In response to student demand,  the College of Engineering has announced the creation of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, a specialty that up until now was part of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

The ways in which people interface with technology and the integration of technology into our daily lives fall under the umbrella of systems engineering, a field that is growing rapidly as operating systems—including application software and management tools—become more sophisticated.

“This new emphasis reflects the shift of this profession over the last decade and highlights the utility of traditional industrial engineering skills in the broader areas in which they are applied, including transportation, human factors, logistics, service, manufacturing and healthcare,” says Alec Scranton, dean of the College of Engineering.

The new department will comprise of 10 faculty members, and in its inaugural academic year, will include 147 undergraduates, eight masters students, and nine doctoral students. The department will support high quality educational programs, including a bachelor of engineering with a major in industrial engineering, an MS in industrial engineering (with both thesis and non-thesis options), and a PhD in industrial engineering.

“We look forward to the opportunities and flexibility the new arrangement will provide, in particular the opportunity to involve ISE alumni and students in the momentum that this reorganization will bring,” says Geb Thomas, professor of industrial and systems engineering and interim department chair.

For more information on the new Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, please visit the department's website.