Two professors in the Department of Industrial Engineering received prestigious awards from the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers during the group’s annual meeting in May.
Professor Chase Rainwater, who also serves as department head, was awarded the title of fellow, which recognizes outstanding leaders of the profession who have made significant, nationally recognized contributions to industrial and systems engineering. A fellow is the highest classification of membership in the institute.
In addition, University Professor Manuel Rossetti received the Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award, which recognizes educators who contribute significantly to the industrial engineering profession through teaching, research, publication, extension, innovation or administration. The annual award is nomination-based and is judged on evidence of teaching excellence, research accomplishment and innovation in teaching and learning, among other factors.
Together, Rainwater and Rossetti led an innovative change to the computing offerings in the department’s undergraduate program. This effort resulted in a two-semester computing sequence designed specifically for sophomore-level industrial engineering students. The courses present core programming and computing concepts in the context of fundamental industrial engineering problems. The duo was recognized internationally with the 2021 Innovations in Education Competition from IISE.
Rainwater’s research and teaching interests include supply chain logistics, security and food safety. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Education, as well as multiple national labs, nonprofit organizations and companies.
Rossetti’s research and teaching interests include the design, analysis and optimization of logistics, manufacturing, health care and transportation systems using computer simulation and operations research techniques.