South Central 2012 Regional University Conference
By Lew Cox
The South Central 2012 Regional University Conference was hosted on March 2-3 by IIE Chapter 836 of the University of Missouri-Columbia. As the starting time for the conference neared, the Columbia area dodged a weather bullet. All around the area, there were spots of bad weather, but evidently the student chapter or the Columbia Chamber of Commerce intervened with the weather forecasters because feedback indicated no one had any real trouble getting to the conference. The theme of "Faces of Industrial Engineering" was amply demonstrated throughout the conference. Read more about the conference.
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IEs and Electronic Communications Technology - Some Good, Some Bad, and Some Ugly
By Lew Cox
A recent happening has caused me to mentally revisit various aspects of Industrial Engineers' use of electronic communications technology in working and personal daily life. The use of such technology falls roughly into three categories; i.e., good, bad, and ugly.
On a globe where distance is increasingly transparent, electronic communications technology has become omnipresent, and this has become expected and taken for granted. In our personal lives, we routinely use such items as tablets that have far greater memories than "mainframe" computers of a few decades ago. We accept a plethora of computerization in our automobiles, from optimization of engine functioning to voice-operated GPS, sound systems, and collision avoidance systems. Full article
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Texas A&M Chapter 875 news
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Trench Digging
Texas A&M
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The city of College Station with a population of about 94,000, together with the adjoining city of Bryan, make up the sixteenth largest metro area in Texas with a combined population of more than 203,000. The Texas A&M campus in College Station is the flagship of the A&M System, and has almost 47,000 students. Of these, the College of Engineering contributes more than 10,000. Within the College is the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and IIE Chapter 875 takes care of and represents the IIE needs of their majors. Read more
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IEs Are Needed, Going and Coming, or What Goes Around, Comes Around, & Reshoring - Take 2
By Lew Cox
China Shifting Manufacturing To United States.
CNN Money (4/25, Kavilanz) reports, "Chinese conglomerates, on a mission to expand their global footprint and avoid 'anti-dumping' tariffs, are shifting more of their production to" the US. "More Chinese manufacturers have been launching their own US facilities in the last five years, said Thilo Hanemann, research director at Rhodium Group, a New York-based economic advisory group." Hanemann said the "biggest investments are being made by Chinese firms with products that have been slapped with hefty anti-dumping tariffs."
In two previous South Central Region Newsletters (articles dated August 2008 and October 2009), the topics of manufacturing off-shoring and re-shoring were addressed. Recently, it seems the re-shoring has accelerated. Read full article
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| University of Houston Chapter 877 News
Houston, Texas, has a diverse population in terms of demographics, industry, and just about any other measure under the word "diverse." In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a Houston population of 2.1 million, making it the fourth most populous city in the nation. To say this is a far cry from its reported 1850 population of 2,396 is a gross understatement. Covering an area of 8,778 square miles, the city of Houston is slightly larger than the state of New Jersey.
The University of Houston is a major research and doctoral degree granting institution with just fewer than 40,000 students from 137 nations. Serving the industrial engineering student population at the university is IIE Chapter 877. In the spring semester, the chapter has continued its active involvement in IE activities. Read more about the University of Houston chapter.
Attendees at the first general meeting for this academic term.
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Congratulations
to
Austin Buchanan
Oklahoma State University
First Place
IIE Undergraduate
Student Technical Paper Competition
Sponsored by
John Deere
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