Iris Rivero
Date : Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Mode : In-Person (Join Via Zoom)
Affiliation: Rochester Institute of Technology
Bio: Visit Page

Title: Industrial and Systems Engineering An Outlook.

Abstract: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the field of Industrial and Systems Engineering has a 10.1% expected job growth during the 2021-2031 decade, higher than other engineering disciplines which are expected to grow at a rate of 2% to 5%, This optimistic forecast can be attributed to the field’s interdisciplinarity. Industrial engineering’s foundational areas, from data analytics and operations research to human factors and biomechanics to design and manufacturing, provide flexibility for career development at all levels, undergraduate and graduate, and across several different career paths, particularly industry, research, and academia. This presentation offers a vision for industrial and systems engineering that is rooted in my experience leveraging industrial engineering programs’ strengths: their interdisciplinary approach to problem solving; their capacity to solve real problems in industrial, corporate, medical, and other settings; their capacity also to foster fundamental research; their strategic approach to the collaboration required to achieve common goals and foster cultures of cooperation and innovation.

Bio: Dr. Iris V. Rivero is the Kate Gleason Professor and Department Head of Industrial and Systems Engineering and an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). In addition, she directs the IMED (Interdisciplinary Manufacturing Engineering and Design) laboratory. Prior to joining RIT, she was a member of the faculty of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Iowa State University where she served as Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Chair emphasizing the growth of the doctoral program. Prior to her tenure at lowa State University, Dr. Rivero spent ten years at Texas Tech University where she still holds an Adjunct Associate Professor position with the Department of Surgery of the Health Sciences Center. Dr. Rivero received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. Her research expertise is in additive and hybrid manufacturing processes, as well as biomanufacturing. She has industrial experience in the fields of advanced manufacturing systems and materials at Detroit Diesel Corporation and Honeywell Engines & Systems. In addition, she participated as a faculty fellow at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. As PI and Co-PI, Dr. Rivero has conducted multiple research projects sponsored by federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and NASA, to name a few. Dr. Rivero has been recognized with various awards for research, service, and teaching, including the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) John G. Bollinger Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Manufacturing & Design Outstanding Service Award, and Woman of the Year in the Education category by the Hispanic Association of Women. She is a fellow of IISE.