4/8/2016 Emily Scott
The University’s chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers hosted the 2016 North Central Regional Conference on Feb. 25-27, 2016.
Written by Emily Scott
The University’s chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers hosted the 2016 North Central Regional Conference on Feb. 25-27, 2016. The conference brought together engineering students, speakers, and companies from across the country for learning and networking opportunities.
The conference had 123 registered attendees and speakers from eight different companies. Participating companies included Deloitte Consulting, FedEx, Rockwell Automation, PepsiCo, Caterpillar, Liberty Mutual and more.
Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in plant tours at five different plants, a technical paper competition, workshops, social events, and a final banquet that closed the conference on Feb. 27.
Students from nine universities were in attendance, including the University of Iowa and the University of Illinois at Chicago, and some traveling from as far as North Dakota and South Dakota.
The conference was organized by the Institute of Industrial Engineers’ planning committee of ten students, led by the chapter’s president, Nachi Pi. Faculty and administration from the ISE department, including Lee Zerrusen, Professor Richard Sowers, and the chapter’s faculty advisor, Dr. Doug King, also helped with planning the conference.
Annie Goetz, vice president of University’s IIE chapter, said the plant tours to Caterpillar, FedEx, Watchfire Signs, Rockwell Automation, and Vesuvius, were a success, and that company representatives said they enjoyed having students visit.
“The conference was a huge success. Our conference committee was very pleased with how all the events turned out for the weekend,” Goetz said. “Throughout the weekend, we heard multiple attendees saying how much they were enjoying their weekend.”