UT will soon welcome students from nine universities from around the region to the Tickle College of Engineering for the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference February 24–26.
Hosted by UT’s IISE chapter, the event—themed “Ingenuity at Work”—will bring nearly 200 students from schools including Clemson University, North Carolina State University, and Virginia Tech University to Knoxville for student-led activities at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park and the Foundry.
“The conference is run by students for students, and serves as a tool for learning and networking within industrial engineering,” said Kylie White, an undergraduate in the discipline at UT. “It’s a good way to connect with other students in our field and to visit with speakers and representatives from companies and laboratories.”
Participants will have the chance to tour Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, CVS Pharmacy’s distribution center, and the Southern Impact Research Facility.
Representatives from several companies, including Pilot Flying J, the US Postal Service, and Shaw Industries, will participate in an employment and networking fair.
“This event is a good way for students from around our region to learn more about the breadth of opportunities available in industrial engineering,” said John Kobza, head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at UT. “With an increasing focus being placed on developing more efficient operations, industrial engineering is more important than ever before.”
Students also will have the opportunity to attend addresses and breakout sessions touching on everything from logistics and supply chain studies to entrepreneurship and lean manufacturing.
The event also will include a technical paper competition, a tour of the UT campus, and a corporate panel discussion.
“Our mission is to educate and excite students about our chosen field and the possibilities within it,” said White, who is co-chairing the conference with fellow UT industrial engineering students Hannah Jarrett and Sierra Frech. “We are very excited to see our hard work come to fruition at the end of February.”
White said the three have been planning the conference, which will take place , for more than a year.
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CONTACT:
David Goddard (865-974-0683, david.goddard@utk.edu)