Message from the Chair
Welcome. We send you this newsletter in the hope that it keeps you connected to IME and informed about department events, developments, and achievements.
One of the things we teach in IME is "continuous improvement," and we apply it to ourselves. We continue to be among the nation's highest ranked IE and MfgE programs year after year, but we are always looking for ways to improve our programs and take them to the next level. Each year, incoming students continue to push the boundaries as well and break new records of excellence. Their interests are also shifting with increasing attention to the environment, clean energy, community service, health systems, etc.
We have outstanding and dedicated faculty in IME, who continue to apply principles of continuous improvement principles to their teaching and research projects during very tight budget conditions. They focus on what is best for our students. The IME faculty is very much committed to the "learn by doing" philosophy, engaging students in a wide range of projects, many in collaboration with students and faculty from other departments and colleges. Some of these projects are featured in this newsletter.
Dr. Kurt Colvin returned from his Welliver Faculty Fellowship at Boeing, and he is currently working with a team of students on the "human powered helicopter" challenge. Dr. Lizabeth Schlemer exceeded expectations while taking on the graduate project management class known as "Poly House" during Professor Roya Javadpour's sabbatical. This was the sixth year of Poly House, and we intend to continue and enhance this highly successful project. Dr. Tali Freed develops projects in which teams of students design, test and integrate RFID technology with databases and information systems for real industrial customers. Dr. Dan Waldorf proposed an innovative teaching methodology that can literally turn the classroom "inside-out." Dr. John Pan engages students from various disciplines in research projects on electronics manufacturing.
Our industrial advisory board (IAB) members are gearing up to teach an IME technical elective course on "Lean and Six-Sigma." Every week, an industry expert teaches an aspect of Lean or Six-Sigma, including best practices, cases, examples from their organizations and practical lessons learned. This is the second year this class will be offered, and although the first time was a great success, the IAB members are brainstorming continuous improvements.
Cal Poly will have its Open House on April 15th and 16th, 2011. We hope to see you at the IME hospitality room! In addition, we plan to hold the annual IME Banquet on Thursday, May 19, 2011 and we invite you to attend.
In fact, we invite alumni and their families to visit any time. We want to see you and hear about your successes. Stay posted, we are starting a Linked-In group for IME alumni and friends.
Jose A. Macedo
Return to the Winter 2011 Newsletter.