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alImpactTechnologyDiscoveryGRATITUDE DRIVES GIFT TOSUPPORT ENGINEERING HALLJames Stonehocker earned an industrialengineering degree from Kansas StateUniversity, but he took an unconventionalpath to graduation.In 1968, halfway through his K-Stateeducation, academic struggles broughthis progress to a screeching halt. Aroundthat time, the U.S. Army called him toserve in the Vietnam War. His militaryservice was ultimately the wake-up call heneeded.“There was a night in Vietnam I wasn’tsure if I was going to make it home,” hesaid. “That night, I told myself, ‘If I makeit home, I’m absolutely going back toschool and I’m going to focus.’”4ExcellenceIndustrial and Manufacturing Systems EngineeringThat’s exactly what he did, finishing hisdegree in 1977 with a lot of guidance fromFrank Tillman, then head of the departmentof industrial engineering. During his secondstint at K-State, Stonehocker even servedas president of the American Institute ofIndustrial Engineering student chapter.He developed a passion for leadership,reflected in his work at General Motors,Frito-Lay and then as chief operating officerfor Odom’s Tennessee Pride Sausage Inc.“I was very fortunate coming out ofK-State,” Stonehocker said. “I know theengineering program and Dr. Tillman madea huge difference for me.”Stonehocker recently expressed hisgratitude by supporting the Collegeof Engineering’s 108,000-square-footaddition to the Durland-Rathbone-Fiedlercomplex. With his wife, Deborah, he madea gift to name the James P. and Deborah A.Stonehocker Recording Studio. The spacewill facilitate activities such as instructorrecordings for K-State online and distancestudents.Stonehocker wanted to supportflexible, remote learning to make adifference for students like him and tothank K-State for changing his life.“I look at what I got out of K-State andit’s unbelievable. Talk about a return onyour investment,” he said. “I wanted togive back to something that had such animpact on me.”The Stonehockers lent their supportby gifting stock, which is one of themany ways K-State alumni are investingin Innovation and Inspiration, the 1billion campaign to advance KansasState University. To learn more aboutthis historic campaign and how youcan support fundraising priorities forthe College of Engineering, please visitinspire.k-state.edu/engineering or e-mailengineering@found.ksu.edu.IMSE PROFESSIONAL ACADEMYThe IMSE Professional Academy isdesigned to facilitate ongoing relationsbetween alumni and students, whilealso benefiting members by sponsoringfun events and professional networkingopportunities.Since its inception in 2012, thegroup has more than tripled in size.It has offered tremendous supportto the department. This year, theacademy supported five students withscholarships and plans to do the samenext year. Many members participatein the academy’s mentor program, inwhich alumni are paired with currentstudents to offer advice and guidancein professional development. As thedepartment works to restructurethe industrial engineering program(see story on page 2), the academyis expected to play an increasinglyimportant role in IMSE’s success.For more information onthe academy and other ways toget involved, contact the IMSEdepartment at 785-532-5606 orimse@k-state.edu.Officers:Immediate past president: Dave DohrmannPresident: Chris AlthoffMembership chair: Michelle SchlieTreasurer/Secretary: Jim LeeMentoring program committee: Steve Johnson, Susan Van Houtenand Amy MartensStudent engagement programs lead: Jeff HopkinsAlumni events chair: Ryan alie BosseSara CoashBob DavisKathryn DavisJohn EnglishDoug GishKyle GrabillPerry HenryPatrick HessiniHeath HildJeff HopkinsKerry KaiserTodd LakinJim LeeLarry LoomisBrandon MaisMeghan McNallyMark MillerAnita RanhotraJustin SalmansLarry StreckerTony VeithJulie VickKen WardBrian ZerrALUMNI CONNECTIONS 20165

CollaborationScholarly LeadershipInnovationEconomic shipCollaborationLeadershipInnovationExcellence eryEntrepreneurshipEconomicResearchEducation cholarlyEconomicResearch tion DevelopmentImpactPresentation nt DiscoveryDEPARTMENT NEWSNEW FACES, NEW SPACES6CASSONE JOINS K-STATE OLATHE ASENGINEERING PROGRAMS COORDINATORDeandra “Dee Dee” Cassone has beenhired as an associate professor in the IMSEprogram at Kansas State University Olathe.Cassone specializes in decision science,which develops innovative solutions formanagement to use when making datadriven decisions about complex problems.The field provides structure for systematicthinking based on logical principles,decision-making methods, data analyticsand modeling to provide guidance fordecision-making in multi-faceted situations.Cassone has more than 25 years’experience in consulting, technical andmanagement roles. She also served as agraduate adjunct professor in systemsengineering at Missouri University ofScience and Technology. She has publishedtwo books and four e-books, as well as aIndustrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineeringnumber of articles and refereed papers. Herwork in building structured decision-makingmodels has resulted in 12 business processpatents.“Dr. Cassone’s presence at K-State Olathecreates a great opportunity to engagepartners in greater Kansas City to advanceeducation, collaborative research andoutreach efforts,” said Ralph Richardson,interim dean and CEO of K-State Olathe.“Interactions with K-State’s College ofEngineering, local industries and thesurrounding school systems open doors thathave not been present before.”Cassone is overseeing the campus’ IMSEprograms. Students can now take coursestoward earning master’s degrees in industrialengineering and operations research atK-State Olathe. She also is working to tailorprogram offerings in the greater Kansas Cityarea. The target audience is around 76,000NEW FACULTYIMSE PREPARES FOR OFFICE MOVEtaught in industrial engineering providereal value in developing solutions toproblems that businesses face today.”Cassone earned her bachelor’s,master’s and doctoral degrees in industrialengineering from Kansas State University.For more information about theindustrial engineering program in Olathe,visit ial-engineering/index.html.Bringing education to youengineers, mathematicians, statisticians,business and financial analysts, and scientists,with the goal of providing program offeringsto enhance career skills and decision making.“The focus of the Olathe campus ison development and delivery of industrydriven academic programs and industrycollaboration,” Cassone said. “This providesan environment for innovation and anopportunity to provide value to the KansasCity communityand K-State.I believe theanalytical toolsand structureddecisionmakingmethodsInterested in continuing youreducation? K-State’s IMSE departmentnow offers its three master’s degreeprograms online, making it easier for youto take the next step in your professionaldevelopment.M.S. in industrial engineeringEnhance your mathematical, scientificand analysis skills to solve complexbusiness problems across numerousindustries.M.S. in operations researchLearn to find the optimum solutionto any problem using mathematicalprogramming, statistics, probabilitytheory, scheduling theory, queuing theory,simulation and more.Master of engineering managementDesigned for practicing engineers,this degree will equip you with theknowledge and skills to effectively manageengineers and other technical resources toaccomplish complex technical tasks.On Friday, April 1, the College ofEngineering will hold an official ribboncutting for the long-awaited EngineeringHall addition. The updated complexhas been open since January when twoengineering departments moved into thenew addition. The IMSE department willjoin the shuffle after the spring semester,moving into the offices previouslyoccupied by the electrical and computerengineering department in Rathbone Hall.This semester, department staff are busyrenovating and planning for the new space.“We’re all excited for the move,” saidBradley Kramer, IMSE department head. “Wewill not only be getting more space, but alsoa chance to start fresh in defining the lookand feel of our department.”While IMSE will keep the samemanufacturing labs, faculty, staff andstudents alike are looking forward to biggeroffices, better spaces for graduate studentsand supplementary meeting, lounge andstudy areas. Also in the works are plans fora numerical optimization lab, which willenhance computer and collaborative spacefor students.“With any change, our top priority is tocreate better experiences for our students,”Kramer said. “We’re definitely accomplishingthat with this move.”If you are interested in aiding renovationefforts, naming opportunities or othercontributions to the new IMSE space, youcan contact the department at imse@ksu.edu or 785-532-5606.BRUMMER HIRED AS PROJECT COORDINATORThe IMSE department was excited towelcome Lacey Brummer to its staff lastNovember as a new project coordinator.Originally from Nebraska, Brummer earnedher B.A. in English from the University ofNebraska at Kearney before coming toKansas State University to complete herM.A. in English in 2015. She gained a varietyof writing and design experience during hereducational career.In her role as project coordinator,Brummer oversees the department’smarketing, events and alumnicommunications. As the departmentcontinues to grow its alumni engagement,Brummer hopes to enhance alumninetworking through outreach, onlinecommunities and on-campus events. Shealso serves as the graduate coordinator,supporting faculty and students with theirprogrammatic needs.Brummer can be reached atllbrummer@ksu.edu or 785-532-3720.NEW STAFFALUMNI CONNECTIONS 20167

yDiscoveryFINDINGANICHEIN OPERATIONS RESEARCHDISCOVERYScholarlyPresentation8Industrial and Manufacturing Systems EngineeringTwo women with math degreesbring passion and creativity toIMSE master’s program.Megan Menth and Brooke Eitzen, photoat left, had a lot in common when they beganthe master’s program in operations research atK-State in August 2014.Both had earned math degrees from smallprivate colleges — Eitzen from Tabor Collegein Hillsboro, Kansas, and Menth from ConcordiaCollege in Moorehead, Minnesota. Both weremultidisciplinary, as Eitzen minored in businessmanagement and Menth double majored in art.Outside the classroom, both women arefierce athletes. At Tabor, Eitzen played soccerfor four years. Menth, already a black belt intaekwondo, continues honing her skills andletting off steam at the K-State TaekwondoClub, where she serves as vice president.And despite having different career goals,both found exactly what they were looking forin IMSE’s operations research master’s program.“The fun thing about the OR program,” saidJessica Heier Stamm, IMSE assistant professor,“is that our students all learn similar skills butapply them across widely varied interest areas.”From early on in her educational career,Eitzen was drawn to working in industry.Industrial engineering was an obvious choicefor continuing her education, but she couldn’tsee where she would fit in until she stumbledupon operations research.“I really saw the stars aligning with OR,”Eitzen said. The stars also seemed to point atK-State, one of the few places she found thatoffered operations research as opposed to ageneral systems engineering degree.Being close to her home and offering thesmall community feel she was used to wereicing on the cake.Menth, in contrast, never saw herself asan engineer. “I considered so many differentcareers,” Menth said, “but the one constant wasthat I wanted to help people.”Menth knew little about industrialengineering, but she was drawn to the fieldafter discovering Heier Stamm’s research onhumanitarian logistics. “I knew I’d be taking abig leap,” Menth said, “but it felt like somethingI could get excited about and succeed in.”And succeed she has, along with Eitzen.The two women became fast friends when theymet at K-State, impressing faculty and fellowstudents with their creativity and initiative.“They both have this knack for seeingthe technical aspects of a problem andcommunicating it very clearly,” Heier Stammsaid. Menth is especially well-known for heraesthetically pleasing and understandablediagrams.Working toward their master’s degreeshelped them grow in confidence as theydiscovered new possibilities and applicationsfor their already strong analytical skills.“As an undergrad, I don’t think I realizedhow much I didn’t know,” Eitzen said. “Now I’vedeveloped a much greater thirst for knowledge— there’s so much I want to learn.”Last summer, Eitzen received the Councilof Supply Chain Management Professionals,or CSCMP, Kansas City – Heartland RoundtableScholarship. In the fall, she earned a graduateteaching assistantship through the mathdepartment at K-State, where she taughtcalculus.Menth is currently focusing on her thesisproject, working with Heier Stamm to study theeducational and protection needs of childrenaffected by the Nepal earthquakes.Part of her research involved surveyinghumanitarian response personnel about theirdecision-making processes in the field.“Having that first-hand data is exciting notonly for her project but for projects that willfollow,” Heier Stamm said. Menth is also leadingthe charge among OR students in researchingsimulation modeling.She presented her research in December atthe Winter Simulation Conference in HuntingtonBeach, California.Their professors and classmates havelittle doubt that Eitzen and Menth will be verysuccessful in their careers.“They just have a drive to them,” said Ph.D.student Anne Grego-Nagel. “It’s exciting to seesuch strong and dynamic women in our master’sprogram.”Eitzen completed her degree in December,and in January began working as a businessanalyst for Deloitte Consulting.“She was a great student,” said her adviser,Todd Easton, IMSE associate professor, “— hardworking, bright, sociable and of course a greataddition to our intramural soccer team.” His onlydisappointment is that he couldn’t convince herto stay and get her Ph.D.Menth plans to graduate this spring.Someday, she aspires to work for the U.N. oranother relief organization. Jobs in humanitarianlogistics are sparse and highly competitive,but Heier Stamm thinks she’ll have plenty ofopportunities.“I expect her to get a great job offer —or multiple job offers — out of her thesisproject,” Heier Stamm said. “She’ll have greatopportunities in public health or healthcare.”ALUMNI CONNECTIONS 20169

DiscoveryFIRST FEMALE IE GRADUATERECALLS CAREER,TIME AT K-STATEWhen Ardis Ellis Kimmel enrolled forengineering classes at Kansas StateUniversity in 1956, she had no ideashe would be the only woman.“It wasn’t until I got to campus andlooked around the classroom that I realizedthere were no other women,” Kimmel said.Kimmel grew up on a farm in centralKansas, where she learned to drive thetractor at age seven and became a 4-Hpoultry production champion in Kansas. Shemaintained that passion her entire life andhas served as a 4-H leader for more than 40years.Her father had taken agriculture coursesat K-State, but she was still fairly new touniversity practices. In order to declare amajor, she had visited a guidance counselorat K-State, who pointed her to engineering.“I didn’t know you could change majors,”Kimmel said, “so I just stuck it out.”In fact, being one of the few women inengineering never really bothered her. Whenasked how she felt about being one of theonly women in her class, Kimmel simplyresponded, “I didn’t have feelings about it.”She said no one at K-State ever made her feelunwelcome or as if she didn’t belong.Kimmel, who was always fascinated byanything put in front of her — just went toclass and did her best. “In any profession youtake, having a positive attitude makes all thedifference,” she said.She lived on campus throughout collegein all-female dormitories and had women inmost of her non-engineering courses. HerIndustrial and Manufacturing Systems EngineeringK-STATE IIE CHAPTER HOSTS REGIONAL CONFERENCEArdis Ellis Kimmel(above and bottomrow, third from left),the first woman tograduate from IE atK-State, served as anews editor for theKansas State Engineer,a magazine producedby engineering students.— From the RoyalPurple yearbook, 1959.favorite classes involved hands-on learningin the industrial engineering department,especially welding and foundry.“I made sure I scooped as much sand asthe boys,” she said.During college, Kimmel participated inseveral religious groups, Collegiate 4-H Cluband the Society for the Advancement ofManagement. She also served as a news editorfor the Kansas State Engineer.In 1960, Kimmel became the first femalegraduate of the department. She went on tojoin a consulting firm in New York where sheworked with architects to design electricalsystems, including lighting and power. FromNew York, she moved to Indianapolis and thenLouisville, Kentucky.Over the course of her career, she workedon more than 35 hospital projects, a numberof religious facilities and other building types.One of her favorite projects involved workingwith architects from Taliesin, the Frank LloydWright School of Architecture, to designsystems for a palace in Iran.“I was always finding new things to learn,”Kimmel said, “ and that was the exciting part.”In her thirties, she took some time off toraise her three sons. She passed on her love oflearning to them, and today they each hold atleast one master’s degree. She agreed to payfor one degree for each of them, as long as —like her — they didn’t switch majors.At

AT OPEN HOUSE 2016 Brad Kramer Professor and Department Head I am excited to celebrate and share our accomplishments with you through our Alumni Connections newsletter. The IMSE department continues to grow — both in size and through the accomplishments of our faculty, students and alumni community. In this issue, we introduce new