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Collaborating with the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering


Are you an alumni or industry friend who is interested in collaborating with the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISyE) at Georgia Tech? ISyE works closely with a wide network of collaborators. This page describes some of the most commonly employed mechanisms for industry collaboration. However, this is by no means an exhaustive list and we are always eager to explore new and creative ways to collaborate with our alumni and industry friends.

I. Industry-University Research & Project Opportunities

II. Student & Course Enrichment

  • Presentations and Other Learning Opportunities for Classes
  • Tours of Industry Facilities
  • Mentoring Students
  • Speaking Opportunities for Student Groups
  • Sponsorship Opportunities for Student Events

III. Recruiting and Career Placement

IV. Continuing Professional Education

Please contact Nancy Sandlin, director of development for ISyE, to discuss opportunities for collaboration or philanthropic opportunities.

I. Industry-University Research & Project Opportunities:

Research and teaching, people and ideas, and innovations and initiatives—all are integral to an extraordinary vision for the future.  For our industry partners, ISyE can play a strong role by providing a test-bed for developing and prototyping new technologies and innovations. Our industry partners have opportunities to engage faculty and students to help develop more informed talent that meets your company’s business needs.

Senior Design Projects (BS in Industrial Engineering): 

During the fourth year of undergraduate study all ISyE students work on a Senior Design Project.  Each project team includes four to eight senior students and is led by an ISyE faculty member.  This program provides a unique opportunity for companies and organizations to partner and interact with a team of bright, creative, and dedicated students, and is truly a win-win collaboration for both the students and industry partners. Considered to be the most important and most challenging undergraduate industrial engineering course, Senior Design pushes students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to solve a complex real-world problem that has a defined bottom-line impact for a corporation. The average project value runs in the six figures.  Many enterprises have problems that can be successfully studied and solved by a small group of industrial engineering students working for experience and academic credit. Senior design teams select projects before the start of fall and spring semester.  Students’ select their own projects from a portfolio of proposed projects submitted by sponsoring organizations. 

For more on sponsoring a Senior Design project, visit the Senior Design website.

Senior Design provides students with an opportunity to apply their classroom education toward solving real-world problems in a collaborative environment.  The participating companies and organizations benefit from “a fresh set of eyes and new approaches to some very perplexing problems,” said Ed Rogers, global strategy manager for UPS corporate strategy. “The best teams typically demonstrate an enthusiastic inquisitiveness, excellent analytical skills, and creative yet realistic implementable solutions.”

Capstone Industry Projects (MS in Supply Chain Engineering)

All master-level graduate students in supply chain engineering complete an industry sponsored Capstone Project during the last four months of their curriculum.  The MS in Supply Chain Engineering is a professional practice oriented graduate degree program created to meet the growing demand for business-savvy engineers who can design and synchronize highly complex global supply chains. The program's intensive 12-month curriculum delivers academic knowledge in analytic methods, supply chain engineering, and enterprise management while building professional practice skills and real-world industry experience.

The summer (May-July) term is dedicated to the Capstone Industry Project in which students apply their knowledge and skills to a real-world supply chain engineering/management project. Students work in teams with faculty and a professional mentor for support. Prior to the summer term, team assignments are determined, and teams select specific projects from a portfolio of projects offered by potential sponsors (business, government, and international nongovernment organizations). Each sponsoring organization provides operational support for the project team and assigns a mentor to actively work with the team during the project. During the term, teams complete both field work periods (typically on-site at industry site) and on-campus work periods (preparing and presenting project outcomes.) 

For more information about sponsoring a Capstone Industry Project contact the Program Director at: http://www.sce.gatech.edu/contact/

Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL): Industry Programs

The Supply Chain & Logistics Institute provides global leadership for industry research, education and outreach in supply chain engineering. We define "Supply Chain Engineering" as the application of scientific principles to optimize the design and integration of supply chain processes, infrastructure, technology and strategy. While SCL has resources and programs in supply chain management, its primary focus is on development of new tools for analysis, design and management of logistics processes, and new concepts and strategies for the practice of supply chain engineering.

SCL industry research is focused on:

  • Supply Chain Strategy
  • Supply Chain Management and Technology
  • Global Transportation
  • Warehousing and Distribution
  • Manufacturing Logistics
  • Resource Scheduling
  • Health and Humanitarian Logistics
  • Integrated Food Chains
  • Supply Chain Management and Technology
  • Wine Supply Chain Council

Most of these industry research activities are coordinated through various industry outreach partnerships including:

  • Leaders in Logistics - an annual membership program focused on teaming member companies with Georgia Tech faculty and graduate students to work on research projects of mutual interest.  The core component of the Leaders in Logistics partnership is in-context research, generating new knowledge, new tools, and new insights related to a topic of interest important to the industry partner.
  • Supply Chain Executive Forum - a semi-annual forum on the Georgia Tech campus bringing together industry executives and experts to discuss critical supply chain issues and challenges.
  • Wine Supply Chain Council - organized by SCL, the Council focuses on the global distribution of quality wines; council members are drawn from academic and research organizations in Europe, United States, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.
  • Industry Studies - In addition to the above described industry programs, SCL also performs a variety of independent studies and surveys each year for its industry communities.

SCL also operates the Georgia Tech Panama Logistics Innovation & Research Center, Georgia Tech Costa Rica Trade Innovation & Productivity Center, Georgia Tech Mexico Trade & Logistics Innovation Center, and was a partner in the establishment of The Logistics Institute Asia Pacific at the National University of Singapore.

For more information, contact Jaymie Forrest, Director of the Supply Chain & Logistics Institute.

Industry Research Opportunities:

The faculty and graduate students in ISyE regularly work with corporations and other organizations to perform in-context research that provides new knowledge, tools, and insights related to the immediate interest of business partners. These projects are organized with individual faculty or small groups of faculty.

For further information, contact Nancy Sandlin.


II. Student & Course Enrichment

ISyE solicits industry executives from a variety of fields to interact directly with ISyE students through class presentations, panels, and lectures to inspire and steep students in real-world problems and solutions.  Here are a few of the ways you can interact and enrich our students’ academic experience.

  • Presentations and Other Learning Opportunities for Classes
  • Tours of Industry Facilities
  • Mentoring Students (Executive Panels, Brown Bags, Resume Critiques, and more.)
  • Speaking Opportunities for Student Groups
  • Sponsor Student Events (examples include student competitions, picnics, information sessions, etc.)

Caterpillar, Inc. has been an active recruiter on the Georgia Tech campus, and wanted to get more involved in the classroom. For instance, Caterpillar brought their supply chain simulation game into the classroom allowing ISyE students to participate. The game incorporates Caterpillar’s guiding principles focusing on manufacturing engineering and supply chain logistics, demonstrating the benefits of proper inventory management, business flow, and the importance of meeting customers’ needs. By exposing students to the complex objectives and constraints involved in a manufacturing process, such as responsiveness to customer demand and removal of waste, the game provided the students with a very practical hands-on approach to some ISyE concepts.

For more information contact Nancy Sandlin.


IV. Continuing Professional Education

Supply Chain & Logistics Institute Custom Programs, Short Courses, and Certificate Programs:

The Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute offers a comprehensive professional education curriculum in supply chain and logistics. You can select short courses for an in-depth knowledge of a specific topic or enroll in one of the below multi-course certificate programs for a complete and highly sought after supply chain education.

 

Contact Information


Please contact Nancy Sandlin, director of development for ISyE, to discuss opportunities for collaboration.

Nancy Sandlin
Director of Development
Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering
755 Ferst Drive
Atlanta, GA 30332-0205
Phone: 404-385-7458
nancy.sandlin@isye.gatech.edu

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