Industrial and Systems Engineering // 2025 DEPARTMENT NEWS
// A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
D
ear Alumni and Friends, Greetings from the University at Buffalo Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) Department.
As the ISE Chair, I am proud to convey some of the department’s notable accomplishments over the past year. Our MS in Engineering Management was ranked 9th in the 2025 US News & World Report annual rankings of Best Online Master’s in Engineering Programs. We welcomed Maria Lehman, a National Academy of Engineering member, to our faculty as the Samuel P. Capen Professor of Engineering Management. Her industry and leadership experience will strengthen all our degree programs and will be vital for the launch of our (hopefully soon to be officially approved) BS in Engineering Management degree program. Even as federal funding priorities shift, our research support and new grants remain strong, driven by the flexibility and determination of our faculty to turn challenges into opportunities. Our faculty, students, and alumni continue to be recognized for their impactful accomplishments and leadership within the ISE profession. Perhaps most importantly, there continues to be strong demand for our graduates (both undergrad and graduate). What to learn more? Read this newsletter, visit engineering.buffalo.edu, and visit our social media (see back cover of this newsletter). Thank you for your continued interest and support for ISE.
Robert Dell
Professor and Chair, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering rfdell@buffalo.edu
2 // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS
// QUICK FACTS 2025 ENROLLMENT
419
July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025
2025 FULL-TIME FACULTY • 20 tenured or tenure track
Total Students
2025 US NEWS & WORLD REPORT GRADUATE RANKINGS
BS
ME
95
118
PhD
55
25
MS
151
7
PhD Degree Conferrals DEGREE PROGRAMS • BS Industrial Engineering • BS/MBA 5-Year Degree • MS Industrial Engineering, Concentrations in Human Factors, Operations Research, and Production Systems • ME Engineering Management • PhD Industrial Engineering
28th 20th 9th Overall
Among Public Universities
Online Engineering Management
4.2 m $ 3.9 m
2024-2025 FISCAL YEAR
$
Research Expenditures
New Grants Overall
RESEARCH STRENGTH AREAS • Security and Defense • Health and Health Systems • Transportation and Logistics • Advanced and Sustainable Manufacturing • Critical Infrastructure Resilience 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS // 3
// DEPARTMENT NEWS
RISES INTO TOP 10 R
apidly rising in national rankings, UB ISE’s MS in Engineering Management is 9th in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report annual rankings of Best Online Master’s in Engineering programs. First eligible in 2022, the program ranked 19th last year and 29th in 2023.
“OUR REMARKABLE
Led by Cecilia Martínez León, UB ISE associate professor of teaching, the program is designed for engineers who want to take leadership roles in their organizations and industries.
COMMITMENT AND
The Engineering Management program is flexible, allowing students to complete full or part-time course loads, as well as tailor electives and projects to align with their interests.
TO BUILD A PROGRAM
Graduates accelerate their careers and gain qualifications for a diverse range of jobs, from engineering project manager and cost systems analyst to chief technology officer. //
U.S. News & World Report Rankings Best Online Master’s in Engineering Management 2023 2024 2025
29th 19th 9th 4 // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS
RISE INTO THE TOP 10 REFLECTS THE STEADFAST CREATIVITY OF OUR FACULTY AND STAFF THAT PROVIDES OUR OUTSTANDING STUDENTS WITH IN-DEMAND SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE, SO THEY ASCEND TO LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THEIR CAREERS.” — Kemper Lewis, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
// RESEARCH
Health and Health Systems
HEALING ISE, PARTNERS AWARDED $750,000 TO ADVANCE MOBILE STROKE RECOVERY SYSTEM
M
ore than 700,000 Americans experience a stroke each year. Many of the survivors deal with long-term motor impairments that negatively impact their ability to perform everyday activities. UB ISE is an integral part of a UB-developed rehabilitation system called mRehab that focuses on stroke survivors. mRehab works to help victims recover from stroke at home with greater success than traditional approaches. One of the challenges facing many survivors is that access to rehabilitation programs often drops off within a few months after a stroke, leaving patients with minimal support when ongoing practice is still needed. As a result, they’re turning to rehabilitation programs on mobile apps for help, but many apps are developed without the input of people who need them and don’t adapt to real-life challenges. UB researchers and partners at Georgia State University (GSU) were recently awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to advance mRehab.
The project’s principal investigator is Sutanuka Bhattacharjya, PhD, assistant professor of occupational therapy in the Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions at GSU. She began working on mRehab in 2017 while a postdoctoral researcher at UB. The co-principal mRehab tracks real-time performance investigator on the program is Lora Cavuoto, and gives auditory and visual feedback. PhD, ISE professor. Her expertise in ergonomics and human performance is critical for adapting mRehab exercises to the real-world needs of stroke survivors. Professor Cavouto’s work will ensure that the system not only promotes functional recovery but also accounts for user comfort to support use during daily rehabilitation. // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS // 5
// RESEARCH
Universal Design
$4.8M UNIVERSAL GRANT AWARD AWARD ALLOWS UB IDEA CENTER TO CONTINUE PIONEERING WORK IN ADVANCING PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN
I
SE faculty are part of a research team receiving $4.8 million to advance universal design across built environments such as commercial buildings, community infrastructure, transit, and housing.
Covering the next 5 years, the award from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), is the latest in a long stretch of consecutive yearly grant awards that will reach 30 years at the conclusion of this funding cycle. “This will be a large, first-of-its-kind study comparing the physiological and psychological effects of office work on those who are neurotypical versus those who are neurodivergent,” says Co-PI and ISE Professor Victor Paquet. The research team will engage a cross-section of stakeholders, from consumers to service providers to policy makers, in designing and evaluating innovative, supportive, and inclusive work environments. Part of the research focuses on neurodiversity and the impact as it relates to environmental factors, such as lighting and sound, in the workplace. The groundbreaking initiative brings together researchers from the UB’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, UB’s School of Architecture and Planning, the University of Pittsburgh, and others. An interesting note is that four of the researchers involved have direct ties to UB ISE. Co-PI Jordana Maisel is the associate dean for academic affairs the UB School of Architecture and Planning as well as being an ISE alumna. Co-PI Paquet is a professor and former chair of ISE. Co-I Lora Cavuoto is the director of undergraduate studies, and CO-I Clive D’Souza, researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, is also an ISE graduate. As for the research, “The long-term goal is that we will have a better understanding of what workplaces should be like,” says Cavuoto. From there, she believes there could be further improvements when it comes to effective design, better accommodations of spaces and sidewalks for individuals in wheelchairs as well as those dealing with visual impairments and other challenges. //
6 // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS
“THIS AWARD REAFFIRMS OUR UNIVERSITY’S COMMITMENT TO ENGINEERING A WORLD THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.” — Kemper Lewis, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
INCLUSIVE DESIGN PROJECTS FUNDED BY THIS GRANT INCLUDE Improving work environments
One study will evaluate the impact of universal design features in work environments on perceived stress, physiological response as an objective health outcome on people with disabilities or the interaction of objective building system measurements with both perceptual and health outcomes for employees with disabilities.
New tools for designers
The team plans to complete strategic activities to improve and simplify regulatory accessibility standards and facilitate adoption of voluntary universal design standards. This includes an expanded and improved universal design certification program to address a wider range of user needs.
Industry partnerships
A development activity will engage local and national stakeholders including the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, Touch Graphics Inc. and WayAround to develop, deploy and evaluate innovative indoor and outdoor wayfinding systems to overcome community mobility challenges frequently experienced by people with and without disabilities.
Incorporating AI
Collaborators at the University of Pittsburgh will lead an effort to implement artificial intelligencebased methods for time- and cost-efficient expansion of the IDEA Center’s Anthropometry of Wheeled Mobility (AWM) database, the largest database of wheeled mobility user size and function in the U.S., which was originally created between 2000-10. 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS // 7
// RESEARCH
Sustainable Manufacturing
WHEAT STRAW ISE-LED TEAM 3D PRINTS THE ORGANIC MATERIAL TO CREATE GREEN ALTERNATIVE TO FIBERGLASS
C
hi Zhou, ISE professor, is pioneering an organic and more sustainable alternative to traditional thermal insulation: wheat straw.
Traditional forms of thermal insulation used to regulate temperatures in homes and commercial buildings are often energy-intensive to manufacture, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. “Unlike fossil fuels, which take millions of years to form, biomass materials, such as wheat straw, can be harvested and replanted regularly,” says Zhou. “This makes for an eco-friendlier insulation material.” Zhou and a small research team, including the study’s lead author and industrial engineering doctoral student Licheng Liang, began studying how to 3D print wheat straw-based insulation in 2022, with financial support from the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) in the U.S. Department of Energy.
“THE SUPERIOR PROPERTIES COME FROM WHEAT STRAW’S UNIQUE STRUCTURE, ITS NATURAL FIBROUS AND POROUS COMPOSITION, WHICH ENHANCES THERMAL INSULATION.”
— Zhou Zhou and his team discovered that wheat straw, a waste byproduct of wheat grain, insulates well, holds up under pressure and is more flame-retardant than other organic materials. According to Zhou, its superior properties come from the unique structure and natural fibrous and porous composition that enhances insulation. The team processes the straw into fibers that are then formulated into 3D-printable ink to be used in thermal insulation structures. “If wheat straw were to be widely adopted,” Zhou says, “it not only would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it would also reduce agricultural waste and provide an environmentally friendly and affordable source of insulation for homes and commercial buildings.” In the next phase, the team is hoping to collaborate with an industrial partner to perform tech-to-market analysis and translate the lab-scale success to realworld applications. //
8 // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS
2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS // 9
// FACULTY NEWS
MARIA LEHMAN
U
B ISE is proud to welcome 2025 National Academy of Engineers inductee Maria Lehman as the new director of the Undergraduate Engineering Management program. We spoke with her about her new role recently:
Discuss your decision to come to UB.
As a proud UB Alumna and having served on the UB Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council for years, it was a natural choice to share my 44 years of public and private experience with the students at my alma mater. UB is one of the best engineering programs in the United States and it is the best in value for money. The school is adaptive, innovative, and able to pivot. You see that across disciplines, from the SUNY Center of Excellence in AI, to great Biomedical Advances, to Cybersecurity to new Resilience and functional recovery planning.
What is your primary goal for the undergraduate engineering management program? My primary goal is to attract individuals that aspire to be part of the leadership of the infrastructure sector. For those who do want to lead, there needs to be a program that balances a technical foundation with managerial foundation. We need an all-hands approach to get more students attracted to engineering to not only meet current needs, but to develop the incredible future we can deliver. So, hybrid programs will attract different individuals to the profession.
How do you feel your industry experience will benefit students and ISE?
Over the past 44 years, I have worked in the public sector as a regional and statewide leader for over 10 years. In the private sector, I have pivoted several times in increasingly responsible roles, from a staff engineer to a project and program manager, to a project director, up to being a Nation-wide C Suite leader. I have worked on $10,000 projects through $4B projects. That spectrum of experience gives me unique insight on tools that work in managing projects. And as a woman in the field, I have had to challenge culture wars along the way. I am at the point of my career that I want to share the stories, both successes and failures with the new generation of engineers, so they can succeed faster. //
10 // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS
// FACULTY AWARDS AND HONORS
Sabrina Casucci
Casucci, assistant professor, is the recipient of the 2025 Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineering Operational Excellence Division Teaching Award.
Yu (Chelsea) Jin
Jin, assistant professor, is part of a team awarded an NSF grant for the project, “Artificial Intelligence-Guided Electrospray Polymeric Films.”
Sayanti Mukherjee
Mukerjee, assistant professor, is the recipient of the 2025 Society of Risk Analysis Chauncey Starr Distinguished Young Analyst Award for her outstanding achievement in science or public policy relating to risk analysis and exceptional promise for continued contributions to risk analysis.
Diana Ramirez-Rios
Ramirez-Rios, assistant professor, is the recipient of a Civic Engagement Research Fund grant supporting research that advances community-based research and scholarship.
Chi Zhou
Zhou, Director of Graduate Studies, has been promoted to professor. //
JUN ZHUANG NEW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF DECISION ANALYSIS
J
un Zhuang, Associate Dean for Research in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Morton C. Frank Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at UB, has been appointed the next editor-in-chief of Decision Analysis, a leading INFORMS journal, effective January 1, 2026.
Zhuang aims to elevate the journal’s prestige and impact by attracting more high-quality submissions and strengthening engagement with the global decision analysis community. “One of my goals is to bring the journal to the next level—drawing the best publications and expanding its reach across business and engineering schools,” he says. Having served as an Associate Editor of Decision Analysis for nearly eight years, Zhuang was selected following an extensive search. A prolific scholar with nearly 170 peer-reviewed journal publications, he brings extensive editorial, research, and leadership experience to this new role. // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS // 11
// ALUMNI FEATURE
SUPER BOWL
ISE alum Steever at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans where the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.
12 // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS
ISE GRAD AND SENIOR QUANTITATIVE ANALYST HELPED ASSIST EAGLES IN VICTORY
Z
achary Steever (PhD ‘21, MS ‘18, BS ‘16), the Philadelphia Eagles’ assistant director of football research and strategy, is all smiles holding the Lombardi Trophy (Super Bowl trophy) after the team’s 2025 triumph. The ultimate prize in the National Football League comes only four years after completing his PhD under the guidance of ISE professors Mark Karwan and Chase Murray from UB’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. In his position during the season, much of Steever’s focus is on game preparation, using data to analyze upcoming opponents to provide recommendations for potential in-game decisions. After the season, more time is spent on roster construction, like predictive modeling for NFL draft prospects. Following the draft and before the start of the season, Steever studies recent advancements in his field and collaborates with colleagues on innovation. He says, “Still, whether it’s a key play made by a player I helped evaluate or an opponent behaving exactly as predicted, there are definitely moments when I can tangibly see my impact on the team.” As an undergraduate, Steever says that he “played around” with the idea of applying what he was learning at UB to professional sports. He recalls working on a project in graduate school related to football scheduling but wasn’t sure it would lead him to the pro sports behemoth that is the NFL. “I’m not sure I fully let myself believe this path was possible,” says Steever, who admits considering other career options such as traditional manufacturing, defense work, and academia. He believes that changing the perception of ISE starts by opening people’s eyes to the many ways ISEs improve lives every day, and that his path will show current students the degree can lead them anywhere including the Super Bowl. //
“ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES (FOR ISE) MOVING FORWARD IS KEEPING UP WITH HOW FAST TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING, PARTICULARLY THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF BIG DATA AND AI TOOLS ACROSS NEARLY EVERY INDUSTRY. I BELIEVE THAT REMAINING ADAPTABLE AND COMMITTED TO A MINDSET OF CONSTANT LEARNING WILL BE CRUCIAL TO SUCCESS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. AT THE SAME TIME, THAT SHIFTING LANDSCAPE IS WHERE A LOT OF THE OPPORTUNITY LIES.” — Steever 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS // 13
// ALUMNI NEWS
AKELLA RECEIVES 2025 DEAN’S AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT
I
SE alum Mohan Akella (MS ’03, PhD ‘05) returned to UB in May to accept the Dean’s Award for Achievement – the school’s highest honor– and to address the graduating class of 2025 commencement. Akella, who earned his degrees in operations research from UB, said he was drawn to the university for its renowned faculty and accessible tuition. Despite referring to his adjustment to Buffalo winters as a “chilling experience,” Akella said he looks back fondly on his time at UB, especially due to the close relationships he built with his professors. “For the past 20 years, in every chapter of my professional journey—from the roles I’ve taken to the recognitions I’ve received—my doctorate as been a cornerstone,” Akella reflected. Today, Akella currently serves as a senior vice president at Walmart. During his 12-year tenure with the company, Akella has served as the architect behind investment, redefining the company’s logistics and delivery networks. During his address, Akella spoke about the power and promise of artificial intelligence and encouraged graduates to prioritize human connection and stay cautious. //
14 // 2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS
“THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT BRINGING A DEEP SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND TO CORPORATE DECISIONMAKING HAS HELPED PROPEL MY CAREER FORWARD.”
// STUDENT AWARDS
Four consecutive years and counting, the UB student chapter is the recipient of the INFORMS Summa Cum Laude award!
// BOARD NEWS
OUR 2025 ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Mario Adams-Campos
Consultant
Tanveer Ahmed
The United States Pharmacopeial Convention
Mitch Berg
Kubient
Linda Boyle
New York University
Sean Cunningham Intel Corporation
Sara J. Czaja
Weill Cornell College of Medicine
Patrick Dempsey
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Harrison Kelly
Cogency Consulting
Steve Krenzer, Board Chair Thinkifc
Larry Megan
Baldwin Richardson Foods
Frank Mufalli Linde
Dennis Schrader Senior Policy Advisor
2025 ISE DEPARTMENT NEWS // 15
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