Dr. Sandra D. Eksioglu, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This is NSF’s most prestigious grant award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research.
Dr. Eksioglu’s research objective is to build mathematical models for integrated supply chain design and management for biofuels. The goal is to improve the performance of the supply chain and consequently increase the practicality of biofuels as a source of energy. The research has the potential to positively impact our society by creating substantial economic value for farmers and biorefineries. Another major contribution of this grant award will be its impact on the education of undergraduate and graduate students at Mississippi State.
This is an outstanding accomplishment, and we are very proud of Dr. Eksioglu. For additional details about the grant award, go to this website.
Carl Brown, Lab Operations Supervisor for Industrial and Systems Engineering, won one of the 2011 Support Staff Awards given at the Bagley College of Engineering spring picnic. Carl provides excellent technical support and service to the department. The students, faculty, and staff are proud that Carl has received this recognition.
Halston Hales, a senior in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is one of six undergraduate students that have earned a place in the 2011 Bagley College of Engineering’s Student Hall of Fame.
In his role as the Student Association’s attorney general, Halston Hales helped establish the Dawghouse Deals program, a campus-wide garage sale for charity aimed at reducing the waste generated when students move out of residence halls. He also helped create an international studies certificate and served as a representative on the international programs and study abroad committee.
Halston has been an active member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and the Lambda Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Pi Mu honor societies. Halston has served as an orientation leader and participated in the 2008 study abroad program in France. A Shackouls Honors College member, he has also served as a mentor to Starkville elementary and middle school students and a research assistant in the MSU alternative fuels laboratory. He plans to pursue a doctoral degree in order to become a university professor.
Dr. Lesley Strawderman, ISE Assistant Professor, is one of the newest members of the Bagley College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Her selection was based on nomination letters from Mississippi State administrators, faculty, and students that highlighted her dedication to teaching.
Professor Strawderman specializes in courses and research involving human factors and ergonomics. She actively seeks out new ways to reach students and help them on their paths to graduation. Dr. Strawderman has developed courses for distance education and preparatory sessions for students taking the fundamentals of engineering exam. She is active in the American Society for Engineering Education’s industrial engineering division. Professor Strawderman earned a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Penn State University.
Dr. Strawderman is an exemplary educator, and the faculty, staff, and students are delighted that her success and dedication to educating top caliber engineers has been recognized by the Academy.
Jerry Redmond, B.S.I.E., 1988, was one of ten esteemed alumni of the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering to be named a distinguished engineering fellow in 2011. Recognized for their commitment and dedication to the engineering profession, these MSU graduates are part of a tradition of excellence within the college of engineering.
Jerry Redmond is senior vice president of operations and supply chain management for Andersen Corp., located near the Twin Cities in Bayport, Minn. Prior to joining Andersen, Redmond worked for the Whirlpool Corp. in a variety of senior leadership roles including president, Whirlpool Mexico; general manager, Whirlpool Canada; and plant manager of the Oxford, Miss., division. His other interests include Habitat for Humanity, STEM community support, coaching youth sports, and all things associated with Mississippi State where he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 1988. He earned a master’s in business administration from Northwestern University in 2000. Originally from Moss Point, Miss., he currently resides in St. Paul, Minn. He has been married for 23 years to Donette (Wilson), an MSU alumnus from the school of accountancy, and they have three very active children.
Mary “Ginny” Sewall, a senior in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has earned a scholarship for the 2011-12 academic year from the world’s largest engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi.
Ginny has maintained a 4.0 GPA during her time at Mississippi State and was recently named Most Outstanding Senior from MSU by the Mississippi Engineering Society. She has been active in Delta Gamma sorority, Campus Activities Board, and the Student Association. She serves as an undergraduate researcher and has worked as a camp counselor for the BCoE’s QUEST program, which introduces high school seniors to engineering research.
Tau Beta Pi began its scholarship program in 1998. When evaluating applications, the award committees look for high scholarship, strong faculty recommendations, definite extracurricular contributions, unusual promise of substantial achievement, and a program through which accomplishment will advance the interest of the engineering profession.
Out of 22 students from across the university to be given the 2011 Spirit of State Award, Nibeer Dewan, a junior in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is recognized as having made exceptional personal contributions to student life at Mississippi State.
Nibeer has been involved in Mississippi State activities from the moment he started classes. This year he became president of our student group, Institute of Industrial Engineers. He is involved with REPS, our student group that represents and recruits students for our department. He is also a Student Association Cabinet member and an Indian Student Association Executive officer.
The Bagley College of Engineering Faculty Excellence Awards are $10,000 project awards to recognize outstanding contributions of both academic and research faculty with an emphasis on economic impact in the State of Mississippi.
The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering faculty winners are Dr. Kari Babski-Reeves, Dr. Ming Jin, and Dr. Sandra Eksioglu.
The StatePride Awards are one-time $2,500 financial awards. The awards recognize outstanding performance in keeping with the university’s tri-fold mission of teaching, research and service.
The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering faculty winners are Dr. Kari Babski-Reeves, Dr. Sandra Eksioglu, Dr. Ming Jin, and Dr. John Usher.
Mississippi State University’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Extension office is being recognized nationally for its work with a Clay County manufacturing facility.
The project, officially titled “The Role of MSU’s CAVS Extension in Supporting Rapid Commercialization at Navistar Defense’s Plant in West Point, MS,” is a finalist in the University Economic Development Association’s 2010 Awards of Excellence competition. The project was presented at the competition by Clay Walden (Director of CAVS Extension and ISE faculty member) and Glenn Dennis (Manager Engineering Extension and ISE Alumni. According to Clay Walden, the recognition is the result of Mississippi State’s commitment to the communities it serves.
In West Point, CAVS Extension engineers led Navistar’s manufacturing system development, including the use of advanced modeling and simulation techniques, to help the company enhance its production of mine-resistant armored protection vehicles, commonly called MRAPs, for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The CAVS Extension team will attend the association’s Higher Education Institutions as Catalysts for Economic Development summit and present Mississippi State’s project in November. The winner of the 2010 Award of Excellence in Business Assistance and Entrepreneurship also will be announced.