WMU chapter attends regional IIE Conference at Purdue

Last month, 23 members of the student chapter of WMU’s Institute of Industrial Engineers [IIE] traveled to the 2006 IIE Region 4 Conference at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

The WMU students were joined by IIE students from not only Purdue University, but also Kettering University, Ohio University, Ohio State University, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, University of Michigan – Dearborn, University of Louisville, Youngstown State University, and Wayne State University.

Renae Hoglen, president of the WMU IIE chapter, praised the quality of the conference “We had a great time, and we were impressed with the professionalism,” she said. “We went to everything to learn what others are doing so that we could come away with as much of the experience as possible.”

Conference speakers included Michael Eskew, CEO and Chairman of UPS; Charles Armstrong, president of the Seattle mariners; Andy Poosuthasee from Halliburton; Carrie Ehrlich from United Airlines; and Rick McNamee, CEO of Quadrus Consulting.

Hoglen said all the speakers offered valuable insights. She described Eskew, who provided the keynote address at the awards dinner, as “very personable and in touch with” the audience. “He told us what IEs do for UPS, and how he worked his way up in the company,” she said.

Hoglen also enjoyed a presentation on Purdue that was given by Dr. James Barany, a Purdue faculty advisor, who documented the 50^th anniversary of Purdue’s IE department. “He was hilarious,” she said.

The conference included breakout sessions covering career experiences, a technical paper contest, a leadership forum, and a job fair for those in the Purdue area. Also offered were tours of Purdue’s IE facilities, including the machine shop and two human factors facilities.

The WMU group won an award for having more students in attendance than any other chapter. On behalf of the national IIE, IME professor Dr. Steven Butt, one of WMU’s IIE advisors and current IIE Region IV vice president, presented an appreciation award to Purdue for hosting the event.

IME professors Dr. Tycho Fredericks, a co-advisor of WMU’s IIE chapter, and Dr. Kailash Bafna also attended the conference.

WMU hosted last year’s IIE conference at the Parkview Campus. Ohio State University will host next year’s 2007 IIE Region 4 Conference.

2005 graduate is number three Ph.D. in IE

In December 2005 Yaser Al-Alawi earned the IME Department’s third Ph.D. in industrial engineering (IE) in as many years. Earlier in the year, he also earned a MS in industrial engineering. “I would like to say ‘thank you’ to the IME department for everything,” he said

The native of Bahrain has now begun teaching at the University of Bahrain (UOB), which sponsored his education at WMU. It is also the same university where he earned BS and Associate degrees in mechanical engineering and a MS degree in engineering manage-ment. “I’ve spent all my life studying,” he said.

As an assistant professor in the UOB mechanical engineering department, Al-Alawi is presently teaching two courses. His department currently offers Associate, BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering, and a MS degree in engineering management. It will soon offer a BS degree in industrial engineering.

Al-Alawi is also putting his education to work as a member of many committees aiming to develop new programs and engage UOB with industry. “I am using the tools and knowledge I gained at WMU to improve the industrial and business sectors in Bahrain and the surrounding areas,” he said.

According to coordinator Dr. Bob White, IME’s IE Ph.D. program is designed to combine the traditional research experience associated with a Ph.D. program with course work and laboratory experiences needed to prepare graduates to pursue careers in both academic and industrial settings. “This is the only Ph.D. in IE in Michigan with a core area of engineering management,” he said.

White said the program, which requires about four to five years to complete, emphasizes breadth of knowledge and requires students to conduct a significant, focused field study and to complete a dissertation research project.

The program also includes an industrial internship and a teaching internship. “If someone comes without industrial experience, they have to do one [industrial internship], and every student has to do a teaching internship as well,” White said. “They have to take courses in how to be a college teacher.”

Sang Dae Choi earned IE’s first Ph.D. in 2003. “It was such an honor earning the first Ph.D. in the IME department,” he said. “It was absolutely my good fortune to know and work with the IME faculty.”

According to Choi, the program showed him “how to effectively teach and research” and “how to work well with other people.” He has fond memories of Kalamazoo. “I am so proud to be a WMU-IME alumni,” he said.

Now an assistant professor in the Occupational & Environmental Safety & Health Department at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Choi teaches courses in ergonomics; construction, systems, and product safety; and analysis and design for safety in industrial operations.

Choi also coordinates the Occupational Ergonomics Emphasis and Certificate programs and serves as an approved OSHA Outreach Instructor for construction and industrial safety and as the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) faculty advisor.
Choi, his wife, and two small daughters enjoy the Wisconsin dairy country life.

The department’s second Ph.D. was earned in 2004 by David J. Meade, who came to WMU from industry and who remains at WMU serving as an assistant professor at CEAS’ Muskegon Center for Higher Education. “Between writing, generating data, and defending during the final months of my formal studies, I had the good fortune to land a position as a full-time, tenure-track faculty in the Manufacturing Engineering Department,” he said.

Meade “thoroughly enjoys” being a CEAS faculty member and working at a “terrific” campus. “I have grown very fond of the students and my co-workers here in Muskegon,” he said.

In his first year, Meade wrote several grant proposals, conducted applied research, wrote several journal publications and a book, developed courses, and interacted with students. “This past year has given me assurance that the switch from industry to academe was the right move,” he said.

The Meade family has settled in Grand Haven and is enjoying the lakeshore area.

About 11 or 12 students are currently enrolled in the Ph.D. IE program. White described the current students as a mix of full-time and part-time students. Some are employees at Haworth and Ford.

A tribute to Henry Beukema, WMU emeritus, alumnus, and fan

Henry Beukema, a WMU alumnus and an engineering graphics professor emeritus, taught in the Dept. of Industrial and Engineering Technology for 35 years before retiring in 1977. A dedicated WMU fan, he kept a WMU flag in his window until he passed away on Nov. 23, 2005.

Henry Beukema 1938 He was born Feb. 21, 1915, to Johanna (Fisher) and Hilbert Beukema in Grand Haven, MI, where he grew up.

After graduating from Muskegon College of Business and Technology, he came to WMU in 1938, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He then taught high school courses in industrial education in Algonac and earned a master’s at U of M.

In 1943, Beukema returned to WMU to teach drafting and engineering graphics to 800 US Navy sailors for two years. Over the years, he came to be identified with his drafting classes.

According to emeritus industrial engineering professor Robert Boughner, taking a drafting course from Beukema was standard fare in the program: “Henry was the senior professor in the drafting area for 100,000 years; everyone took a drafting course from Henry.”

Beukema became a full professor at WMU in 1964. In addition to his coursework, he was involved with many societies and organizations, actively recruited for the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, consulted with the U. S. Department of Defense, and co-authored 23 volumes of high school and college textbooks, primarily in the areas of engineering graphics and welding technology. During his summers and school breaks, he worked with many local companies.

Henry Beukema (front, 3rd from right) with

Bronco Marching Band for Centennial Celebration 2003

Several emeriti professors remember Beukema as a very hardworking professor – a ‘crusty Dutchman’ who always had time to mentor and support students and colleagues. Engineering technology emeritus professor Dr. John Lindbeck, who came to WMU in 1957, described Beukema as “very helpful” as a mentor in both teaching and writing.

“I was fresh out of college, kind of green, and teaching descriptive geometry, and he was always willing to sit down and offer some ideas,” Lindbeck said. “Then when I started writing textbooks and was having some problems with a book on product design, he - as a seasoned writer – told me how to set up a schedule and how to begin.”

Music was one of Beukema’s favorite pastimes. As an undergraduate, he joined the WMU marching band, where he organized a recruitment campaign that increased the size of the band and added WMU’s first female majorette and flag carriers. He continued to support it as an alumnus. For WMU’s 2003 Centennial Celebration, he played his trumpet with the marching band during the halftime ceremonies. His wheelchair prevented the band’s oldest member from marching.

Those who knew him remember that Henry Beukema always enjoyed a good martini. Next summer, his family and friends will celebrate Henry’s life and raise a toast “To the North” in a gathering at his Wall Lake summer home in Delton. According to Henry’s daughter, Susan Trudeau, who also provided the photos in this IMe-News, the inspiration for the “To the North” toast may have been Henry’s annual deer hunting trip to the UP, but it became his standard toast for all occasions.