Greetings from Clemson IE! I always enjoy the opportunities I have to share what exciting things are going on within our Department. And this issue is no different. We add to our faculty and staff every year, and our student body gives us so many reasons to be proud of their accomplishments as well. As we kick off the 2023-2024 academic year, Clemson IE is positioned well for success and for being a top public IE department in research, its academic mission and community service. Here are just some of the recent highlights coming out of Clemson IE.

The faculty has won several awards in recent months. Colleagues Jackie Cha and Dan Li were awarded a National Science Foundation grant for their goal to design new human-centered algorithms to detect, identify and mitigate cyber attacks in the robotic surgery infrastructure. Also, Qi Luo and Amin Khademi received funding from the National Science Foundation’s Operations Engineering Program to uncover innovative patient treatment outcomes in the medical field, which will span from 2023-2026. And using her expertise on exoskeleton research, Jessica Aviles was also a recipient of the competitive Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute Scholarship Seed Grant for her research centered around exoskeleton marathon racing and medical field improvements. 

Our faculty have been recognized for their leadership and service. We are proud to have Bill Ferrell, who has been selected as the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Vice President for the Mid-Atlantic Region. We also extend congratulations to Joel Greenstien for being named an I.D.E. Clemson University Emeritus College Fellow. He served the Department as a faculty member for 31 years and has spent six years as Emeritus Faculty since his retirement. 

We also have two new faculty members in Clemson IE. Raul Chavez-Negrete joins us as a Professor of Practice and coordinator of our professional degree programs, and Archis Ghate joins us as the Fluor Endowed Chair Professor. We are thrilled to have them expand our reach with their teaching and research expertise and the impact they will have on our undergraduate and graduate students. 

Not to be outdone, our students demonstrate their ability to succeed in leadership, service and research. In June, Malik Balogun, a recent Clemson IE graduate, and his mother, Sonya Spatley Balogun, were both featured in the Clemson World University magazine, where they were highlighted on their accomplishments and contributions. Malik was Clemson’s 2022-2023 Student Body Class President, where his mission was to make our University a more welcoming place for all, while Sonya helped guide Clemson IE as a member of its Advisory Board and served a three-year term on the Clemson Alumni Association Board of Directors. Clemson IE has a strong bond with its alumni and continues to foster connections between current students and alumni in the workforce. Turning to research, Alec Gonzales, a Clemson IE Ph.D. student, has also been awarded first place in the People and Systems category for the Thesis Pitch Award during the IISE Annual Conference and Expo 2023. His achievement earns recognition at the national level for medical improvements, which serves as an inspiration to others competing in future years.

Our achievements to date are due to the tireless efforts of our dedicated and passionate faculty, staff and students. Equally important is how our Clemson IE alumni make their mark in society and the IE profession, and we stand prepared to build upon these national achievements going forward. As a department that fosters growth in all areas, I am confident in our future endeavors to continue making Clemson IE a premier destination for students and researchers worldwide. 

Kevin Taaffe, Ph.D.
Harriet & Jerry Dempsey Professor and 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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