Every couple of years, the department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering (IMSE) makes a special effort to bring groups of alumni back to campus. This year all IMSE alumni were invited back -- and enjoyed a very special surprise.  

The event on September 14, hosted by Drs. Swatantra Kachhal and Adnan Aswad, drew about 30 alumni and emeriti faculty back to campus for dinner to reminisce, catch up and see what the department is doing. Alumni who attended included Tom Helzerman (BSEIE '67, MSE ‘91), Marlin Thomas (BSEIE '67, MSE '68, Ph.D. '71), Dennis Kirchoff (BSEIS '79), Phil Lavender (BSEIE '68), Keith Talbot (BSEIS '80), Richard Anderson (BSEIE '76, MSE '82) and Bob Matsura (BSEIE '72, MBA '77).

The highlight of the evening was the announcement of a new, named scholarship in honor of Dr. Kachhal. This endowed fund will provide support for future IMSE students for many years to come. Dr. Kachhal was quite surprised. "I had no idea anything like this was going to happen," he said. "I am so pleased and very proud of our alumni for supporting future students. That the endowed fund will be in my name is very humbling."

Dr. Kachhal has been chairman of the department for 25 years and has always been highly regarded by his students. "Dr. Kachhal has had such an enormous impact on so many Engineering students at UM-Dearborn," said Dennis Kirchoff, a former student. "He's been here for half the life of the campus, so he's been an integral part of the lives of hundreds of IMSE alumni. This scholarship fund is our way of saying thanks for all he's done."

An anonymous gift was made to start the fund. But it can be added to at any time, in any amount. Those interested in making a gift to this endowed fund should contact Mike Stein, Director of Development, at mjshd@umd.umich.edu or (313) 583-6744.

 

Dr. Yung-wen Liu, an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, is working with several researchers from Henry Ford Health System on development of the Markovian simulation models and cost-effectiveness methods for investigating long term (five-year) benefits gained through the increase of the annual mammography rate for the African-American employees in the United States.   The benefits include the increases of life expectancy and quality adjusted life years (QALYs), decreases of medical care costs, missing employment hours and turnover costs.

The College of Engineering & Computer Science will offer its Industrial & Systems Engineering graduate program (MSE-ISE) via distance learning technologies beginning with the Fall 2007 semester.

I&SE courses scheduled for the Fall semester include Human Factors & Ergonomics and Probability & Statistics. Students currently enrolled in the campus-based program are eligible to register for these courses. Prospective students that would like additional information about this or other distance learning programs offered through CECS may contact Susan Guinn at 313-593-4000, by email at sguinn@umich.edu or visit http://dln.engin.umd.umich.edu.