College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) Welcomes Four New Members
The College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) is pleased to announce four new academic members elected to the council for 2020. We asked them about their interest and what they are looking forward to as members of the council and MHI.
Dr. Jennifer Pazour
Associate Professor
Department of Industrial and System Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Dr. Timothy Matis
Associate Professor
Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering
Texas Tech University
Dr. Sadan Kulturel-Konak
Professor of Management Information Systems
Director, Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Center
Penn State Berks
Dr. Michael Kuhl
Professor and Director, ISE Graduate Program
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Rochester Institute of Technology
How did you learn about MHI and CICMHE?
JP: I was a recipient of the MHEFI scholarships as a Ph.D. student. This gracious support allowed me to focus on my research on order-fulfillment technology and it also exposed me to MHI and CICHME.
TM: I have had several close colleagues over the years who have been part of CICHME and recall several conversations in which they would talk about projects that they were working on. Also, I attended the impressive MHI sponsored MODEX trade show in Atlanta several years ago.
SK: I have known about MHI and CICMHE since I was a graduate student as my research interest falls in modeling and optimization of complex systems using exact solution methods and metaheuristic techniques with the primary application areas being Facility Logistics, such as Material Handling, Facility Layout, and Facility Location. I strongly believe that MHI with both academic and non-academic members impacts our educational society and businesses through organized events, publications, lecture notes, case studies, news, and blogs.
MK: I have been aware of MHI and CICMHE for many years through student participation in material handling competitions and colleagues involved in the organization. I became more keenly aware of all that MHI and CICMHE do as my research program at RIT has moved toward the design and development of intelligent material handling systems for warehouse and production systems. After attending several MHI events including the MHI Annual Meeting, ProMat, and MODEX, my interest and involvement in the organization have grown and I am now extremely excited to serve as a member of CICMHE.
What excites you about joining the Council?
JP: It is an exciting time to be in material handling and logistics, and I am fortunate to be involved in these fields as an educator and a researcher. The council provides a unique opportunity for me to learn about timely and critical problems in material handling. Such knowledge and connections will be used to motivate my research and to excite students about the world of material handling, encouraging them to join this industry after graduation.
TM: I have worked closely with industry throughout my academic career, finding ways to adapt and apply the research being performed at universities in solving practical problems in industrial contexts. Joining the esteemed council at CICHME provides the opportunity to continue my passion for collaborating with industry in the space of material handling.
SK: I am truly honored and humbled to work with the esteemed members of the Council. Through my involvement in CICMHE, I would like to help increase the awareness and development of Material Handling and Facility Logistics both in research and educational settings by fostering valuable projects. I have served to both the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences (INFORMS) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) serving as Chair of ASEE Mid Atlantic Section, the president of INFORMS-WORMS (Women in Operations Research and Management Science), and the chair of INFORMS- Transportation Science and Logistics (TSL) Society- Facility Logistics Special Interest Group. These leadership roles were very rewarding. I am excited to see how I can leverage my knowledge and experiences gained through these professional societies, higher education, and K-12 outreach, in the US and overseas, through my involvement in the CICMHE.
MK: From an industry-academic connection standpoint, I am excited to help foster the translation of discovery through university research to practice in the industry, and learning about the methods and opportunities the material handling industry to enable material handling education and conduct meaningful research for the material handling industry. From a personal standpoint, I am excited to engage with leaders in the material handling industry.
How do you envision connecting with members in the industry as members of CICMHE?
JP: I am excited to interact with industry members through MHI events. I am an advocate for youth to pursue engineering and logistics careers, and I am always looking for challenging supply chain and logistics problems to motivate my research and incorporate it into my classes.
TM: The entire membership of CICHME consists of individuals who have a rigorous academic background and whose profession affords them the time to deeply understand and develop emerging technologies related to material handling. One area of recent interest by many in the industry is how to use machine learning to improve operational efficiency productivity, and safety, which is an area that I study. Being part of CICHME, I can help move areas such as machine learning beyond buzz words to help members of the industry truly understand how it might be used in a material handling context. I am just one researcher, and this is just one example, yet CICHME provides the structure to harness many of us together to create synergy in our efforts around themes of interest to industry.
SK: My very active involvement with the Institute for Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Local Chapter, Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center (mainly with small businesses and healthcare industry) and Greater Reading Chamber of Alliance will continue helping me make connections with industry members in my local communities and better understand the challenges in the industry, such as local and global competitions, requirements, etc. I will broaden my involvement with the local industry members by facilitating research in Material Handling and Facility Layout in practice. Furthermore, there is no doubt that as an academic member of CICMHE, I will learn and foster a great deal of best practices in building stronger bridges between academia and practice.
MK: Through MHI meetings and tradeshows, I envision connecting with members from the industry. Through these networking opportunities, I hope to engage with MHI members about the opportunities and issues facing the material handling industry. I believe that by working together we will be able to advance the state-of-the-art in material handling.
To contact these or other members of CICMHE or to learn more the Council, visit MHI.org/CICMHE
