INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING 1027 Benedum Hall | 3700 O’Hara Street | Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Michael D. Sherwin, PhD, P.E. Assistant Professor Assistant Graduate Program Director
P: 412-624-9843 or 412-554-0571 mdsherwin@pitt.edu
Biographical Sketch Mike Sherwin has a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering (Mississippi State University), masters’ degrees in Industrial Engineering (Penn State University) and Business Administration (Carnegie Mellon University), and a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering (Penn State University). He has taught courses
in the areas of supply chain management, operations, quality, and Lean/Six Sigma. His research interests include engineering education, process modeling, applied decision analytics, and supply chain risk management. Before joining the University of Pittsburgh in 2020, Mike spent nearly 20 years working in the manufacturing sector. He is a published
author, a guest speaker, a member of the Institute for Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Logistics and Supply Chain Division Board of Directors, and a certified training partner for the American Society for Quality (ASQ).
Summary of Research Interests Engineering Education Dr. Sherwin is interested in improving engineering education and equipping future leaders with the analytical, problem solving, and higher-order thinking skills to make a meaningful contribution to society for years to come. He is specifically interested in providing students with both the technical and professional toolkits to succeed as contributing members of Industry 4.0. His research seeks to identify the significant factors that optimize the student experience in project- and applicationbased learning settings. As higher education continues to adjust to the changing needs of both students and industry, he is interested in identifying and integrating the critical aspects of student motivation into curriculum design to enhance the overall learning experience at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels of education.
Supply Chain Reliability and Risk Mitigation The majority of Dr. Sherwin’s career was spent in manufacturing, operations, and supply chain roles. These experiences motivate his research in the application of decision analytics in the areas of supply chain reliability and risk mitigation. He is interested in utilizing existing enterprise data to develop mathematical models that map supply chains, predict system reliability and unrealized risks, and recommend mitigating actions toward optimizing supply chain network. His focus thus far has been on critical supply chains where dual sourcing positions and inventory buffers are not available. Future research includes plans to extend the current work into new application areas. DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
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