE seeks to develop advanced response methods and technologies that will have a global impact in this critical area.
]]>The weekly tea is a great opportunity for graduate students and faculty to get to know each other and meet new people.* says Dan Steffy, GSAC's Weekly Tea organizer. From the start, these events have been very popular with students and faculty alike.
GSAC's overall role is to provide input to the associate chair for Graduate Studies as it relates to broad issues affecting graduate students in the school as well as to matters that have the potential to enhance the interface between graduate students and school faculty and administration. The committee consists of four, full-time graduate students, at least three of whom are pursuing Ph.Ds. Members are appointed by the associate chair for Graduate Studies, and term membership is two years. Current GSAC members include:
Clarence Wardell (president), Lori Houghtalen, Fatma Kilinc Karzan, and Dan Steffy.
ISyE's GSAC hosts various activities such as intramural sports teams, the annual Fall Picnic, as well as relevant seminars for faculty and graduate students. Stay tuned as GSAC prepares its calendar for Fall 2007.
]]>Their paper entitled "Designing Mechanisms for the Management of Carrier Alliances* addresses the operational issues that arise when cargo carriers form an alliance, taking into account the technical and legal challenges associated with integrating information systems of autonomous carriers and how to best manage alliances to ensure sustainability. Dr. Sokol states "This research could help airlines decide how to choose alliance partners, how to make themselves more attractive to potential partners, and how to realistically manage the alliance's resources and revenues in ways that benefit all participants."
EURO offers the MSSIP for outstanding contributions in theory or in practice to a well-chosen scientific area encouraging innovative researchers and possibly entire research groups to focus their work on a domain of a particular strategic interest.
This year, the scientific domain was LOGISTICS and the prize was awarded at EURO XXII in Prague. The prize amount of $12,000 Euros is sponsored by SAP AG and it is awarded annually. For additional information about EURO XXII visit: http://euro2007.vse.cz/
]]>Held on the lawn outside of the Instructional Center, attendees participated in a hot dog eating contest and relay races to win prizes. Faculty awards were given to some of ISyE's finest: Associate Chair Paul Griffin received the "Most Well-Rounded Professor* award, Professor Augustine Esogbue was voted "Most Difficult Professor* and Assistant Professor Joel Sokol won the "Most Helpful Professor* award at the afternoon's festivities.
]]>"We deeply appreciate this gift from Vanguard Software Corporation. The Vanguard System is a cutting-edge decision support solution and will be a valuable resource for our students and faculty," said Chelsea C. White III, the H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair in ISyE and the Schneider National Chair in Transportation.
The Vanguard System software is intended to provide valuable student learning experiences in classrooms and computer labs as well as to help faculty advance the state of research. The Vanguard System is the first business analytics application to support modeling and simulation on an enterprise scale, and combines all the elements necessary for Web-based, enterprise-wide decision-making, collaborative modeling, knowledge-capture, and sophisticated analytics.
"ISyE is the top industrial/manufacturing engineering program in the world and we are delighted to work with its faculty to integrate the Vanguard System in the classroom curricula and research activities," said Brian Lewis, Vanguard Software's VP of Professional Services. "It is also personally gratifying to be able to give back to my alma mater." Dr. Lewis received his Ph.D. from ISyE in 2005, working with Professors Chip White and Alan Erera.
The Vanguard Academic Partnership Program also offers faculty members a new teaching and research outlet, the Vanguard Global Knowledge Portal. The Global Knowledge Portal is a Wiki-style, Web portal for Vanguard's free-access, shared library of models that were created by the Vanguard System user community. Through continued use and contribution, the Global Knowledge Portal has become a key resource for analytical modelers and decision-makers. It reaches a world-wide audience of academic, business, and government users. The Global Knowledge Portal can be found at: http://wiki.vanguardsw.com.
More about Vanguard Software Corporation:
Vanguard Software, the leader in Web-based collaborative modeling software for enterprise simulation and planning, is a privately held corporation founded in 1995 to develop business Decision Support software. Customers in over 60 countries and in every major industry use Vanguard's software for forecasting, resource optimization, Web-based expert systems, and financial modeling. For more information about Vanguard Software Corporation, visit http://vanguardsw.com/. For more information, contact Katherine Robertson, Vanguard Software Corporation, at (919) 859-4101 ext. 161 or katherine.robertson@vanguardsw.com or www.vanguardsw.com.
]]>Downs has served the Military and Federal Healthcare Systems for over 25 years. He has held a myriad of senior leadership positions in hospital administration, supply chain management, technology research, acquisition, program support, and healthcare policy development. He is a graduate of the George Washington University Federal Inter-Agency Institute for Health Care Executives, a Senior Fellow with the Council for Excellence in Government in Washington DC, and a former Georgetown University LEGIS Health Care Policy Fellow. His experience, connections, and drive will be invaluable in establishing ISyE as a leading institution in the area of healthcare and humanitarian logistics.
As Edenfield Executive-in-Residence Downs will contribute to ISyE's efforts to establish a research and educational program and healthcare and humanitarian logistics in several ways:
*Assist in formulating a strategic plan
*Assist in formulating a research agenda
*Help build a network of collaborating and supporting organizations
*Help attract research funding
SCL researchers have interacted with Steve numerous times over the past nine months and have found him to be an energetic, stimulating, and goal oriented person. Someone with his background and credentials will be en enormous boost to SCL's efforts in this area.
]]>One of the challenges of HAIs is that it is difficult and expensive to observe colonization and ascertain whether a patient was infected prior to, or during hospitalization. In addition, the process by which pathogens spread depends on the behavior of patients, health-care workers, visitors and the community at large. SCL researchers Paul Griffin, Ray Hagtvedt, and Pinar Keskinocak have teamed up with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and the Centers for Disease Control to design and evaluate possible approaches to reduce HAI including screening, isolation, and improved hygiene approaches. In addition they are working towards quantifying the non-health-care productivity costs that need to be included in any cost-benefit analysis of policies. The researchers are using simulation to model how different strategies may impact rates of HAIs, their costs in the long and short term, as well as the overall interaction between hospitals and the community. The research is being funded in part by the Health Systems Institute.
]]>
"It has become a tradition for students to sign the wall of the lab, offering words of appreciation, reflection, and even some advice for next year's classes,* said Dr. Judith Norback, ISyE's director of Workplace and Academic Communication.
Alyson Lee from the 2007 graduating class commented on the unique opportunity: "[Signing the wall] signifies the end of a chapter in my life*graduating from Georgia Tech.*
In recent semesters, this unique and visible activity has been a highlight for students, and now 100s of signatures cover the walls of the lab foyer, the two columns, as well as other parts of the wall outside the small group practice stations. Sometimes students include quotes, and there is always a wide variety of languages such as Chinese and Japanese. Some student teams will sign as a group, and even the famous George P. Burdell has left his mark.
The mysterious George P. Burdell is a cherished part of Georgia Tech's history and culture that continues to survive today. His enduring presence at the Institute never fails to bring delight, laughter, and the retelling of the many stories of his escapades.
]]>"We are delighted to have Professor Shi join our faculty,* said Chelsea C. White III, Stewart School Chair. "Jan is an outstanding international research and development leader in quality science and engineering for complex manufacturing. His innovative research will significantly enhance the School's reputation and impact in manufacturing.*
Professor Shi comes to Georgia Tech from the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Shi will remain on the University of Michigan faculty for the fall semester in order to fulfill his teaching obligations, but will be visiting Atlanta throughout the semester.
Professor Shi's research interests focus on the variation modeling, analysis, and control of complex systems. He has developed innovative methodologies for modeling, monitoring, diagnosis, and control for complex systems in a data rich environment. He has produced 21 Ph.D. graduates, 15 of whom have joined IE departments as faculty members, 5 have received NSF CAREER Awards, and one received the PECASE award. He has published more than 100 papers (68 journal papers and collectively received more than 1000 paper citations). He has also worked with industrial companies and served as PI and co-PI of more than 15 million dollars in research grants. He has led various research projects funded by the National Science Foundation, NIST Advanced Technology Program, General Motors, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, Lockheed-Martin, Honeywell, Pfizer, and various other industrial companies and funding agencies. The technologies developed in his research group have been implemented in various production systems with significant economic impacts.
Professor Shi has received numerous awards and honors. His most recent awards include the NUTN 2007 Distance Education Innovation Award; 2007 Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers; 2007 Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineering, 2007 Monroe-Brown Foundation Research Excellence Award; Sloan-C 2006 Program Profile Award; and the 2006 Best Paper Award at the Industrial Engineering Research Conference.
Professor Shi is the founding chairperson of the Quality, Statistics and Reliability (QSR) Subdivision at INFORMS. He also serves as the Director of Program in Manufacturing, co-Director of Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering, and Director of Laboratory for In-Process Quality Improvement Research (IPQI) at the University of Michigan. He is also the founding Director of the Quality Science Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
He is currently serving as the (Interim) Editor of IIE Transactions on Quality and Reliability Engineering, Senior Editor of Chinese Journal of Institute of Industrial Engineering and associate editor for the International Journal of Flexible Manufacturing Systems. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineering (IIE), a Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME), and also a member of ASQ, SME, and ASA.
Professor Shi received his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Beijing Institute of Technology in 1984 and 1987 respectively, and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1992.
]]>People and Organizations is Bill Rouse's 25th book in a 28 year period. It integrates 40 years of research, engineering, management, and consulting for a wide range of research sponsors and corporate clients. Commenting on the integrative nature of this book, Bill noted, "In retrospect, at least, all the pieces of this puzzle fit together quite nicely. However, as this work was pursued, there were many serendipitous insights and tangents that led to some of our best results. Looking backward, the patterns are clear, but looking forward, they were by no means as apparent.*
Dr. Rouse is Executive Director of the Tennenbaum Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Professor in the Institute's College of Computing and Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He has held faculty positions at several other leading universities and has founded and led two innovative software companies. He is the author of hundreds of articles. Among his other recent books are Enterprise Transformation, Organizational Simulation, and Essential Challenges of Strategic Management, all published by Wiley. Dr. Rouse is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the IEEE, INCOSE, INFORMS, and HFES.
]]>"Eva, in conjunction with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center , has made an extraordinary difference in the health and well-being of cancer patients,* Chip White said. "I couldn't be more proud of the work they are doing to help extend access to quality health care for more Americans.*
Working with Dr. Marco Zaider, head of Brachytherapy Physics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Lee devised sophisticated optimization modeling and computational techniques to implement an intra-operative 3D treatment planning system for brachytherapy (the placement of radioactive "seeds* inside a tumor) that offers a safer and more reliable treatment of cancer.
Lee's optimization models and algorithms guide doctors toward the most effective dose provided by each radioactive seed, the shape of the organ being treated, the locations of tumor cells within the organ and critical structures for which radiation dose should be limited, the sensitivity of tissues to radiation, and the expected shrinkage of the organ after treatment. The system's goal is to provide consistent tumor-killing radiation doses to the tumor cells while limiting potentially damaging doses to nearby critical structures.
The real-time intra-operative planning system eliminates pre-operation simulation and post-implant imaging analysis. Based on the range of costs of these procedures, Lee estimates conservatively that their elimination nationwide could save on the order of $450 million a year for prostate cancer care alone. Effectively, this work improves the survival rate of patients with prostate cancer, reduces the side effects of treatment, and reduces costs to the health care system.
As reported in a recent article by Dr. Michael Zelefsky and his colleagues at MSKCC "real-time intraoperative planning consistently achieved optimal coverage of the prostate with the prescription dose with concomitant low doses delivered to the urethra and rectum. Biochemical control outcomes were excellent at 5 years and late toxicity was unusual. These data demonstrate that real-time planning methods can consistently and reliably deliver the intended dose distribution to achieve an optimal therapeutic ratio between the target and normal tissue structures.*
Resulting reduction of complications (45-60%) due to plans that deliver less radiation to healthy structures improves the quality-of-life for patients, and has a profound impact on the cost for interventions to manage side-effects. Drs Lee and Zaider also reported that the procedure uses significantly fewer seeds and needles compared to current best-practice procedures. Thus the procedure time is shortened and less invasive, and there is less blood loss. As a result, patients experience less pain and recover faster.
The system is licensed to a medical software company, and its distribution will allow achievement of consistent treatment planning across different clinics, thus reducing the variability in the quality of treatment plans. The resulting plans limit urethral dose, decrease the operator-dependency, and reduce the influence of the learning curve associated with prostate brachytherapy. These all have important consequences for the outcome of treated patients.
The system allows for dynamic dose correction; thus clinicians can make adjustments (and re-optimize) on-the-fly during operations to arrive at the best-possible plan.
The planning system is also an important training tool for inexperienced clinicians and residents to develop effective and safe treatment plans.
Besides prostate, Lee has also been working with medical specialists on advancing treatments for breast, lung, cervical, brain and liver cancers, as well as early diagnosis and prediction of disease for proper intervention.
Each year, the Franz Edelman competition recognizes outstanding examples of operations research (O.R.) projects that have transformed companies, entire industries and people's lives. O.R. uses advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions and is a disciplined way by which management can improve organizational performance in a wide variety of situations, in nearly any type of organization in the public or private sector.
This year's Franz Edelman finalists included Coca-Cola, The U.S. Coast Guard, Hewlett-Packard and Daimler-Chrysler. Past winners of the award include Motorola, Merrill Lynch, Canadian Pacific Railway and IBM.
This is the first time that INFORMS has awarded the Edelman prize for a medical treatment. Further, the win demonstrates how operations research and mathematics are increasingly bringing improvements to health care, not only in the areas of policy, finance, and public health, but in diagnosis and treatment as well.
]]>Chelsea C. White III, ISyE School Chair and the Director of Georgia Tech's Trucking Industry Program welcomed the group to the Tech campus, along with Professor Pat McCarthy who is the Director of Georgia Tech's other Sloan industry studies center, the Paper Industry Center.*"We were delighted to host this first regional meeting at Georgia Tech.*The meeting gave us a wonderful opportunity to showcase our research work and promote Georgia Tech and Atlanta as a global innovation center* remarked White.
In her keynote luncheon presentation, Dr. Gail Pesyna focused on the growing importance of Sloan Foundation sponsored industry studies on the global economy. "Whether it is globalization of R&D or the role of tourism in regional economies, Industry Studies researchers are recognized for their thought leadership.*
Following Pesyna, Professor Frank Giarrantani from the University of Pittsburgh talked about the impact that Industry Studies Center participation has had on his career.*Profressor Giarrantani stated "While I still have a strong interest in theoretical economics, my industry studies work in regional economic development is very interesting and is having a direct impact on the Pittsburgh area's economic growth.*
To promoting collegiality and collaboration among meeting participants, the afternoon session was structured to promote informal information sharing and networking. Eleven ongoing industry studies projects were featured with colorful posters and informal briefings by researchers.* The projects included:
* Patrick Conway, (Dept. of Economics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), The North Carolina Textiles Project; Analysis of the Impact of International Competition on the Textiles Industries
* *Alan L. Erera, Mike Hewitt, Burak Karacik, and Martin Savelsbergh, (Trucking Industry Program, Institute of Technology), Driver Management for Less-than-Truckload Carriers*
* Pankaj Jain, (University of Memphis ), Technology, Regulatory, and Competitive Evolution of the Stock Exchange Industry and its Spillover Effects: A Global Perspective* Ronald Kalafsky, ( University of Tennessee , Geography Dept.), Examining the Challenges of Charlotte Manufacturers
* Pinar Keskinocak, Banu Yuksel Ozkaya, Julie Swann, (H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology), Effect of Manufacturer Rebates in the Automobile Industry
* Earl Kline and David Brinberg, (Sloan Forest Industries Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute), "Woods to Goods* Demand Driven Supply Chains
* Francine LaFontaine and Laurie Valerie Malaguzzi, (Trucking Industry Program and University of Michigan ), The Deregulation of International Trucking in the European Union: Form and Effect
* Patrick McCarthy, (Center for Paper Business and Industry Studies, Institute of Paper Science and Technology at Georgia Institute of Technology), Industry Connectivity
* Steven M. Morris, Alan L. Erera, Chelsea C. White III, (Trucking Industry Program, Institute of Technology), Impact of Using Deregulated Secure Rest Facilities on Single Lane Truck Dispatching Productivity
* Anu Nagarajan and Chelsea C. White III, (Trucking Industry Program and Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Georgia Institute of Technology), Innovation in Logistics The Drive to Business Excellence
* H. Don Ratliff, John Langley, Henrietta Chang and Mehmet Gokhan Samur, (Trucking Industry Program, Institute of Technology), New Car Delivery
This meeting was the first of several regional meetings that will be organized in the next twelve plus months. The main objective of these gatherings is to promote awareness of common interests and to build collaborative relationships among industry studies scholars.*To learn more about how you can participate in these regional initiatives, email industrystudiescommittee@sloan.org.
]]>During their visit to Georgia Tech, they met with President Wayne Clough, Provost Gary Schuster, College of Engineering Dean Don Giddens, Vice Provost Wayne Hodges, ECE Professor Chin-Hui Lee, and Director of the Office of Organizational Development Hal Irvin to learn more about the Institute. They also received a briefing on the many relationships ISyE has with multi-national companies in Singapore; the Logistics Institute * Asia Pacific's outstanding educational program and industry research programs; and the Asia Study Abroad Program for Georgia Tech undergraduate students studying in Beijing and Singapore.
After lunch, students studying in the NUS/Georgia Tech dual master's program (DMP) discussed the value of the program. This prestigious program is the first of its kind to be offered in Singapore and the region. It distinguishes itself from the others by being the first program in Singapore where successful graduates are conferred two Master of Science degrees, a Master of Science in Logistics & Supply Chain Management from NUS and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech.
Professor Tan noted that he enjoyed hearing from and meeting the students and this visit reaffirmed his belief that this is a valuable and important educational program.
For more information on The Logistics Institute - Asia Pacific program, visit http://www.tliap.nus.edu.sg/.
]]>"The election to fellow is one of the highest honors that the American Statistical Association bestows upon a member," said Chelsea C. White III, ISyE School Chair. "Through JC's exemplary leadership and commitment, he has provided substantial contributions to the field of statistics. I am proud that he joins Paul, Kwok, and Jeff in receiving this notable honor."
Lu is a professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) at Georgia Tech. He received a Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1988, and served on the faculty of North Carolina State University (NCSU) before joining ISyE in 1999. He serves as associate editors of Technometrics, Journal of Quality Technology and IEEE Transactions on Reliability and as session organizer and chair for a number of conferences.
Lu is very active in promoting research, education, and extension-service programs that focus on industrial statistics and interdisciplinary studies between statistics, signal processing, semiconductor manufacturing and supply-chain management areas. Among his honors, Lu received the David D. Mason Outstanding Faculty award in Statistics in 1996, the North Carolina State University PAMS College Outstanding Faculty Outreach Award in 1997, and the North Carolina State University Outstanding Extension Service award in 1998. For full biographical details, visit http://www.isye.gatech.edu/people/faculty/JC_Lu/.
The American Statistical Association (ASA) is a scientific and educational society founded in 1839 to promote excellence in the application of statistical science across the wealth of human endeavor.
Each year, ASA members nominate their peers as fellows of the ASA. The honorary title of Fellow of the Association recognizes full members of established reputation who have made outstanding contributions in some aspect of statistical work. Given annually, this is a great honor as the numbers of recipients are limited to no more than 1/3 of 1% of the ASA membership.
]]>"We are delighted to welcome our newest members to the ISyE Advisory Board. Their commitment and dedication to the Stewart School is extremely valuable to ISyE's continued success,* said Chelsea C. White, III, ISyE School Chair.
Mike Anderson is corporate services vice president for the Georgia Power Company. His responsibilities include corporate safety, labor relations, fleet management, and building services. Anderson also serves as president and CEO of Georgia Power Childcare, LLC. Since joining Georgia Power in 1979, Anderson has held numerous leadership positions in Capital Budgeting, System Planning, Customer Operations, Information Technology, Marketing, and External Affairs. Prior to joining Georgia Power, Anderson was recruited from Texas Instruments Government Products Division in Dallas, Texas where he authored design criteria of nuclear warhead guidance systems technology for the U.S. military. Anderson is an Atlanta native. He and his wife Andreane have one son, Christopher, a senior at Georgia Tech.
Walt Ehmer is president and chief operating officer of Waffle House. He joined the company in the Purchasing Department in 1992. He was promoted to director in 1996, vice president in 1999, chief financial officer in 2001 and president and chief operating officer in 2005. In addition, he serves as chairman of Ozark Waffles, an operation of 38 Waffle House restaurants in Arkansas. He was president of Alpha Tau Omega and has continued his involvement with the fraternity, since graduation, by serving on its board. He was co-chair of the Thousand Club for the 54th Roll Call Leadership Circle, and he has served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Ehmer also has raised funds for cancer, leukemia and cystic fibrosis research. He lives in Dunwoody, Georgia, with his wife, Cindy, and their three children, Gregory, Anna Kate and Lesley.
Ed Rogers is a senior staff manager with United Parcel Service's corporate strategy group in Atlanta, Georgia. He has twenty-five years of experience in industrial engineering, program management, management consulting, business process redesign, operations improvement and strategy development. Rogers joined the UPS corporate industrial engineering department in 1994 and has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility. Prior to UPS, he served as a U.S. Air Force officer from 1983-87, managing programs to modernize defense industry manufacturing capabilities and reduce acquisition costs. He was an engineering management consultant with BDM International in Dayton, Ohio from 1987-1989 and later with the SysteCon division of Coopers & Lybrand Consulting from 1989-94 where he consulted on a variety of manufacturing and logistics systems improvement projects for more than twenty clients, including UPS. In addition to his Georgia Tech degrees, Rogers earned a master's in engineering management from the University of Dayton in 1994. He and his wife Jeanette, ChE 1983, have three children and reside in Roswell, Georgia. Their eldest daughter Kyla is an undergraduate at Georgia Tech; their other two children, Matlock and Kay, are students at Roswell High School.
Steve Rogers is vice president of integrated supply chain for IBM Integrated Supply Chain, where he has worked for 25 years. He joined IBM in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1981 after graduating from Georgia Tech. He spent the first five years in various production engineering and planning roles for IBM printing and banking products. After receiving an Executive MBA from Wake Forest University in 1986, Rogers held various financial management positions including manager of Financial Analysis for IBM's Personal Computer Division. He was the division controller for IBM's PC business in North and South America. Later he became the server group controller for Manufacturing where he had responsibility for all IBM's server manufacturing locations worldwide and had a seat on IBM's Corporate Manufacturing Operations Board in Somers, New York. He then became worldwide VP of Finance and Operations for IBM's System X Server division in Raleigh, North Carolina. In January of 2002, Rogers joined the newly formed IBM Integrated Supply Chain organization as director of supply chain for the Retail Store Solutions business. In August of 2003, Rogers returned to New York to take on the role of VP for Demand/Supply and Inventory Planning for all IBM hardware brands. In June of 2006, Rogers took on his current role where he is responsible for the end to end supply chain execution for two separate multi-billion dollar brands. He currently resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut with his wife of 21 years and three sons.
Julio Villafane is vice president of strategic account management for Motorola Sales and Services Inc. He is responsible for managing Motorola's business efforts with Telefonica Latin America, the region's largest telecommunications company with over $53 billion dollars invested and 112 million customers across 19 Countries. In his ten years with the company, Villafane has implemented aggressive market penetration strategies that resulted in increased revenues, increased market share and solid relationships with the region's telecommunication power players. These efforts helped position Motorola as the undisputed leader in several arenas including radio communications, digital video, and MSO broadband technologies. Prior to joining Motorola, Villafane held several international telecommunications sales management roles with EF Johnson (EFJ) Company, a leader in the two way radio industry. He helped to establish and staff the Latin American go to market organization with offices in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and HQs in Miami, Florida. He first entered the telecommunications industry as an outside plant facilities engineer at BellSouth, and developed his management and sales skills as an international management consultant at Peat, Marwick and Mitchell. In addition to his Georgia Tech degree, Villafane holds an MBA in Finance and International Business with national academic honors from Mercer University. He is of Salvadoran descent and lives in Miami with his wife, and four children.
]]>Dr. John Langley, Director of Supply Chain Executive Programs and SCL Professor of Supply Chain Management, welcomed the group to Tech's campus and posed some key questions for the group to address throughout the Forum. Included were the following:
*What types of capacity and infrastructure issues are in existence today? Where are they in evidence, and what types of problems do they cause?
*How are these issues impacting supply chain managers?
*What role(s) can technology play to respond to and mitigate capacity and infrastructure issues?
*As citizens and business people, what should we expect in terms of future issues relating to transportation capacity and congestion?
*What creative, innovative solutions are being considered to make progress on the problems at hand?
*What legislative and regulatory priorities are trying to respond to capacity and infrastructure issues, and what is their likelihood of successful implementation?
*What are some of the unique industry perspectives on the issues of concern?
Keynote speaker, John Clendenin, CEO and founder of Inner Circle Logistics, Inc., shared his thoughts on how the internet infrastructure can be managed for competitive advantage. Essentially, it is important first for supply chain managers to fully understand the complexity of the international supply chain, in concert with the enterprise applications environment. Consistent with this objective, it is then necessary to understand the process and technical issues that occur among business and trading partners, internal country governments, border nations, and the international community. According to Mr. Clendenin, "even with the complexity of the international supply chain systems, we can think through these things if we have the right people thinking it through.* Among his suggested areas of priority is the need to provide supply chain data and document management capabilities that assure the connectivity required to complete the "last mile* of supply chain integration in an inexpensive and easy-to-use format.
Dr. Michael Meyer, P.E., Director of the Georgia Transportation Institute, and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech, presented a session on capacity and congestions issues in transportation. Dr. Meyer provided a thought-provoking discussion on the importance of transportation planning, and highlighted a variety of data points that suggest and validate the serious capacity and infrastructure issues that will be experienced in the years ahead. For example, he pointed out the nearly doubling of growth in vehicle miles traveled in several major metropolitan areas over the next 15-20 years, with little increase in the capacity of our highway infrastructure. Similar examples were used by Dr. Meyer to suggest the serious nature of the problem for other modes of transportation, and for domestic as well as international transportation. Dr. Meyer rounded out his presentation with a discussion on the importance of wisely investing in the transportation infrastructure. "Investment in transportation infrastructure is the key to national, state, and metropolitan economic success.*
"We're in a serious situation. We can make improvements, but we will not completely resolve congestion problems.* To more strategically analyze and relieve issues of congestion, he discussed seven objectives.
*Improve the operations of the existing freight transportation systems
*Add physical capacity to the freight transportation system in places where investment makes economic sense
*Use pricing to better align freight system costs and benefits and encourage the deployment of new technologies
*Reduce/remove statutory, regulatory, and institutional barriers to improve freight transportation performance
*Proactively identify and address emerging transportation needs
*Maximize the safety and security of the freight transportation system
*Mitigate and better manage the environmental, health, and community impacts of freight transportation
Bruce Dahnke, president of SkyTech Transportation , and Dan Gilmore from the Supply Chain Digest, discussed an innovative approach toward potentially solving the infrastructure crisis through technology. Reminding the group of the invention of the cargo container by Malcolm McLean in 1970, SkyTech Transportation's STS Framework proposes using new technology to move containers and even whole tractor-trailers down monorail-like tracks. The tracks use electromagnetic energy and in some cases levitation, and promise to reduce costs per mile to move freight, eliminate the need for costly expansion of existing highways, reduce pollution and traffic congestion, and enhance the overall reliability of freight movement.
John M. Cutler, Jr., attorney at McCarthy, Sweeny & Harkaway, PC, presented a briefing on policy and current discussions in Washington. Among the topics discussed by Mr. Cutler were: control of Congress by Democrats; elimination of anti-trust immunity; capacity, congestion and infrastructure issues; and increasing importance of railroads. Among Mr. Cutler's suggestions were that * Mr. Cutler discussed a number of governmental priorities and suggested that "Washington is now beginning to recognize that infrastructure growth is far behind growth in demand.* Overall, his suggestions included a need for shippers and carriers to work together, with the government, to help lessen the current and future capacity, congestion, and infrastructure issues.
The Forum concluded with a stimulating panel discussion moderated by Gene Tyndall, founding partner of Supply Chain Executive Advisors. Panel members included: Tom Escott, president, Schneider Logistics; David Griffith, vice president, Supply Chain Management, Schenker/BAX Global; Mike Miller, general manager, Modalgistics, Norfolk Southern Corporation; and Chris Munro, CEO, RoadLink USA.
The next meeting of the Supply Chain Executive Forum is scheduled for October 10-11, 2007. For more information on how to become a member and participate in the Supply Chain Executive Forum, please call the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at 404-894-2343, or visit http://www.scl.gatech.edu/scef/.
Current Supply Chain Executive Forum Member Organizations include:
Adtran
Agility
American Port Services
Caterpillar Logistics Services
Chain Connectors
Chatsworth Products, Inc.
DSC Logistics and Supply Chain Management
General Motors Corporation
Intel Corporation
JDA Software Group
Kuka Robotics Corporation
LXP * Leveraged Execution Providers
Manhattan Associates
Meridian IQ
Metro Atlanta Logistics Industry Council
Milliken & Company
Philips Consumer Electronics
Ryder
SAP
Schenker/BAX Global
Schneider National
Spencer Stuart
Sterling Commerce
Transplace, Inc.
UTi Worldwide, Inc.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc
Yellow Transportation
"All our panel discussions are interactive and give students a rare opportunity to ask questions of CEOs. The panelists discuss the most important communication skills needed to move up the career ladder,* said Norback. The executives in Norback's panels also concentrate on communication skills for cross-cultural business interaction. After the one-hour panel interaction, time is allowed for students to meet the executives one-on-one.
The Panel is one part of the workforce communication instruction for the Senior Design course. Making our graduate's job competitive and enabling them to move quickly up the career ladder are the two goals of the instruction. Other workforce communication instructional elements include small group feedback in the Workforce Communication Lab before and after class presentations, videotaping of class presentations, and an in-class Tutorial on Workforce Presentation. The instruction is based on interviews conducted with practicing ISyEs, managers, and CEOs of organizations employing many IEs.
Past executives and companies who have participated in the ISyE Senior Executive Panel on Workforce Communication include:
Bird Blitch, BSIE 1997, Broadsource Pepper Bullock, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Wally Buran, BSIE 1975, MSIE 1978, Edenfield Executive-in-Residence, ISyE at Georgia Tech
Alan Dabbiere, Wandering WiFi
Tom Dozier, BSIE 1963, GoldMech
Chuck Easley, BSIM 1886, Kurt Salmon Associates
Mel Hall, BSIE 1967, Comprehensive Health Services
Jody Markopoulos, GE
Don Pirkle, BSIE 1958, Dow Chemical
Bill Reed, BSIE 1957, MSIE 1963, Kurt Salmon Associates
Chip Robert, BSIE 1960, Robert Ltd.
Barbara Sanders, Delta Technology
Jeb Stewart, Cls. 1991, SciHealth
For more information on the panel, visit www.isye.gatech.edu/communication.
]]>
The Supply Chain & Logistics Institute (SCL) at Georgia Tech's Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering has begun a new project to study and improve temperature-controlled supply chains. Leading this effort are Professors John Bartholdi and Don Ratliff.
"Our first project is devoted to the international supply chains that move wine from the great producing regions to the United States,* said Bartholdi.
To do this, the SCL team is collaborating with colleagues around the world to form the Wine Supply Chain Council. Current members, in addition to Georgia Tech, include the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) of Melbourne, Australia; Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile of Santiago, Chile; and the Council of Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) of Cape Town and Pretoria, South Africa.
According to Bartholdi, the challenges in moving wine are many. First is that wine is a natural product, the timing of which is determined by nature, not man, and so the initial portion of the supply chain is a "push* system. This must be matched with the remainder of the supply chain, which is a "pull* system in which product moves only in response to customer demand at the other end.
Another set of challenges arises when the grapes are ready to be picked, crushed, and fermented. Processing the grapes and juice requires specialized, capital-intensive equipment. This equipment is in sudden and constant demand during the harvest season and must be scheduled carefully so that the grape juice is guided with care to its realization as wine. This journey requires management by expert wine-makers and is in some ways more akin to an artisanal process than an industrial one.
When the wine is finally ready, there is the significant decision of when to bottle it. Some wines are bottled "to stock* and stored until ordered, while others are allowed to rest and are bottled only when ordered. But when the wine is ordered, it is loaded into 20' or 40' containers, driven to the port, and later loaded aboard a ship for travel. If the wine is traveling, say, to the United States from Chile, it must be decided whether to ship through the Port of Los Angeles, which may be congested, and then move the product eastward by truck. Alternatively, the product may travel through the Panama Canal (paying toll fees) and then to the Port of Savannah or Elizabeth, NJ, from where the distance by truck may be considerably less.
In either case, temperature is sure to be an issue. Extreme temperatures are an enemy of wine and can destroy the beauty of a product over which farmer and vintner have labored. To use the example of Chile again, some wines that are produced near Mendoza, Argentina are trucked over the Andes to one of the ports in Chile. During July the wine may be exposed to subfreezing temperatures. But then the ship must cross the equator, during which it may experience temperatures exceeding 105 degrees F (40 C). If the container of wine is unloaded on Friday afternoon, there is a chance it may bake in the sun until picked up Monday. The result could be a diminished quality of final product for the consumer and possible harm to the reputation of the winery, importer, and restaurant or wine store.
To study the extent of this risk, the Wine Supply Chain Council is conducting a global experiment in which "Thermochrons* (tiny devices to record both temperature and time) will be placed into cartons of wine being shipped to the United States. At the same time, movement of the cartons will be tracked by noting when they are scanned at various points in the supply chain (for example, arrival to and departure from key locations). When a carton of wine is finally opened and the Thermochron has been retrieved, temperature and location data will be synchronized to learn the temperature variations to which the wine is exposed, where, and why.
"By tracking hundreds of cartons from all over the world, we hope to piece together a picture of this supply chain that is unique in scale and detail,* says Bartholdi. "We will work with the wineries, carriers, and distributors all along the supply chain to improve the care and efficiency with which the product is handled.*
The Wine Supply Chain Council held an initial meeting in Atlanta in June 2006. During the meeting, they studied the challenges of distribution in the United States where every state has its own set of restrictions, customs, and laws. The second workshop was held in Santiago during March 2007. Participants visited wineries to observe the harvest and processing of grapes. The next meeting is tentatively planned for Australia later this year, and for South Africa in July 2008.
The Council plans to broaden its work in wine supply chains by adding new members, especially in Europe; and by looking at the transportation of fresh fruit and fish.
"In addition, we plan to use what we learn here to tackle similar problems in the movement of vaccines and other perishable medicines,* said Bartholdi.
]]>
"We are delighted to welcome our newest members to the ISyE Advisory Board. Their commitment and dedication to the Stewart School is extremely valuable to ISyE's continued success,* said Chelsea C. White, III, ISyE School Chair.
Mike Anderson is corporate services vice president for the Georgia Power Company. His responsibilities include corporate safety, labor relations, fleet management, and building services. Anderson also serves as president and CEO of Georgia Power Childcare, LLC. Since joining Georgia Power in 1979, Anderson has held numerous leadership positions in Capital Budgeting, System Planning, Customer Operations, Information Technology, Marketing, and External Affairs. Prior to joining Georgia Power, Anderson was recruited from Texas Instruments Government Products Division in Dallas, Texas where he authored design criteria of nuclear warhead guidance systems technology for the U.S. military. Anderson is an Atlanta native. He and his wife Andreane have one son, Christopher, a senior at Georgia Tech.
Walt Ehmer is president and chief operating officer of Waffle House. He joined the company in the Purchasing Department in 1992. He was promoted to director in 1996, vice president in 1999, chief financial officer in 2001 and president and chief operating officer in 2005. In addition, he serves as chairman of Ozark Waffles, an operation of 38 Waffle House restaurants in Arkansas. He was president of Alpha Tau Omega and has continued his involvement with the fraternity, since graduation, by serving on its board. He was co-chair of the Thousand Club for the 54th Roll Call Leadership Circle, and he has served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Ehmer also has raised funds for cancer, leukemia and cystic fibrosis research. He lives in Dunwoody, Georgia, with his wife, Cindy, and their three children, Gregory, Anna Kate and Lesley.
Ed Rogers is a senior staff manager with United Parcel Service's corporate strategy group in Atlanta, Georgia. He has twenty-five years of experience in industrial engineering, program management, management consulting, business process redesign, operations improvement and strategy development. Rogers joined the UPS corporate industrial engineering department in 1994 and has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility. Prior to UPS, he served as a U.S. Air Force officer from 1983-87, managing programs to modernize defense industry manufacturing capabilities and reduce acquisition costs. He was an engineering management consultant with BDM International in Dayton, Ohio from 1987-1989 and later with the SysteCon division of Coopers & Lybrand Consulting from 1989-94 where he consulted on a variety of manufacturing and logistics systems improvement projects for more than twenty clients, including UPS. In addition to his Georgia Tech degrees, Rogers earned a master's in engineering management from the University of Dayton in 1994. He and his wife Jeanette, ChE 1983, have three children and reside in Roswell, Georgia. Their eldest daughter Kyla is an undergraduate at Georgia Tech; their other two children, Matlock and Kay, are students at Roswell High School.
Steve Rogers is vice president of integrated supply chain for IBM Integrated Supply Chain, where he has worked for 25 years. He joined IBM in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1981 after graduating from Georgia Tech. He spent the first five years in various production engineering and planning roles for IBM printing and banking products. After receiving an Executive MBA from Wake Forest University in 1986, Rogers held various financial management positions including manager of Financial Analysis for IBM's Personal Computer Division. He was the division controller for IBM's PC business in North and South America. Later he became the server group controller for Manufacturing where he had responsibility for all IBM's server manufacturing locations worldwide and had a seat on IBM's Corporate Manufacturing Operations Board in Somers, New York. He then became worldwide VP of Finance and Operations for IBM's System X Server division in Raleigh, North Carolina. In January of 2002, Rogers joined the newly formed IBM Integrated Supply Chain organization as director of supply chain for the Retail Store Solutions business. In August of 2003, Rogers returned to New York to take on the role of VP for Demand/Supply and Inventory Planning for all IBM hardware brands. In June of 2006, Rogers took on his current role where he is responsible for the end to end supply chain execution for two separate multi-billion dollar brands. He currently resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut with his wife of 21 years and three sons.
Julio Villafane is vice president of strategic account management for Motorola Sales and Services Inc. He is responsible for managing Motorola's business efforts with Telefonica Latin America, the region's largest telecommunications company with over $53 billion dollars invested and 112 million customers across 19 Countries. In his ten years with the company, Villafane has implemented aggressive market penetration strategies that resulted in increased revenues, increased market share and solid relationships with the region's telecommunication power players. These efforts helped position Motorola as the undisputed leader in several arenas including radio communications, digital video, and MSO broadband technologies. Prior to joining Motorola, Villafane held several international telecommunications sales management roles with EF Johnson (EFJ) Company, a leader in the two way radio industry. He helped to establish and staff the Latin American go to market organization with offices in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and HQs in Miami, Florida. He first entered the telecommunications industry as an outside plant facilities engineer at BellSouth, and developed his management and sales skills as an international management consultant at Peat, Marwick and Mitchell. In addition to his Georgia Tech degree, Villafane holds an MBA in Finance and International Business with national academic honors from Mercer University. He is of Salvadoran descent and lives in Miami with his wife, and four children.
]]>Esogbue was also installed as a 2006 Laureate of the Nigerian National Order of Merti by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who noted his "contributions to scholarship and research which have contributed in notsmall way to national development inthe field of engineering and technology."
]]>"This year's workshop was a great success because it was attended by most of the leading academic researchers in the area of transportation,* said Savelsbergh.
Route 2007 presentations are available online at http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/route2007/presentations/. Previous editions of ROUTE have been hosted by the Technical University of Denmark (2000, 2003) and the University of Bologna (2005). The next ROUTE workshop is scheduled to take place in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009.
For more information on the Route 2007 Workshop, contact:
Martin Savelsbergh at martin.savelsbergh@isye.gatech.edu or Alan Erera at alan.erera@isye.gatech.edu or visit the website at http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/route2007/.
"Milt Stewart and David McKenney exemplify what it means to give back to Tech and the community,* said Chair of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Janice Wittschiebe, Arch 1978, M Arch 1980. "They were honored for their generosity and kindness in addition to the spectacular impact they have made in advancing Georgia Tech and the Alumni Association.*
Success in the business world, David M. McKenney once told a Georgia Tech audience of aspiring entrepreneurs, requires facing risk head-on and managing it * and the best way to do that, the former Marine advised, was to "prepare and follow a good business plan.* It's a strategy that has served Atlanta-based McKenney's Management Corp. well. The firm made a big splash when it was hired as mechanical contractor for the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest. McKenney is chairman and chief executive officer of the firm founded by his father, John M. McKenney, Com 32, in 1943. His son, John, IE 90, is president and represents the third generation to manage the company.
About 500 co-op students have been hired by McKenney's since 1976 and in 2005, Tech's Briarean Society named McKenney the Co-op Employer of the Year. He was named to the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Hall of Fame in 2002 and the College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni in 1994 and received the Georgia Tech Young Alumni Service Award in 1974. McKenney received the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ALCO's award for distinguished public service in 2006 and the Greater Atlanta Engineer of the Year in Construction Award in 1974 and 1991.
In addition to his Tech degrees, McKenney holds a master's in business administration from Georgia State University. He is a trustee of the Georgia Tech Foundation and chair of the Bobby Dodd Institute. He formerly was president of the executive committee of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, vice chairman of the Atlanta Campaign Steering Committee and chair of the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board. He is a deacon and ordained elder of St. Luke's Presbyterian Church in Dunwoody, Ga. He and his wife, Sarah, have two other grown children Susan and Scott, and live in Atlanta.
As a student, Milt Stewart worked for Frank F. Groseclose, founder of Georgia Tech's industrial engineering program, who encouraged him to continue his studies and earn a graduate degree. But after graduating with an industrial engineering degree in 1961, Stewart returned home to help grow the family business, Standard Telephone Co., in Cornelia. At 31, he became head of the company, expanding it as such opportunities as cable television arose. In 1987, he and his sister, Kay Swanson, established the Standard Group. Arkansas-based Alltel purchased Standard Telephone in 1998.
In 2006, he and his wife, Carolyn, in a spectacular demonstration of philanthropy, made a $20 million commitment to Georgia Tech. In turn, the Institute named its School of Industrial and Systems Engineering in his honor. Stewart has been generous in his support of Tech. He established the H. Milton Stewart Jr. Endowment Fund for ISyE Programs in 1995 and the H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair in 1999. He also has supported scholarships for female students coming to Georgia Tech from Habersham High School.
He earned an MBA from Emory University in 1981 and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Piedmont College in 1989. Stewart was elected to serve on the Georgia Tech Alumni Association board of trustees in 1988 and three years later to the executive committee, becoming its president in 1995. He is a trustee emeritus of the Georgia Tech Foundation, former chairman of the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board and former member of the College of Engineering Advisory Board.
The family has a white-and-gold tradition. Stewart's son, Jeb, Cls 91, is married to Stephanie, CE 97. Stewart's daughter, Jill, Mgt 93, is married to Glenn Archer, Mgt 91.
]]>This year nine of the 11 programs within Georgia Tech's College of Engineering ranked among the top 10 in their respective disciplines, led by ISyE. ISyE was ranked number one for the 17th straight year.
Chelsea C. White III, ISyE School Chair, is pleased to see the School continue to receive this prestigious ranking, "ISyE continues to excel in the U. S. News and World Report rankings, reflecting a lot of hard work on the part of the faculty and staff this past year and in years past. I take pride in the fact that our effort and dedication to excellence in education and research are being recognized.*
Tech's graduate engineering curriculum maintained its national stature, ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. The nine engineering programs ranked in the top 10 are: aerospace (5th), biomedical (2nd), civil (4th), computer (6th), electrical (7th), environmental (6th), industrial and systems (1st), materials (9th) and mechanical (7th).
U.S. News & World Report published the 2008 rankings this April in a special edition "America's Best Graduate Schools" guidebook.
--
The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech is the largest and most prestigious program in industrial engineering in the United States. More than 10,000 graduates of the School can be found in consulting, engineering, financial services, healthcare, transportation, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurial enterprises, law, retail, and major academic institutions around the world. Nearly one in ten Georgia Tech ISyE graduates rise to the top positions of their respective organizations, and distinguished faculty members are internationally known for their research in virtually every subdiscipline of industrial and systems engineering and operations research. For more information about ISyE at Georgia Tech, please visit the ISyE homepage at www.isye.gatech.edu.
"Greg has the right blend of experiences across modes as both a provider of and customer for logistics services,* said EMIL Executive Director John Vande Vate. "As an EMIL alum and advisory board member, he understands the program and is hooked into the alumni network. He is committed to the vision of delivering top quality education in international logistics and supply chain strategy for experienced professionals.*
As managing director, Andrews will coordinate offering annual EMIL classes beginning with a new class in January, 2008 and every September thereafter. He will lead and expand EMIL's recruiting efforts as well as share in the design and delivery of the international residences.
"I am thrilled to get the chance to return to Tech and to take on this challenge," said Andrews. "We have great leadership in Dr. Vande Vate and the supporting faculty. They are an outstanding, knowledgeable group of folks that I really look forward to working with. Engaging major corporations around the world, having our students look at significant global supply chain problems, and helping to re-write the book as we solve global complexities is the very reason that I accepted the job. What better place could there be, right in the heat of the fire. You sharpen steel with steel, that is what we will be doing, sharpening, challenging, and testing our collective knowledge of global logistics and supply chain strategies as the global economy continues its metamorphosis."
For the past seven years, Andrews has served as Director of Global Logistics and Transportation with ADTRAN Inc., an OEM manufacturer of high-speed telecommunications network transmission equipment located in Huntsville, Alabama. He was responsible for overseeing the logistics infrastructure necessary to support the distribution and manufacturing efforts in Mexico, China, Australia, Taiwan, Europe, and the U.S.
Prior to joining ADTRAN, Andrews held the position of assistant director, International Intermodal Center for the Port of Huntsville, a multi-modal transportation cargo hub providing air, sea, rail, and truck transportation services for the North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley Region.
Prior to his work at the International Intermodal Center and the Port of Huntsville, he spent six years in the LTL business working for Smith Transfer and Yellow Freight Corporation.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration with a Major in Transportation from the University of Alabama in 1980, and a Master's of Science in International Logistics from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2005.
He serves on the Board of Directors for the North Alabama International Trade Association, is an active member of the National Industrial Transportation League serving on its Air Cargo Committee, is a member of The International Intermodal Association of North America, serves on the FedEx Air Cargo Customer Advisory Committee, The Eagle Global Logistics Customer Advisory Board, and has served on the Advisory Board for EMIL.
He is married to his wife Sharon of 26 years, and has two sons Vincent and Jacob, who both are currently attending the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. In his free time, he enjoys golf, fishing, and the restoration of classic Mopar muscle cars.
]]>Wu is known for his innovative and high-impact work in modern Design of Experiments (DOE) which has helped western manufacturing industries greatly improve quality. Over the years, his research groups from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Waterloo in Canada, the University of Michigan, and Georgia Tech, have developed various methods to build a comprehensive system for running experiments, modeling data, and system optimization/robustness. This work has culminated in the publication of two books: Experiments: Planning, Analysis, and Parameter Design Optimization, (with Hamada) 2000, John Wiley; and A Modern Theory of Factorial Designs (with Mukerjee) 2006, Springer.
Established in 1955, the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASAD) is the highest advisory body of the State in science and technology. It is comprised of six divisions: Mathematics and Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences and Medicine, Earth Sciences, Information Technical Science, and Technological Sciences. It offers advice on the programs, plans and major decisions of the State on S&T development, provides research reports on major S&T issues in China's economic construction and social development, presents suggestions on strategies and mid and long-term objectives of various disciplines, and gives evaluation and guidance to academic issues in major research fields and organizations.
In his keynote presentation, Dr. White focused on issues of globalization, complexity, cost, lead-time mean and variance, transportation congestion, major disruptions, and real-time supply chain control.
"Supply chains are becoming more and more global because shippers perceive that the total cost of manufacturing, and in some cases designing, off shore and then transporting the manufactured good to the U.S. market is lower than if the manufacturing is done domestically* said White. "However, as experience with these global supply chains grows, costs thus far hidden are slowly being revealed. The length of time it takes to move a product from, say, China to the U.S. is turning out to be more variable than expected, producing more unexpected stockouts or inventory oversupply. This variability is at least partially due to port, canal, road, and rail congestion. Add to this the increasing cost of fuel and that major disruptions are more likely to occur for long and complex supply chains, and sourcing closer to the U.S. market * in, say, Mexico or the Caribbean rather than in China - is starting to take on greater appeal.*
Other keynote speakers at this year's conference included: Professor Teodor Gabriel Crainic, Director, ITS Laboratory, Centre for Research on Transportation at the University of Montreal in Canada; Mr. Takeshi Muraoka, from the Port and Harborf Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Japan; and Mr. Liming He, President, China Society of Logistics in China.
T-LOG 2007 was hosted by the Research Center for Modern Logistics in the Graduate School at Shenshen of Tsinghua University and jointly coordinated by the Center for Transportation Research at the National University of Singapore, and by The University of Tokyo. The 3rd T-LOG Conference will be hosted by the University of Tokyo in Japan.
]]>
"The opportunity to become part of ISyE's faculty is an honor,* said Gebraeel. "The School's research excellence and educational mission are driven by an outstanding faculty body, and the potential to collaborate with the world's experts in different areas of the industrial engineering discipline is extremely beneficial and rewarding.*
Gebraeel specializes in research that plays a vital role in the ability to accurately predict unexpected failures in complex engineering systems, such as manufacturing and service systems, transportation, civil structures, nuclear power plants, national infrastructure, among others. His work has a tremendous impact on human safety as well as the performance and effectiveness of these systems.
Gebraeel's research interests are in condition/health monitoring, sensor-based prognostics and degradation modeling, sensor-driven decision models for maintenance operations and service logistics. Current projects include:
*Real-time Degradation-Based Prognostics (funded by the NSF-Career Program)
*Prognostics of Electronic Systems (in collaboration with Rockwell Collins)
*Prognostics of Avionic Systems (in collaboration with the Joint Strike Fighter Program and Global Strategic Solutions)
*Prognostics of Power Systems for Military Aircrafts (in collaboration with Naval Air Systems Command and Global Strategic Solutions)
Gebraeel will be teaching courses in probability and statistics, reliability, and special topics on prognostic methods beginning Fall Semester.
"We are delighted to have Nagi join the Stewart School faculty as an assistant professor,* said Chelsea C. White III, Stewart School Chair. "Nagi is a future academic leader and scholar whose research is currently focused on the use of sensor information for component reliability degradation analysis and for system maintenance management. For his innovative work and research promise, he has recently received an NSF CAREER award. He will help to strengthen the engineering side of the statistics-quality group and will serve as a bridge with other groups in ISyE, notably the manufacturing group, and with other schools like Mechanical, Electrical and Materials.*
Gebraeel comes to Georgia Tech from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Iowa, where he served as assistant professor of Industrial Engineering. Prior to this, he was visiting assistant professor in the School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University.
Gebraeel earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Production Engineering from the University of Alexandria in Egypt. He earned a master's and doctorate in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.
]]>On April 4th, 2007 I attended in Garland, TX the ceremony of naturalization as a citizen of the United States. It was very emotional and well attended event and an appropriate ending after a long, long process. On that day, I and 2,700 other immigrants from 124 different countries became citizens and received our "birth certificate" or certificate of naturalization. There were only four Colombians in the group but more than 200+ Mexicans and 300+ Indian nationals!
I am in the process of getting my BLUE passport which will bear my new name MARIA FERNANDA REY MARSTON and will save me endless weekly trips to consulates and embassies trying to get visas to enter different countries. I will stay very commited to my birth country but I am very excited to be an American now, especially with elections coming up!
Thanks to all for your immigration letters of support and for your help during these 12 years,
Maria
]]>Lofgren has a long-standing, collaborative relationship with ISyE. The purpose of this meeting was for Lofgren to introduce Trump and Duffy from Union Pacific to Georgia Tech in order to explore ways to partner in student recruiting and faculty research activities.
They met with faculty and staff from the Stewart School of ISyE, The Supply Chain & Logistics Institute, the Executive Masters in International Logistics (EMIL), the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the School of Management, and Career Services.
Along with key faculty and staff from these areas, they were joined by undergraduate students from ISyE. The students discussed what attracts them to various organizations as they consider career opportunities after graduation.
]]>On Friday, April 13th, Professor Bartholdi's class contacted UPS, FedEx, and DHL to carry identical packages to contacts in:
Yangon: until recently, capital of Myanmar; formerly known as Rangoon, Burma
Tikrit: administrative center of the province of Salah ad Din, Iraq
Harare: the capital of Zimbabwe
Florianopolis: an island off the coast of southern Brazil
Apia, Samoa: in the western pacific
Sites are chosen based on locations that challenge the business processes of the multinational package carriers. It is remarkable that most packages eventually reach their destinations, even under difficult circumstances, but there have been some dramatic lapses. One package was carried back-and-forth across the Atlantic Ocean nine times before delivery. Another was sent to Costa Rica instead of Croatia. One carrier claimed that the destination country did not exist. (It does.)
There have been dramatic finishes as well. In 2006, UPS beat DHL to Croatia by 3 minutes. One race ended in a tie when delivery folk from competing companies arrived at the door simultaneously, even though the packages had taken completely different routes to the destination. Technically FedEx made the delivery first, but we gave extra credit to the UPS person for courtesy in holding the door.
]]>
Dr. Michael Ball, Orkand Corporation Professor of Management Science in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, served as moderator of the symposium.
"I felt the symposium was a resounding success,* Ball commented. "We had participants come from literally around the world, including Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The enthusiasm of the speakers and participants clearly demonstrated the respect the scientific community has for George's professional accomplishments and for him as a person."
Colleagues discussed Nemhauser's work in the areas of integer programming, combinatorial optimization, airline optimization, and sports scheduling, focusing on the tremendous impact his work has made and continues to make in this field.
Guest speakers included:
*Cindy Barnhart, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
*Bob Bixby, Rice University, Houston, TX
*Gerard Cornuejols, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
*Bill Cunningham, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
*Marshall Fisher, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
*Dave Goldsman, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
*Ralph Gomory, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, New York, NY
*Martin Groetschel, Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum, Berlin, Germany
*John Jarvis, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
*Tom Magnanti, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
*Bill Pulleyblank, IBM, Somers, NY
*Don Ratliff, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
*David Ryan, Auckland University, Auckland, New Zealand
*Michael Trick, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
*Mike Thomas, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
*Chelsea C. White III, Stewart School of ISyE, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
*Laurence Wolsey, CORE, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
Event organizers were Michael Ball, University of Maryland, and Martin Savelsbergh, Georgia Tech. Sponsors included the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Tech; the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, and the Center for Electronic Markets and Enterprises (CEME), Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland.
]]>"We look forward to having Professor Le at Georgia Tech as a Global Logistics Scholar,* said Don Ratliff, SCL's Executive Director. "He has much to contribute to our understanding of Chinese port operations and China's role in the global economy.*
During his stay on campus, Le will be working closely with Professor Ellis Johnson, Coca-Cola Chaired Professor in ISyE, to launch the MSIE dual degree program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Dr. Le also will be contributing to SCL's China Logistics Research Center as well as other ISyE activities.
During the past 21 years, Dr. Le has taught 10 undergraduate and graduate courses and directed 35 graduates. He has a wide interest and expertise in supply chain and logistics engineering and management, and industrial and systems engineering.
Some of the current research projects supervised by Dr. Le include:
*Water Transportation System of Shanghai of Yangshan Deepwater Port
*Planning of Yangkou of Chemical Logistics Park and Nantong Port
*Economical Feasibility Analysis of Kemen of Fuzhou Port
*Hinterland Economical Analysis and Cargo Volume Forecasting of Dongwu, Putian Port
*Logistics System Design for Ningbo Chemical Industry Zone
*Development Strategy of International Container Transport
*Domestic Container Transport
*Coal Transport System in various ports such as Ningbo Port, Shantou Port, Guangzhou Port, etc.
Dr. Le also has experience in simulation. The Shiphandling Simulator finished by Dr. Le and his team is the first one in China.
He has published four works and textbooks, 53 journal papers, and has given numerous presentations invited by Japanese, Korean, and domestic institutions.
He has received a range of awards and honors including:
*The Best Faculty Member, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2003
*Excellent Young Educator, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2002
*Siyuan Award, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2001
*Excellent Tutor Award, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2001
*The Best Scientific Paper, the Association of Science and Technology of Shanghai, 1999
*Dr. Luohuangfeng Scholarship, Dr. Luohuangfeng Fund, 1999
*The Prize of Development of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Communications of China, 1999
*Leading Scholar, the Ministry of Communications of China, 1997
*The Award of Invention, jointly by the Association of Science and Technology of Shanghai, Shanghai Patents Bureau and the Association of Invention of Shanghai, 1998
Le received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Shanghai Maritime University and received a Ph.D. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
]]>
"In class, we teach operations research, industrial engineering, and information systems, but in an abstract way. To provide a link between what they learn in class with real world practice, we schedule about 10 tours throughout the semester of various manufacturing, distribution, and transportation facilities,* said Professor Chen Zhou. "These tours really complement what they learn in classes.*
Norfolk Southern's Hub Manager, Dave Beasley, led the tour of the terminal. The first stop was the control tower where students could view the 450 acres of the terminal that includes 3,300 parking spaces as well as 20,000 feet of unloading track.
The tour stops long enough to capture a group photograph.
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is a Virginia-based holding company with headquarters in Norfolk. It owns a major freight railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, which operates approximately 21,800 route miles in 22 states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario. The Austell hub is an intermodal hub. The terminal, the largest intermodal facility east of the Mississippi River, expedites the movement of containerized freight between the Northeast and Southwest and between the Northwest and Southeast. It transfers rail freight to road and road to rail.
Students on tour were: Paul Berman (France) GLS; Christian Buchmann (U.S.) GLS; Wei Chuen Chan (Singapore) DMP; Steve Chu (U.S.) GLS; Magdalene Chua (Singapore) DMP; Serhan Duran (Turkey) GLS; Tobias Gefaeller (Germany) GLS; Swanand Gupte (India) GLS; Sin Man Kwan (HK) DMP; Yin Sian Lai (Singapore) DMP; Jin Xiang Lee (Singapore) DMP; Chya-Yi Liaw (Taiwan) DMP; Keyao Liu (China) DMP; Wen-Chung Lu (Taiwan) GLS; Hiroki Muraoka (Japan) GLS; Ramanathan Muthiah (India) DMP; Han Meng Neo (Singapore) DMP; Evren Ozkaya (Turkey) GLS; Najmuddin Patwa (India) DMP; Qian Qian (China) DMP; Bo Qin (China) DMP; Kaushik Surendran (India) GLS; Yan Ting Tan (Singapore) DMP; Athmika Vishvesh (India) GLS; and Rui Wang (China) DMP.
]]>Chelsea White, Stewart School Chair, stated in announcing the award, "Martin Savelsbergh is an outstanding internationally well-known and respected academic leader, scholar, and teacher in logistics and supply chain engineering. He has in particular made many contributions to both the academic community and the logistics and transportation industry with his innovative research. We are delighted to have Martin as a colleague and faculty member who contributes in so many ways to the excellent reputation of the Stewart School.*
Martin Savelsbergh, professor at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and research director of The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, is a logistics and optimization specialist with over 20 years of experience in mathematical modeling, operations research, optimization methods, algorithm design, performance analysis, supply chain management, production planning, and transportation.
Professor Savelsbergh designs and implements highly sophisticated and effective optimization algorithms and has published over 80 research papers in many of the top operations research and optimization journals. He also analyzes practical decision problems and translates the insights obtained into optimal business solutions. He is well known internationally for creating innovative techniques for solving large-scale optimization problems in a variety of areas, ranging from vehicle routing and scheduling problems, to per-seat on-demand air transportation problems, to lot-sizing problems.
Some of his on-going industry sponsored research projects include:
* the development of congestion management technology for Yellow Roadway Corporation, a large LTL carrier;
* the development of order acceptance and flight scheduling technology for DayJet, a per-seat on-demand air transportation service provider;
* the development of cost-to-serve analysis technology for Praxair, a large industrial gas distributor; and
* the development of collaborative transportation procurement technology for RubberNetwork, a conglomerate of tire companies.
Other research projects that Professor Savelsbergh is involved in include:
* the analysis of the value of allowing deliveries to be split during distribution,
* the development of technology for inventory routing problems,
* the analysis of dispatch strategies for environments where requests for service arrive dynamically over time and where contracts are in place that guarantee service within a certain period,
* the cost-effective delivery of blood to regional hospitals operating with vendor managed inventory policies,
* the development and analysis of technology for effectively using meet-and-turn points in regional LTL networks,
* the development of robust empty container management models, and carrier bid optimization in the presence of competition.
Martin Savelsbergh serves as Area Editor for Operations Research Letters, Associate Editor for Mathematics of Operations Research, Networks, and Naval Logistics Research, and he is a member of the editorial board of Computers & Operations Research and Constraints. He received the Best Paper Award in the Transportation and Logistics Section for his paper titled "Dynamic Programming Approximations for a Stochastic Inventory Routing Problem" at INFORMS in 2005. He has given presentations and short courses on optimization and logistics in more than a dozen countries around the world.
Dr. Savelsbergh received a M.Sc. in Mathematics from the University of Amsterdam and his Ph.D. from Erasmus University Rotterdam.
"It is always an honor to be recognized for work done and services performed,* said Savelsbergh. "I'm especially happy that it is the Schneider Professorship as my research focuses on transportation issue and Schneider has always shown a keen interest in transportation innovation.*
]]>
The final report of the 2006 Eleventh Annual 3PL Study is available for download at http://www.scl.gatech.edu/research/studies/2006.3PL.Report.pdf. Copies of earlier studies plus additional study information is available at http://3plstudy.com/.
]]>Chelsea White, Stewart School Chair, stated in announcing the award, "Martin Savelsbergh is an outstanding internationally well-known and respected academic leader, scholar, and teacher in logistics and supply chain engineering. He has in particular made many contributions to both the academic community and the logistics and transportation industry with his innovative research. We are delighted to have Martin as a colleague and faculty member who contributes in so many ways to the excellent reputation of the Stewart School."
Martin Savelsbergh, professor at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and research director of The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, is a logistics and optimization specialist with over 20 years of experience in mathematical modeling, operations research, optimization methods, algorithm design, performance analysis, supply chain management, production planning, and transportation.
Professor Savelsbergh designs and implements highly sophisticated and effective optimization algorithms and has published over 80 research papers in many of the top operations research and optimization journals. He also analyzes practical decision problems and translates the insights obtained into optimal business solutions. He is well known internationally for creating innovative techniques for solving large-scale optimization problems in a variety of areas, ranging from vehicle routing and scheduling problems, to per-seat on-demand air transportation problems, to lot-sizing problems.
Some of his on-going industry sponsored research projects include:
*the development of congestion management technology for Yellow Roadway Corporation, a large LTL carrier;
*the development of order acceptance and flight scheduling technology for DayJet, a per-seat on-demand air transportation service provider;
*the development of cost-to-serve analysis technology for Praxair, a large industrial gas distributor; and
*the development of collaborative transportation procurement technology for RubberNetwork, a conglomerate of tire companies.
Other research projects that Professor Savelsbergh is involved in include:
*the analysis of the value of allowing deliveries to be split during distribution,
*the development of technology for inventory routing problems,
*the analysis of dispatch strategies for environments where requests for service arrive dynamically over time and where contracts are in place that guarantee service within a certain period,
*the cost-effective delivery of blood to regional hospitals operating with vendor managed inventory policies,
*the development and analysis of technology for effectively using meet-and-turn points in regional LTL networks,
*the development of robust empty container management models, and carrier bid optimization in the presence of competition.
Martin Savelsbergh serves as Area Editor for Operations Research Letters, Associate Editor for Mathematics of Operations Research, Networks, and Naval Logistics Research, and he is a member of the editorial board of Computers & Operations Research and Constraints. He received the Best Paper Award in the Transportation and Logistics Section for his paper titled "Dynamic Programming Approximations for a Stochastic Inventory Routing Problem" at INFORMS in 2005. He has given presentations and short courses on optimization and logistics in more than a dozen countries around the world.
Dr. Savelsbergh received a M.Sc. in Mathematics from the University of Amsterdam and his Ph.D. from Erasmus University Rotterdam.
"It is an always an honor to be recognized for work done and services performed,* said Savelsbergh. "I'm especially happy that it is the Schneider Professorship as my research focuses on transportation issue and Schneider has always shown a keen interest in transportation innovation.*
]]>In announcing the award, Chelsea White, Stewart School Chair stated, "Jim Dai is an exceptional, internationally well-known and respected leader in applied probability who has received many awards for his outstanding scholarly contributions, both in basic and applied research. Jim also has provided distinguished leadership to the stochastics group in the Stewart School. We are very proud to have Jim on the faculty as a scholar, teacher, academic leader, and colleague."
A leading researcher in the applied probability community, Professor Dai focuses on stochastic processing networks. These networks have been used for the design, analysis and control of many complex systems including communication networks such as the Internet, manufacturing systems such as semiconductor wafer fabrication lines, and large service systems like customer call centers or web server farms. In recent years, he has also led an effort in understanding the Chinese logistics industry.
Professor Dai is a fellow of Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS) and a member of Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). He has served as an associate editor for Operations Research, Management of Science, Mathematics of Operations Research, and Queueing Systems. He is a founding editorial board member for Foundations and Trends in Stochastic Systems. He is also a founding associate editor for an IMS journal Probability Surveys. Currently, he is a Series Editor for Handbooks in Operations Research and Management Science, co-editing with J. K. Lenstra and G. L. Nemhauser.
Some of the honors and awards he has received include:
*IBM Faculty Award 2003
*Erlang Prize, Applied Probability Society of INFORMS April 1998
*Best Publication Award, Applied Probability Society of INFORMS May 1997
*Presidential Young Investigator, National Science Foundation 1994
Professor Dai received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in mathematics from Nanjing University, in 1982 and 1985, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in mathematics from Stanford University in 1990. He was a visiting professor first at Aarhus University and later at Stanford University during his sabbatical year in 1998. He was also a visiting professor at National University of Singapore in summer 2001. Since 2002 he has been a distinguished visiting professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Jim Dai joined Georgia Institute of Technology in 1990. Since 1998 he has been a professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering. From 1990 to 2002, he also held a joint appointment in the School of Mathematics.
"I am honored to receive the Edenfield Professorship,* said Dai. "I hope this honor will bring more recognition to the work of our Stochastic Systems Group."
]]>
Mathematics School Chair William T. Trotter announced the appointment stating that "Adjunct Professor status is the highest honor one School can bestow on a member of faculty in another School. These appointments signify that we view their research contributions to mathematics - in the broadest sense - to be important both here on the Georgia Tech campus as well as in the national and international research community.*
Dr. Cook also serves as the Chandler Family Chair and professor in the Stewart School of ISyE. His research interests are in combinatorial optimization and integer programming. He is also heavily involved in research dealing with computational issues involved in treating hard discrete problems such as large instances for the celebrated traveling salesman problem. Cook earned a BA in Mathematics from Rutgers University, an MS in Operations Research from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Combinatorics and Optimization from the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Nemirovski serves as the John Hunter Chair and professor in the Stewart School of ISyE. His primary research interests are in optimization theory and algorithms with emphasis on investigating complexity and developing efficient algorithms for nonlinear convex programs, optimization under uncertainty, and applications of convex optimization in engineering. He is the only individual awarded all three prestigious prizes in the field of Mathematical Programming and Operations Research: the Fulkerson Prize, the Dantzig Prize, and the John von Neumann Theory Prize. Nemirovski earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees, both in Math, from Moscow State University. He earned a Soviet degree of Doctor of Physical & Mathematical Sciences from Kiev Institute of Cybernetics.
Adjunct Professor appointments are made on a three-year renewable basis.
]]>"In the global economy, Asia and China have become more and more important. It is vital for engineers to understand that part of the world first hand and to position themselves properly for collaboration and competition,* said Professor Zhou.
This year 24 Georgia Tech students immersed themselves in the culture of Asia and China as they studied side by side with 14 National University of Singapore students and 18 students from Beijing's Tsinghua University. During the eleven-week semester abroad, they learned about Asia as it exists today as well as its vibrant history and toured various manufacturing plants including UPS in Singapore, Hyundai in Beijing and the Yanjing Brewery.
"The tours allowed us to see first hand the differences and similarities between these plants and warehouses and the ones in the United States,* said ISyE student Nicki Skillings. "Mostly the layouts tended to be different, and in China the labor was obviously much cheaper. It helped me gain a better understanding of how things work abroad. Sometimes you think that things can only be done a certain way, but then you see them being done another way and you see the other way working. It really opens your mind to new ideas.*
This culturally rich program provided an opportunity for students to learn more than just course work. The students also explored neighboring countries immersing themselves in the customs and culture of the area.
Over the last 6 years, over 150 Georgia Tech students, 30 NUS students, and 80 Tsinghua students have participated in the program.
Here ISyE students Nicki Skillings, Sandesh Reddy, and Margaret Reinhard discuss their experiences and what they learned in the 2007 Beijing/Singapore Study Abroad Program.
Q: What do you think is the significance of studying abroad?
Nicki: The significance of studying abroad is to experience how a culture - completely different from yours - lives, functions, and thinks.
Sandesh: It gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in different facets of a country's culture. Taking classes at a local university lets you understand how students in other cultures learn and this is important as these same students will be part of the country's workforce in the future.
Margaret: Studying abroad is a great way to gain exposure to other cultures, and the friendships that you make within your study abroad group are absolutely invaluable.
Q: What made you decide to spend a semester studying in Beijing/Singapore?
Nicki: I wanted to spend a semester abroad mainly to push myself. I feel you learn the most about yourself when you are outside of your comfort zone, and I knew that Asia would be completely different from anything I have ever experienced. I also believe that in order for me to stay ahead of my peers it was important for me to gain this international exposure, especially in Singapore, as so many companies do business there. I love traveling, trying new things, making new friends, and learning about new cultures which also influenced my decision.
Sandesh: I have serious plans to work in that part of the world after graduation and this program was a great opportunity for me to get a head start on that. Besides, it fit well with my graduation schedule.
Margaret: Being a co-op, summer school wasn't exactly optional, but I knew I would gain so much more from studying abroad than just a normal semester on campus. I had many people tell me I would regret it if I left college having never studied in another country.
Q: What is (are) the most memorable or remarkable moment(s) you had while there?
Nicki: Some of the most memorable moments I had while abroad occurred while working with students from either the National University of Singapore or Tshingua University. It was so interesting to live how they live, and learn how they think and what they like. It made me appreciate so many little things that I have here in the States that they didn't even know they were missing.
Sandesh: I lost my train ticket from Shanghai to Beijing about 30 minutes before the train left. All other trains were sold out and I needed to get back for classes the next day. After running from one ticket office to another for 2 hours with my very limited mandarin, I finally managed to get on another train. I then met someone on the train who I have become good friends with.
Margaret: One of my favorite moments was our trip to Phuket, Thailand. Almost the entire group went, more than 20 of us. We all chipped in and chartered a private boat tour. The scenery was gorgeous. The day was spent snorkeling and island hopping. We all had a blast.
Q: Did the semester abroad change the way you think? If so, how?
Nicki: It most definitely did. I now have a greater understanding of Asian culture and feel like I can work with people from these areas more efficiently. I appreciate everything that I own, especially my clean hot water. I was always told that money does not buy happiness, but now I can honestly say that I believe this to be true.
Sandesh: Not really.
Margaret: Studying abroad has most certainly changed the way I think. As worldly and sophisticated as I thought I was, I soon came to the realization that many of the ideas I had held to be universal were really just a product of the culture I'd been raised in. I now completely sympathize with anyone who finds themselves in a country without knowing the native language. I went to Beijing knowing zero Mandarin, but while the language barrier was frustrating at times, it was a lot of fun. It turned something simple like ordering dinner into a big adventure.
Q: Can you tell me at least one thing you learned?
Nicki: I learned about China's ancient history mostly up to present day, which was really interesting because I then got to go to most of the places in China that we talked about in class. I also really enjoyed my other classes and learned valuable material that should be put to use when I begin my career.
Sandesh: I learned more from just traveling and observing than through the classes. I gained an understanding of the cultural differences between the Singapore-Chinese, Beijing-Chinese and also contrasted that with my knowledge of the U.S. and India.
Margaret: We learned a lot of the bases for ISyE. Quality, logistics, and manufacturing are 3 main career areas. Outside of that I learned a few random Mandarin phrases, and I also learned a lot in our group projects just from working in a group with students from foreign universities. We had the same major but some very different perspectives.
Q: What are your plans after graduation? Do you plan to work in the United States or abroad?
Nicki: After I graduate, I would like to obtain a graduate degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech. Then I would like to find a career in the U.S. that would require me to travel abroad often and work with companies from different countries.
Sandesh: I'm not entirely sure. I would ideally like to spend a few months in the States and the rest abroad.
Margaret: My tentative post-graduation plans are to get a masters in ISyE or something focused in logistics. I plan to work in the U.S. but wouldn't mind working a few years abroad.
Q: When you look for a career, how important is the idea of globalization in your search?
Nicki: Honestly, not that important. I am not going to choose a career because it will or will not take me abroad. However, I do want to work for a large, well-established company, which most likely will mean that it will be operating abroad.
Sandesh: Very Important. I wouldn't want to be tied to a career which is localized in a single country with little or no global mobility.
Margaret: I can't say globalization will be the most important thing in my career search, but it will certainly be a factor and can definitely equal greater career opportunities.
More about the students:
Nicki Skillings, from Garland, Texas, is the Vice President of Member Development for Alpha Gamma Delta, an analysis for the Student Foundation Investments Committee, and works part time while going to school at a small company called d. Terrell. Nicki is scheduled to graduate May 2009.
Sandesh Reddy was born and raised in Bangalore, India. He completed his CIE
A-Levels (12th grade) in 2004 and came to Georgia Tech in the fall of that year.
He is an ISyE senior scheduled to graduate May 2008. He is currently co-oping for RubberNetwork in Atlanta.
Margaret Reinhard is a 4th year ISyE student from Woodstock, Georgia who attended Woodstock High School. She is currently a co-op student working with Cellnet in Alpharetta. Margaret is scheduled to graduate in spring 2009.
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Anne Marie, Georgia Tech oldest living alumna, turned 100 on November 26 and has always been a lifelong friend of the Stewart School of ISyE and an advocate for education. In her words of thanks to ISyE faculty and staff, she stressed the importance of learning, stating "No one can ever take an education away from you.* She and her husband Paul learned hard lessons of resilience as they migrated to the United States from Nazi Germany in 1938. In fact, her continued learning has allowed her to reinvent herself as mother and wife, methods analyst, import/export manager, Tech faculty wife, college student, gerontology expert, and author.
In 1942, Anne Marie and Paul enrolled in Georgia Tech's evening school to study a new field called industrial engineering. Under the War Manpower Act, Anne Marie studied industrial engineering at Tech for two years while working for companies such as Sears, Lockheed, and Rich's department store. Paul joined ISyE's faculty in 1948, becoming a Fulbright professor and rising to international prominence in the field. Anne Marie later earned a master's in sociology with a minor in gerontology from Georgia State then returned to Tech in 1987 to study psychology.
Among her numerous achievements, Anne Marie helped start the nation's largest Life Enrichment Center for seniors in DeKalb County, work that led to the Georgia Senate naming her 1999's Distinguished Senior Georgian. She has represented DeKalb and Rockdale counties at a White House Council on Aging and has served as a representative on aging issues to Germany. In the 90's, she established the Paul Eaton Scholarship to support undergraduate students in the Industrial and Systems Engineering School at Georgia Tech.
]]>Associate Professor Steven Hackman, the faculty coordinator for Senior Design stated "Although we had several strong projects completed this semester, these three really stand out in terms of technical challenges as well as the potential value they bring to the sponsor.* Finalists engaged in projects sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Office Depot, and Whirlpool Corporation.
Of the three finalists, the winning team included Allan Garcia, Jason Hoff, Mary Beth LaHatte, Alejandro Leyva, John Shea, and Ashley Thompson who worked with the CDC on a project entitled "Developing an Effective Production and Distribution Method to Eradicate Mosquitoes in Sudan, Africa.* Based on the technical expertise involved in this project and the resulting impact to the client, these students were awarded first prize in the overall competition. The sponsor contact was Dr. Mark Benedict with Professor Craig Tovey serving as faculty advisor.
The CDC has proposed the use of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to reduce the Anopheline mosquito populations in Sudan, Africa. SIT is a method of biological control that involves the mass rearing of insects in a production facility and the sterilization of males by exposing them to low doses of radiation, or to chemosterilants. Malaria is transmitted exclusively by female mosquitoes. SIT effectively breaks the chain of reproduction when a female mates with sterile males, as female mosquitoes mate once in a lifetime.
The purpose of this project was to establish and provide a set of guidelines and recommendations that will aid in the implementation of SIT to
reduce the Anopheline mosquito populations in Sudan. Team members began by estimating the population densities of adult mosquitoes at the designated release sites in Merowe and determining a location for the production facility. They not only designed the production process, but provided tools for decision making, and performed an analysis of the most significant costs involved in implementation. Their research showed that the most effective means to implement SIT depends on the conditions in Merowe, such as time of year and the river level. As a result of this finding, the group developed a software tool that finds the best strategy based on a set of factors input by a user. This software tool can be used to determine the best SIT strategy in other parts of the world affected by malaria.
Runners-up in the competition included team members Ahmed Bajwa, Alison Kao, Stephanie Lake, Emil Loewy, Santiago Quintero, and Vivian Hernandez. These individuals worked with Office Depot on a project entitled "Depot Materials Handling Model.* The sponsor contact was Scott King and the faculty advisor was Associate Professor Seong-Hee Kim.
Office Depot has a 550,000 square foot warehouse in Atlanta that services 156 retail stores in the Southeast. One of the problems Office Depot faces in this facility is that they are unable to determine the optimal number of material handling devices and batteries necessary to maneuver pallets and pick material. Further, it is difficult for the company to determine how many of these devices they should purchase verses how many they should rent. To address the problem, team members developed and implemented simulation and optimization models to 1) minimize the total number of machines required, 2) create an equipment schedule, 3) determine the best number of machines and batteries to purchase and rent, and 4) provide a standardized equipment usage model. As a result, students showed Office Depot a potential savings of more than 33% from current costs, which equates to approximately $550K annually. In addition, the students' model can be applied to other Office Depot facilities with a total potential savings of more than $9M annually.
"This is the third group I have sponsored since participating in the program myself as a student, and I have a fourth group slated for next semester," said Scott D. King, BS IE 2004, project engineer, Office Depot. "It is truly amazing what a group of young minds are able to accomplish in such a short time. It's a testament to the education and training they receive at the institute. Many of my colleagues agree that the particular discipline of engineering a student pursues is not as essential as learning the skills of analytical problem solving (or as we refer to it "thinking like an engineer*). These design project present the students with real-world problems, and are the perfect opportunity to put this into practice."
The third finalist team to present included Brandon Tubandt, Jacob Robinson, Jessie Spencer, Kathryn Oliver, and Timothy Dennis who worked with Whirlpool Corporation on a project entitled "Quality Express Routing.* The sponsor contact was Hisham Khaki and Associate Professor Shabbir Ahmed served as the team's faculty advisor.
Whirlpool supplies the Atlanta region with more than 1700 different appliance types, all from a distribution center located in Ellenwood, Georgia. The distribution center receives orders from multiple sources on a daily basis and routes trucks to make the deliveries. The routes produced by the current process are inefficient, resulting in high transportation costs. To address Whirlpool's routing problem, team members developed a software tool, Quality Express Routing, which takes input from Whirlpool's database and mapping software and uses optimization techniques to determine improved routes while reducing overall mileage. Further, the output is in a standardized format, making it easy to understand. Based on comparisons between the current routes and the routes produced by Quality Express Routing, implementation of the tool will reduce transportation costs by more than 22%, resulting in close to $600,000 in annual savings.
All senior students in ISyE culminate their undergraduate educational experience with the Senior Design course in order to provide firsthand experience at solving real world problems in a team environment. Students typically work in teams of five to six individuals with 15-25 Senior Design groups running each semester. Each group is advised by an ISyE faculty member, and the faculty coordinator manages the overall course. Companies interested in submitting a project for consideration can either contact the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Chen Zhou at 404 894-2326, or they can post a project through the ISyE webpage at www.isye.gatech.edu/seniordesign. Senior design teams look for projects before the start of the fall and spring semesters.
]]>The event provided an opportunity for the new students to meet current ISyE student leaders as well as staff and faculty of the School.
"Georgia Tech is a big place and we wanted to show our new students that we are glad they are here and give them an opportunity to get to know us better* said Patti Parker, one of ISyE's academic advisors.
In addition to lots of ice cream eating, there was music, gifts and prizes. A good time was had by all, though some might have left a little too full.
The event was organized by Academic Advisors Valarie DuRant-Modeste and Patti Parker. It was hosted by the ISyE Ambassadors, a group of selected student representatives who help to promote the School and facilitate advising for other IE students.
]]>Lloyd received his Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He worked with us as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering from 1992 to 1993, and as an Assistant Professor from 1993 to 1999. As a faculty member, Clarke was extremely dedicated to helping students, and was a great mentor and role model, particularly for African American students. Lloyd's research was in applied optimization and his specialty was developing software that embodied innovative optimization concepts. Lloyd left Georgia Tech to learn more about logistics operations at Schneider National and then joined ILOG in 2000 to pursue his love of optimization software development.
An avid cyclist, gardener, and photographer, Lloyd was a native of Belize. He lived with his wife Sherol and their daughter Elta in Hagerstown, Md. He is remembered for his kindness, generosity, and his smile. Lloyd was a delightful person who never failed to raise our spirits.
]]>This grant, one of the largest NIH grants in Georgia history, was awarded to the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (Atlanta-CTSI) a partnership of Atlanta academic, research and healthcare institutes that will focus on accelerating the translation of laboratory discoveries into healthcare innovations for patients so that new treatments can be developed more efficiently and delivered more quickly to patients.
The partnership will be led by Emory University, along with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. David S. Stephens MD, executive associate dean for research at Emory University's School of Medicine, serves as principal investigator of the grant.
The goals of Atlanta-CTSI mirror those of the national CTSA consortium -- to create new and innovative programs that accelerate discovery, engage communities in clinical research and the development of new scientific knowledge; train and develop interdisciplinary investigative teams; and create new research tools and information technologies that improve human health.
Dr. Lee serves as co-director of the Biomedical Informatics Program (BIP) on this grant. BIP will transform clinical and translational research in the Atlanta-CTSI by building an integrated biomedical informatics system that links all of the Clinical Interaction Network sites.
"A highly innovative aspect of this program involves the design and implementation of a light-weight yet powerful leap-frog software infrastructure based on code generation and optimization that connects distributed clinical and translational data,* said Lee.
This software infrastructure will support the Atlanta community of clinical and translational researchers by providing smooth and secured communications among the different electronic medical record systems at such places as Emory, Grady, MSM, VA Hospital, CHOA, Kaiser-GA, and other affiliated community based practices. In addition, the infrastructure will enhance the current translational bioinformatics capabilities by linking them to one another and to the clinical data for integrative analysis. This integration will support the rapid translation of research advances to the medical professional and larger community, and is critical for Atlanta-CTSI community engagement and outreach. Other BIP efforts include advances in bioinformatics, clinical informatics, education, training and outreach.
Emory, Georgia Tech, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare will each contribute strengths to the partnership that will help create unique and valuable synergies. Emory is a national leader in healthcare and biomedical research. Georgia Tech's School of Industrial and Systems Engineering is a national leader in systems engineering and the application of innovative operations research to medicine and health care solutions. Morehouse School of Medicine is a leading historically black institution that brings ethnic diversity to the biomedical research community, addresses health disparities through successful community engagement and serves as a pipeline for training minority investigators.
By partnering with Children's, the ACTSI also will create a new and innovative pediatric clinical and translational research center that builds on the established relationship of Emory, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the shared healthcare they provide and adds new research relationships with Georgia Tech in bioinformatics.
]]>Moinul Islam is a 2nd year Ph.D. student in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech whose doctoral research interest is in humanitarian logistics. He graduated in 2003 from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Below, he writes about his research focus in ISyE and the factors that motivate him.
What can be better than creating solutions that impact the lives of people who are in vulnerable situations across the globe? For me, I can't think of any better way to spend my time. I have always known my passion in life was for doing work that has the potential to make a difference, and that, in large part, is what motivated me to go for my Ph.D. in ISyE at Georgia Tech. When I joined the program, I was not completely sure what I wanted to do. But when I learned about the research in humanitarian logistics, I knew I found the perfect domain to unleash my inner interest to be able to make a positive difference in this world.
I started my professional career as a lecturer in the industrial engineering department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, my alma mater. When I was promoted to faculty, I realized my interest in the practical implementation of best practices/theories that we talk about in school. So, I left my faculty position and joined a multinational Fast Moving Consumer Goods (also called Consumer Packaged Goods) company, working in the operations department at different capacities. Over the years, my desire to make a tangible difference eventually lead me to Georgia Tech, and it continues to motivate me as I work in humanitarian logistics in ISyE.
Coming from Bangladesh, a natural disaster-prone country in southern Asia, I have seen human suffering at a very close range. My personal experience with this motivates my research in humanitarian logistics and supply chain strategy in an effort to make non-governmental organization (NGO) operations more efficient.
This summer, under the direction of my advisors Professors John Vande Vate and Julie Swann, I was able to work with World Vision (one of the leading NGOs focused on improving the lives of children in vulnerable societies) in their supply chain transformation project. I worked in Ghana and Zambia (the pilot countries for West Africa and South African region) along with the project team. My work was part of the team's effort to design a high performance supply chain across the entire organization. I focused mainly on business process mapping and re-designing related to procurement and payment processes.
I worked with the supply chain team in Zambia to help streamline its procurement process, ensuring on time delivery to projects in 39 areas around the country. As a result, the Zambian team at World Vision generated a savings of $47,000 over three months (May-07 to July-07) which is a very significant dollar figure at the national level of operations.
My work at World Vision gave me great insight into the operating environment of NGOs at the field level, which will be very valuable in terms of my research. It was helpful for me to compare the opportunities and challenges that face the domain of humanitarian logistics to those of the corporate world. I also learned about important regional considerations during my stay in two countries, in two different regions of Africa. The differences in local settings can vary tremendously based on geographical locations. Based on my experience in southern Asia, my own preconceived ideas about the social and economic settings of developing countries proved grossly misconstrued in Africa. Basically, models which might be very effective in one setting can prove ineffective in another.
Personally, I gained exposure and appreciation of these cultural and social aspects, as well as their inherent differences in different parts of the world. Even though it's sometimes hard to see these kinds of softer issues in operational models, they have a tremendous influence. As I continue my research in humanitarian logistics, the field continues to motivate me. I enjoy using IE tools to generate a healthy bottom-line for business organizations that share my goal: to create a substantial difference in the lives of individuals who need it most.
]]>Part of the reason for its rapid growth is its strategic advantage of being located near the Panama Canal, which allows it to efficiently serve the entire Americas region. Nearly all world routes pass the Colon Free Zone, located at the Atlantic gateway to the Panama Canal with access to both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. The Colon Free Zone also serves several other important functions. These include collecting donations for community projects in the region and facilitating meetings with diplomats and government officials from around the world.
Prior to taking this new position, Cohen Solis was director of operations at International Hardware in Panama, a wholesaler and distributor of hardware products. When he entered the Stewart School's Executive Master's in International Logistics program, he had 12 years of experience in the business, including international sales and marketing for Ace International in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Further information about the Colon Free Zone is available at: http://www.colonfreezone.com/.
]]>In his presentation, Bartholdi discusses a protocol called the "bucket brigade* which is based on how social insects, such as bees or ants, operate complex logistics systems that are efficient even though no agent is in charge. Instead of a centralized control, each agent follows a simple local rule and an efficient global organization emerges spontaneously. This idea has been successfully adapted to coordinate order-pickers in a warehouse. Under a protocol called "bucket brigades", each worker follows a simple rule; and without conscious intention or even awareness of the workers, the flow of work is smoothed and bottlenecks are removed. Furthermore, this happens without the advice of engineers, consultants, or management. The bucket brigade protocol has increased pick rates by 20-50% at some major distribution centers. (This work is a joint collaboration between Professor Bartholdi and Don Eisenstein of the University of Chicago.)
To view the presentation visit: http://smartech.gatech.edu/handle/1853/16859
(MPEG video, 228.84 MB)
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Viehweg's extensive career includes service in the United States Army as a helicopter pilot and Company Commander, as well as postions at Johnson and Johnson, National Office Supply (now Staples), and S.P. Richards Company. In his most recent position at S.P. Richards, Viehweg served as Senior VP of Logistics, where he was responsible for a logistics network that included 39 distribution centers throughout North America. In this role, he was responsible for centralizing the inventory management including design, implementation and training of the appropriate software and staffing, process improvements within the distribution centers, generating transportation savings, negotiating national supplies contracts, managing the real estate portfolio, selecting an ERP system, and overseeing the Information Services department.
Veihweg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from the University of Maine and has lived in Atlanta, Georgia since 1995.
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The Oyster Roast has a long history in ISyE, thanks to Betty and Frank Peeples, IE 1949. Betty and Frank created and hosted what has become known as a truly legendary event, made possible by Frank's vision and unparalleled dedication to ISyE. Thanks to the Peeples, the Oyster Roast has become a wonderful homecoming tradition for Stewart School alumni, faculty, and staff. Frank officially "retired* from his role in 2005, and the Stewart School felt it was extremely important to continue this tradition of bringing the ISyE family together to kick off homecoming activities.
The Stewart School of ISyE would like to continue the annual Oyster Roast and is currently looking for alumni to help ensure its longevity. If you are interested in assisting, contact ISyE's Director of Development, Nancy Sandlin. She can be reached at nsandlin@isye.gatech.edu
or (404)385-7458.
Photo Gallery of 2007 Oyster Roast
]]>One of the popular functions hosted by GSAC is the ISyE Graduate Student Weekly Teas, which resumed in August and are held every week on Wednesday afternoon from 2:30-3:30PM on the second floor of the ISyE Main Building. These gatherings provide an informal setting for graduate students and faculty to interact.
"Both graduate students and faculty have indicated great enthusiasm for the weekly tea, which is an excellent opportunity for developing relationships with colleagues." says Jessica Heier, member of the GSAC.
Fellow committee member Fatma Kilinc Karzan goes on to say "We always seek ways of enriching ISyE traditions which support the sense of community among the graduate students and faculty. The Weekly Tea is a great occasion to get to know each other, to meet and to stay in touch with fellow graduate students and faculty. Further, the event provides us an opportunity to get continuous feedback from graduate students and faculty on potential ways of improving the quality of life at ISyE.*
GSAC's overall role is to provide input to the associate chair for Graduate Studies as it relates to broad issues affecting graduate students in the school as well as to matters that have the potential to enhance the interface between graduate students and school faculty and administration. The committee consists of four, full-time graduate students, at least three of whom are pursuing Ph.Ds. Members are appointed by the associate chair for Graduate Studies, and term membership is two years. Current GSAC members include: Marco Gutierrez, Jessica Heier, Fatma Kilinc Karzan, and Chairperson Dan Steffy. ISyE's GSAC also hosts various activities such as intramural sports teams, the annual Fall Picnic, as well as relevant seminars for faculty and graduate students of the School.
]]>The program with Monterrey Tech began fall semester 2007, and it is Georgia Tech's first undergraduate level, dual-degree program with an international university. Currently, four students from ITESM are enrolled. They include: Patricio Bichara, Allam Garcia, Alejandro Leyva, and Hector Morales. Next year, six students plan on participating in the program. Overall, the experience provides a tremendous opportunity for students to learn more than just the engineering course work. It provides a background for unique employment opportunities and cultural experiences while integrating global competence into disciplinary curricula.
Below, ITESM students Patricio Bichara, Allam Garcia, and Alejandro Leyva discuss why they chose to participate in this unique program as they share experiences and reflect on important lessons learned.
Q: What made you decide to enroll in the dual degree program and come to Georgia Tech (GT)?
Alejandro: I was fortunate to be the first generation of this new dual-degree program between ITESM and GT. As soon as I heard I was a potential candidate for the program, I knew I wanted to participate. My decision was basically based on GT's #1 ranking in Industrial Engineering.
Patricio: The truth is I've wanted to come to GT since I graduated from high school. I always wanted to go to college in the U.S., but my high school didn't really encourage students to apply to schools abroad. So I entered ITESM, one of the best universities in Latin America, to study IE in an international program. The international component requires us to study 33% of our courses in a second language and study abroad for a year. After the first year, I still wanted to go to college in the U.S. I took the SAT and TOEFL to transfer, but my mom thought that two years abroad was a lot, so in the end, we decided on a one year program.
I looked at different options in the U.S., Australia, and Europe because I wanted to go to an excellent school with great professors in a big city. Georgia Tech was the obvious answer.
Allam: I decided to enroll in the program because Georgia Tech is a very prestigious university, especially in the field of Industrial Engineering where it provides a top quality education.
Q: How is GT perceived in your community at home?
Alejandro: As a university of high prestige, it is an honor for any student to study at Georgia Tech. The reputation of its graduates speaks for itself. I've had the opportunity to meet people in Mexico that studied at GT and their experiences were incredible. Every time I mention to people in my community that I study at GT, they know I'm in the best IE school in the U.S.
Patricio: GT has always been a well-known university, especially among engineers. Two of my uncles are alumni and I was familiar with its reputation, especially the IE school. But when I started the application process, I was amazed at how many people know Georgia Tech. In Monterrey, it is considered one of the greatest engineering schools.
Allam: GT is perceived as a school with a great reputation and one that is tough to get into.
Q: Did you have any mentors at GT? Or did you have any help for faculty and students at GT to help you get acclimated?
Patricio: Part of what I've found at GT is great people. Dr. Paul Griffin has been a fantastic mentor. He has been working with the people of ITESM to design this program for a couple of years. He has also helped a lot during the application process, and especially during our stay here. Patti Parker and Valarie DuRant-Modeste have also been very nice, helping us transfer the ITESM credits and choose which classes to take in each of our three semesters here.
Along the way, we've also had great help from the faculty and students. Our classmates have been really nice, especially during the first days when the professor wants you to look for a homework assignment on WebCT and you have no idea how to log in. Outside of class, several students and friends, many of them from the Hispanic organizations, have helped us solve everyday issues that are a factor when you live away from home.
Allam: There have been several people who have helped us throughout our time here at GT, among them are Patti Parker and Paul Griffin.
Alejandro: Yes, I consider Paul Griffin and Patti Parker, my academic advisors, as my mentors at GT. They have looked out for me since I got here, supported me academically and socially. They are really nice and have helped me through the process.
Q: How does GT compare with ITESM?
Alejandro: Although academically they are similar, GT has something extra that better prepares its students for the professional world. Also, the atmosphere at GT tries to encourage you to participate in more school activities.
Patricio: Both are well-known universities, with great engineering and business programs, but the main difference is that GT dedicates more resources to research while ITESM is a bigger university (it has campuses all across Mexico with almost 90,000 students). Academically, GT requires more personal commitment to study: you need to read the book, maybe do a few homework assignments, take one or two midterms, and a final exam. At ITESM, they put more pressure on you, and you learn by working a little harder: they take daily class attendance, you have three midterms per class, weekly homework, usually one project per midterm, and a final exam. In the end, at GT you study more. At ITESM, you work more.
Allam: Both GT and ITESM are very demanding universities and I have greatly enjoyed being part of both of them.
Q: What do you find most challenging here?
Patricio: We were the first class of this dual-degree program, and some details are still being fine-tuned. We realized we needed to take more classes than expected, which wasn't really that bad. At ITESM we take 7 classes per semester, but it means you have to find a way to divide your day in order to have enough time to go to class, study, do homework, help in different organizations, exercise, and go out and have fun. It can seem easy, but if you're taking many classes, things can get out of hand and you start to lose your sleeping hours.
Allam: What I find most challenging is the management of my time to avoid leaving things until the last minute.
Alejandro: Well, because I had to take a lot of classes for the completion of the dual degree program and because the time is limited to one year, my semesters have been really loaded, especially this last one. Allocating time to all the various school tasks has been really challenging.
Q: What is the most remarkable experience you had so far since you have been here?
Alejandro: Being able to meet exceptional students that share the same objectives that I have and, of course, Senior Design. Even though I'm still at an interim phase, I've learned a lot already. It has given me an opportunity to put in practice everything I've learned throughout my career.
Patricio: My most remarkable experience has definitely been the football games. One of the things I've been most anticipating is fall semester because of football season, and that first game against Samford was a day I'll never forget. Seeing all the people, wearing white and gold, cheering the yellow jackets, singing with the band, it's a wonderful feeling. I really think that is something ITESM is missing. Sadly in Monterrey, you don't see that many people wearing ITESM clothes, and although we're the national football champions, the students don't go to the games very much.
Allam: I don't think I could pin it down to just one remarkable experience. My whole time here has been filled with interesting events that have helped me improve, not only as a student, but as an individual as well.
Q: What advice would you give to another ITESM student who is interested in coming here for a dual degree program that would help to make their experience more successful?
Patricio: First, I would advise them which classes to take at ITESM so they can get credit at GT (which we have already done with the second class coming this spring). Then I would tell them to try to get involved in all that Tech has to offer (the student organizations, the CRC, Career Service, etc.). I would also tell them to plan the classes they're going to take throughout the 3 semesters so they are able to take advanced classes in their favorite track (Logistics, Manufacturing, EDA, etc.). Lastly, I would advise them to attend class because it's a very important factor in order to get good grades.
Allam: It's very easy to procrastinate, but if you avoid doing it as much as possible and go to class, you'll be successful in your studies. Also, get involved in student groups. There are a lot of interesting people you can meet in these groups.
Alejandro: Absolutely plan their academic load and anticipate the classes they will be taking in order to save a lot of stress and time. I've had a hard time managing my schedule as I've had to take some classes I could have taken in Mexico before coming to GT.
Q: What are your plans after graduation? Do you plan to work in Mexico, United States or somewhere else?
Patricio: I would love to work in something related to financial engineering or logistics. I'll probably work for a consulting firm in the U.S. to get more experience, and perhaps try to get a master's in IE at GT. After a few more years, I'd like to go back to school to get either an MBA or a PhD. After I finish grad school, I would like to go back to Mexico to work in the government or for an NGO. It would be selfish to have all this great education and opportunity and not use it to make Mexico a little better than how I found it 21 years ago. After all, we are all here to try to make a difference in the world.
Allam: This is a decision I have not made yet. My home country is Nicaragua and at the moment, I am considering working in any one of these three countries.
Alejandro: Well, I don't have any expectations about where I will work, but I can assure you that the work I will be doing is what I've studied to do.
Q: When you look for a career, how important is the idea of globalization in your search?
Patricio: Once a professor said to me that you need to prepare as well as you can. In today's world, we're not just competing with students from Mexico or the U.S., we are competing with students from all over the world. That is very apparent at GT, and the same goes for companies, nations, etc. Basically, the more we are able to experience different cultures, the better prepared we are going to be. Globalization also brings opportunity to study and work anywhere in the world, applying your knowledge and competencies to different organizations around the globe.
Allam: Given the future that I could potentially be working in different countries, I consider it of great importance to have a career that allows me to apply my skills to different regions, countries, and cultures.
Alejandro: These days, globalization has grown in such a way that it's almost impossible not to consider it when choosing a career. I believe that it's important to choose something you enjoy doing and definitely something that can be applied across frontiers.
]]>The award selection committee praised the paper saying "This paper is an impressive blend of theory, algorithm engineering, and computation that gives us a valuable new tool for solving a difficult and important class of problems.*
Vielma received his award at the 2007 INFORMS Annual Meeting in Seattle on November 4 where he gave a talk summarizing the contributions of the paper. This recognition is a significant honor for it is the first year that INFORMS Optimization Society has presented a student prize.
"Scholarly awards of this caliber are always gratifying for the student and his or her advisor(s) and I know that Juan Pablo and Professors Nemhauser and Ahmed are rightly proud of this particular accomplishment,* said Professor Gary Parker, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. "For me, it also provides strong testimony in justifying the efforts and resources that are needed in order to recruit Ph.D. students like Juan Pablo and to sustain the academic infrastructure in the School that inevitably enhances our ability to compete, fairly, for doctoral student talent at the highest level.*
Prior to joining the PhD program in ISyE, Vielma earned his BS and MS in Mathematical Engineering at the University of Chile. His research interests include linear and nonlinear integer programming and forestry applications of operations research.
]]>Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni
Allison Beard Luzier, IE 1996, is senior vice president and relationship underwriting team leader for the North Florida region of the Commercial Real Estate Bank of the Bank of America. Under her direction, Luzier's team underwrote $1 billion in loans in fiscal year 2006, and is slated to close $1.2 billion this year. Luzier is an enthusiastic advocate for the arts and downtown redevelopment in Tampa, Florida.
Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni
Ralph D. Malone, IE 1988, is president and chief executive officer of Electrical, Manufacturing and Assembly Operation for Triana Industries, Inc. (TII), a manufacturer of wire harnesses and cable assemblies, primarily servicing the automotive industry. In addition to his work at Triana, Malone serves as chief executive officer of Pendulum, a joint venture with Lear Corporation in Missouri. He is also owner and manager of several production and manufacturing businesses in Kentucky, Alabama, and North Carolina. Malone also had a professional career as a defensive end and special teams player in the NFL from 1986-1989, playing for Cleveland, Los Angles, and Miami.
John McKenney, IE 1990, is president and chief operating officer of McKenney's Inc., one the largest mechanical contractors in the Southeast with offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Chattanooga, Tennessee. A native of Atlanta, McKenney began his career with McKenney's as a co-op education student. Upon graduation, he joined the Trane Company in Charlotte as a sales engineer. He returned to McKenney's in 1997 and has held positions as project manager, senior project manager, vice president of Atlanta Construction, and now as president and chief operating officer. McKenney's is a third-generation Georgia Tech business, founded by McKenney's grandfather, John McKenney, BS Mgt 1932.
MG (ret) Conrad W. Ponder Jr., IE 1969, retired from the U.S. Army as Chief Integration Officer, CIO/G6 after thirty-seven years of active and reserve duty. Upon retirement from active service, he joined Booz Allen Hamilton in McLean, Virginia as a senior associate. His professional career in telecom and project management includes work with Union Camp Corporation, Thomas & Betts Corporation, and BellSouth. He holds a Professional Engineering license in the state of Georgia.
Krista Schuler Tillman, MS IE 1980, is a strategic consultant who has served twenty-eight years in the telecom industry at BellSouth where she developed her expertise in business strategy, operations management, public policy strategy, and new market assessment. In addition to her impressive career in telecom, Tillman is extensively involved in community board work, serving organizations in and around Charlotte, North Carolina.
]]>Morales was co-advised by Stewart School faculty members Dr. Alan Erera, and Dr. Martin Savelsbergh.
The TSL Dissertation Prize is the oldest and most prestigious honor for doctoral dissertations in the transportation science and logistics area. It is accompanied by a $500.00 honorarium. Morales received the award at the 2007 INFORMS Annual Meeting in Seattle on November 4.
Dr. Morales is currently a senior operations research specialist at BNSF Railway Company.
]]>"We are very proud of the four Georgia Tech researchers who were selected as Georgia Cancer Coalition scholars,* says Wayne Clough, president of Georgia Tech. "We're grateful to the Georgia Cancer Coalition for their generous support of Georgia's efforts to attract the world's top scientists and researchers not only to Georgia Tech, but also to other Georgia universities and organizations.*
Yuan is an assistant professor in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Information Science; an M.S. in Probability and Statistics and Computer Science, and earned his Ph.D. in Statistics at University of Wisconsin. In the study of breast cancer, Yuan is developing novel computation and mathematical approaches using a wide variety of data sources in order to stratify breast cancer into biologically distinct types and correlate them with outcome and therapy response. Yuan has developed revolutionary bioinformatics techniques to successfully address questions related to aging and diabetes; it is hoped that bioinformatics techniques can similarly address questions in various cancer studies.
The Coalition cooperates with Georgia's research universities, medical schools, hospitals and nursing programs to recruit research scientists, with the goal of strengthening the state's research talent, capacity and infrastructure.
Since its inception in 2001, the Georgia Cancer Coalition has named 113 Distinguished Scholars; 12 have been from Georgia Tech. Scholar funding is an investment not only in Georgia's future as a national leader in cancer control, but also is valuable in attracting increased funding to Georgia for cancer research. The sponsoring institutions must provide at least a dollar-for-dollar match. The review committee examines the scholars' history of grants, publications and patents and considers the researcher's potential for attracting future funding. In fiscal year 2007, Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholars were responsible for securing $47 million in privately and federally funded research grants to the state of Georgia. Scholar Selection is based on how the applicant's research relates to the goals of the Coalition, the research priorities of the National Cancer Institute and the strategic plan of the sponsoring institution. Each application is reviewed by both an external scientific review committee and an advisory review committee, appointed by the Coalition in cooperation with Georgia's research universities. Kate Canterbury, director of Research Programs, staffs the Coalition committees. Members rank scholars according to predetermined scientific and technical criteria.
"The National Cancer Institute has identified areas of discovery that hold promise for making significant progress against all cancers. The Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists program is the cornerstone of the Georgia Cancer Coalition's efforts to advance scientific discovery into the prevention, treatment, causes and cures of cancer. These scientists play an important role in positioning Georgia as a national leader in cancer research,* says Bill Todd, president and chief operating officer of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
The Georgia Cancer Coalition is an independent, not-for-profit organization that unites government agencies, academic institutions, civic groups, corporations and health care organizations in a concerted effort to strengthen cancer prevention, research and treatment in Georgia, with the ultimate goal of making Georgia one of the nation's premier states for cancer care. The mission is to reduce the number of cancer-related deaths in Georgia. The Coalition is the first of its kind in the nation and is fast becoming a national model.
]]>Faculty:
* William J. Cook, Lanchester Prize;
* Jim Dai , INFORMS Fellow;
* Bill Cooper, Tito Homem-de-Mello, and Anton Kleywegt, Revenue Management and Pricing Section Prize (Bill Cooper and Tito Homem-de-Mello are former Ph.D. students in the School)
* Ozlem Ergun, Finalist, JFIG Paper Competition
Students:
* Juan C. Morales, TSL Best Dissertation Prize, Co-advisors: Professors Alan Erera and Martin Savelsbergh;
* Juan Pablo Vielma, Optimization Society Student Paper Prize, Co-advisors: Professors George L. Nemhauser and Shabbir Ahmed;
* Richa Agarwal, Runner-Up, Computing Society Student Paper Competition, Advisor: Professor Ozlem Ergun;
* Alaa Elwany and Ying Hung, Finalists for their individual entries in the Quality Statistics and Reliability Best Student Paper competition, Elwany's advisor is Professor Nagi Gebraeel, and Hung's co-advisors are Professors Jeff Wu and Roshan Vengazhilyil; and
* Andreea Popescu, Honorable Mention, George B. Dantzig Dissertation Award, co-advised by Professors Ellis Johnson and Pinar Keskinocak.
"INFORMS is the largest professional society in the world for professionals in the field of operation research, and I couldn't be more pleased to see ISyE's faculty and students honored at this year's INFORMS meeting,* said Chelsea C. White III, ISyE School Chair. "Their exemplary contributions to the field of O.R. demonstrate our capabilities and show the depth of dedication to the field.*
More on INFORMS:
Established in 1995, INFORMS serves the scientific and professional needs of O.R. educators, investigators, scientists, students, managers, and consultants, as well as the organizations they serve. The society organizes national and international conferences for academics and professionals, as well as members of the society's special interest groups, permitting them to communicate and reach out to other professional societies, and the varied clientele of the profession's research and practice. For more information about INFORMS, visit www.informs.org.
"Being elected a fellow by INFORMS is a testament to the quality of work produced by Professor Dai,* said Chelsea C. White III, ISyE School Chair. "I and all of Jim's ISyE colleagues are very proud of this most deserved recognition.*
Professor Dai is a leading researcher in the applied probability community, focusing on stochastic processing networks. These networks have been used for the design, analysis and control of many complex systems including communication networks such as the Internet, manufacturing systems such as semiconductor wafer fabrication lines, and large service systems like customer call centers or web server farms. Professor Dai is also Fellow of Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS). He has served as an associate editor for Operations Research, Management of Science, Mathematics of Operations Research, and Queueing Systems. He is a founding editorial board member for Foundations and Trends in Stochastic Systems, and a founding associate editor for an IMS journal Probability Surveys. He served as Series Editor for Handbooks in Operations Research and Management Science, co-editing with J. K. Lenstra and G. L. Nemhauser.
The INFORMS Fellow Award recognizes members who have made significant contributions to the advancement of operations research and the management sciences, such contributions including service to the professional field and to INFORMS. Dai joins a prestigious list including nine other Stewart School faculty members who have received this honor.
Other ISyE recipients include:
Dr. John Bartholdi,
Dr. Augustine Esogbue,
Dr. John Jarvis,
Dr. Ellis Johnson,
Dr. George Nemhauser,
Dr. Donald Ratliff,
Dr. William Rouse,
Dr. Michael Thomas, and
Dr. Chelsea White III.
Kate Abercrombie and Jackie Griffin, both 2nd year Ph.D. students in ISyE, were selected to share this honor based on their academic and scholastic suitability, each receiving $500. The scholarship presentation was made at the NDTA luncheon, held on November 14, 2007 in Atlanta.
"This type of award is extremely important to support our Ph.D. students and demonstrates our strength in supply chain logistics* says Dr. Gary Parker, associate chair for graduate studies in ISyE. "We appreciate the generosity of the National Defense Transportation Association in establishing this scholarship.*
The objective of NDTA is to support, conduct and assist programs of transportation education, scientific research and development. These activities are carried out in coordination with private, industrial, educational and government agencies. They are designed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the U.S. transportation industry and enable it to meet national security needs.
]]>"I and all of Govind's colleagues at Georgia Tech are deeply saddened by this news,* said Chelsea C. White III, ISyE School chair. "Govind was a respected colleague who was devoted to his students and research. He will be missed by all*
"Govind was a true humanist -- he had a strong interest in and concern for human welfare, values, and dignity; more importantly, he 'walked the talk'; he practiced what he believed -- whether it was caring for the environment or the underprivileged in any part of the world -- a remote village in India or the oppressed in Myanmar (Burma),* said Sundaresan Jayaraman, Professor of Textile Engineering at the Georgia Tech and a close friend and colleague of Govind's. "He was always ahead of his time -- he was into 'Green' and 'Sustainability' long before 'CSR' or Corporate Social Responsibility became a 'label' that everyone today wants to 'wear' whether they believe in it or not. He was a man of integrity and simplicity who was uncompromising when it came to principles of fairness and doing the right thing. Above all, he was a dedicated and loving husband and a caring and doting dad. Indeed, he was unique -- he was Govind.*
Govind believed in doing serious work, but not taking himself too seriously. His work philosophy was to "always do research that was worth doing, and also to do it well.* And that he did. He was also a gentle man of great integrity.
"For Govind, matters of honor and decency were not casually assigned traits,* said Gary Parker, ISyE associate chair of graduate studies. "He set a very high bar for his own professional ethics, knowing full well that unwavering adherence to those measures did not always facilitate the most rapid route for career advancement. He will be greatly missed by his colleagues and by his students."
Dr. Govindaraj's primary research interests were in understanding and characterizing the role of humans in technologically complex environments, with scope ranging from well-defined engineered systems to globally distributed systems in which cultural, environmental, political, and social factors were significant. In the past, the focus of his research was on cognitive systems engineering issues. More recently, he worked to enlarge the scope to include ecological, economic, and social considerations in human systems. In addition to studying human-system/computer interaction, mainly to develop computer-based systems to assist human operators in complex, real-life, engineered environments, he was investigating the design of systems and environments that are not only "just* usable by human operators, but are also pleasant to use while contributing to sustainable development over the long run.
"Professor Govind was my mentor, a great person, a fabulous professor, and foremost my friend," said Luis Herrera. "He was my PhD thesis adviser. He guided me throughout my research, and gave me his unconditional support. Thanks to him I was able to complete my research. He was going to hood me during commencement. I am terribly shocked and saddened by his loss.*
On the instructional side, Govind believed that "young minds are more likely to invent innovative solutions to the complex problems of sustainable systems.* Therefore, he taught an Honors Program course on Engineering Sustainable Systems. In this course, students were designing a sustainable city as an example for other cities around the world.
Stephanie Lu, one of the students in this class, included comments on Professor Govindaraj's class in the December issue of the Honors Program newsletter.
"Dr. Govindaraj taught us more than we ever expected about sustainability * what it is, different ways of looking at it, what issues it presents, how to solve those issues in more ways than the obvious ones, how to solve those issues in our own fields of study, how to look more holistically at issues and at how solutions are intertwined and can overlap. Last, but certainly not least, this seminar is fun. We don't merely work in class; we spend time with each other, as friends rather than classmates, something unachievable in a regular, lecture-based class.*
For all his students, Govind was considered a guide in the process of learning instead of the traditional professor.
"Professor Govindaraj was one of the best and most accessible teachers I have had here at Georgia Tech,* said Alex Kennedy. "His teaching style was unique in the fact that he treated his students as equals. He was always eager to exchange ideas with us and expand our knowledge of the world around us through guided discussions. I have learned a good deal from him this semester and I truly feel for his family, I know what a devoted father and husband he was.*
T. Govindaraj was a dedicated professor, a loving husband, father, and friend. He is survived by his wife, Renuka, and their daughter, Thendral, his mother, two sisters and two brothers. His Memorial Service was held on Sunday, December 9, 2007.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent in his name to the Friends School of Atlanta, 121 Sams St., Dectaur, GA, 30030 or to the Association for India's Development, Atlanta: http://aidindia.org/main/.
]]>INFORMS Committee Chair John Birge and INFORMS President Brenda Dietrich cited the following statement about the publication and research of Applegate, Bixby, Chvatal, and Cook:
"The traveling salesman problem (TSP) is to find the least expensive way to visit a collection of cities and return to the beginning. This simply stated problem combined with its seeming intractable solution has, over the past century, made the TSP the defining problem for computational optimization and even for computational science in general. While the TSP is now well-known in popular culture as well as in OR/MS, its history, the applications beyond the routing of itinerant vendors, and the variety of solution methodologies had not been assembled until now. Applegate, Bixby, Chvatal and Cook's book The Traveling Salesman Problem: A Computational Study combines the history, the applications and the most advanced methods for solution in a definitive treatment of this definitive problem.
In presenting solution methods, the book describes in clear and instructive terms how to build efficient procedures for the basic optimization mechanisms of linear programming, branch-and-bound, cutting planes, and iterative improvement. The authors then show how to combine these myriad processes into a powerful optimization machine capable of solving to optimality problems with tens of thousands of cities. They also provide challenges for improvements and sources for new directions to the TSP and other large combinatorial problems. To allow future researchers the chance to examine and build on their work directly, the authors have made publicly available their entire computer code.
Besides providing a comprehensive view of all that is involved in solving the TSP, the book's flowing narrative blends the pieces together in a steady progression that captivates the reader. In describing the latest applications, such as gene sequencing, data mining and X-ray crystallography, the book also shows the reach of OR/MS into multiple new domains. In all respects, The Traveling Salesman Problem: A Computational Study represents the best of OR/MS history, present, and future.*
Dr. Cook is the third faculty member in the Stewart School of ISyE to have received this prestigious honor, following Dr. Ellis Johnson (1983) and Dr. George Nemhauser (1977 and 1989). The Lanchester prize is awarded for the best contribution to operations research and the management sciences published in English.
]]>"We want the parents of our students to feel connected and Family Weekend is a great way for the parents to stay in touch and get a feel for campus life today,* said Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies Paul Griffin. "It's also a great way to showcase the research and academic programs of the School.*
During the reception, parents and students interacted with School faculty and staff at a reception in the atrium. They also got a chance to participate in a presentation by Dr. Griffin where he discussed the undergraduate program including the new academic tracks that increase curriculum flexibility. Griffin also talked about the various career opportunities that await upcoming graduates.
As an added perspective, students Celia Dayagi and Kelly Webb, both undergraduate seniors and officers in Alpha Pi Mu, IE's honors society, spoke to the group offering advice on how to be successful in the program as well as how students can position themselves so that they are successful in finding their career of choice.
The Georgia Tech Family Weekend is hosted by the Alumni Association, and began early Friday morning and lasted until the kickoff of the football game Saturday. Throughout the weekend, families were offered several stimulating, challenging, entertaining and fun events they could attend. Participants enjoyed informative seminars, tours of campus, and a tailgate on the famous Tech Tower lawn to name a few.
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