The Department of Industrial Engineering started with an $84,000 investment and is now a thriving community of scholars celebrating its 40th year and ranking among the top programs in the nation.

As we commemorate 40 years of excellence in Clemson Industrial Engineering, I’m proud to share the many ways our community continues to thrive and lead. This milestone is more than a celebration of our history—it’s a reflection of the incredible people who shape our department every day. In this edition of our newsletter, you’ll read about inspiring alumni who are making an impact in their fields and connecting back to Clemson IE, faculty and students who are earning top honors, and new initiatives that position us at the forefront of research and innovation.

Our graduate program was again ranked as No. 17 among public universities, a sign of faculty depth in research and instruction. We partnered with Prisma Health in the creation of a new Center for Human Factors in Health Care. And we are balancing our core strengths in operations research and human factors with new course offerings in engineering data analytics and machine learning applications in industrial engineering.

Our students continue to lead with purpose, as seen in the IISE student organization spotlight. Our IISE students are also busy preparing to host next year’s student-led regional conference. We also recognize Morteza Soltani, who was honored by the students, department and college for being an outstanding teaching assistant and instructor.

And finally, our alumni like Brittany Sanders-Bell, named to Clemson’s Roaring10, and the honorees of our 2025 “Inspiring Excellence” IE Alumni Awards embody the ideals we champion. These stories represent the energy, talent and dedication that define Clemson IE—and I’m truly honored to serve as chair during such a dynamic time.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our department, and we wish you a wonderful summer ahead.

Sincerely,
Kevin Taaffe, Ph.D.
Harriet and Jerry Dempsey Professor and Department Chair
Department of Industrial Engineering

The Department of Industrial Engineering Newsletter is published by the Department and the PROMO Office in Clemson University’s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.

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