NEWS

Louisiana Tech University Industrial Engineering senior Hayden Scaff of Fort Worth earned first place for his team’s work at the 2023 Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Annual Conference and Expo.

Scaff presented senior capstone research on optimizing bus schedules for Lincoln Parish schools on behalf of his teammates Wes Brady of Jackson, Louisiana, and Kosi Anadi of Slidell at the Undergraduate Technical Paper Competition Global Finals.

Scaff, who is completing a summer internship as a continuous improvement engineer with Graphic Packaging in Monroe, says his team’s prep for the College of Engineering and Science Design and Research Conference gave him public speaking experience.

“Louisiana Tech is unique in that students have multiple opportunities to practice their presentation skills. The Industrial Engineering and capstone curriculum makes students step out of their comfort zones as industrial engineers in particular, need to have great oral communication skills.”

Five other members of Louisiana Tech’s Industrial Engineering program attended the conference.

Senior Ana Moscoso of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, chaired the “Future of Work and Human Factors” session and presented research on “Evaluating Cognitive Load Assistance System in an Industry 5.0 Environment” that she developed with Dana Hamarsheh of Dayton, Ohio, and Associate Professor Dr. Mary Fendley.

“The Industrial Engineering program at Louisiana Tech encourages its students to get involved in research projects and also gives them the opportunity to attend this type of event to expand their network and prepare themselves for life after college,” Moscoso said. “This would not be possible without faculty and the IISE student organization that are always willing to answer questions and give the necessary resources to help students excel in their careers.”

Program Chair Dr. Jun-Ing Ker chaired the Experiential Learning in Engineering Education session and presented a paper on “Learning with the Pump: Freshmen to Seniors,” which Fendley co-authored.

Senior Kristen Steelman of Sherwood, Arkansas, Senior Lecturer Dr. John Easley, and Lecturer of Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Statistics Dr. Jason Howell also attended the conference.