We are excited to feature the first in a series of Alumni Profiles from the School of Systems and Enterprises. Dr. Thomas Day is a 2007 Engineering Management Doctoral Degree recipient who has recently had his dissertation published in book form entitled Privatization and Outsourcing: A Systems Approach. This complements his previous textbook entitled Sewer Management Systems, one of the foremost texts in its field. Dr. Tom Day is a typical Systems Engineer in that his background is typically varied, interdisciplinary and involved large international projects, but he is certainly atypical in how he came to the field.

Tom Day left high school early to become a day laborer and mechanic in Philadelphia, eventually becoming one of the youngest certified Chrysler Mechanics in the early 1970s at the age of 21. Having been turned down for numerous employment positions as a result of a lack of advanced education, he decided to fulfill an early ambition to go farther in school. This led to fourteen years working nights as a truck driver completing his AAS in Marketing Management and a BS in Electrical Engineering at Widener University during the day.

His first position upon graduating was with the Philadelphia Water Department at a time when urban water and wastewater utilities were undergoing their first wave of PC-based computer monitored networking to control operations and provide maintenance and emergency support. It became clear that he would also need to complete his ME in Computer and Software Engineering at this point to facilitate this process in Philadelphia, which he also completed at Widener. Not only did he oversee the installation of the first LAN and WAN in the department (enabling employees to “email” each other!), he also oversaw the installation of the largest sewer-monitoring network in North America. This system provided accurate and real time sewer information (including real time flow and level data) in conjunction and correlated with rainfall data so storm intensity can be matched to plant loadings and potential flooding in areas of known problems. After a million gallons of sludge spilled into Penrose Ferry Road, he assisted in setting up an emergency monitoring and control system to prevent a re-occurrence, a project that was completed and fully integrated into the facilities’ main process computers within three working days. Manual readings were automated for the Custody Transfer Flow Monitoring Stations, producing the data for bills of over $30 million annually to suburban sewage customers. Also, the system was designed with the ability to alert and alarm system managers concerning operational and data problems within hours instead of weeks using remote electronic interrogation rather than a manual site visit, making the bills more continuous and accurate.

The other trend occurring across public utilities at this time was contracting and outsourcing for jobs both large and small. A systems perspective became useful in managing the hardware, software, and services of a project to evaluate the pros and cons of expanding or maintaining services internally or externally, and the computer monitoring system installed under Dr. Day’s watch was one of the first to be installed by an outside contractor in Philadelphia. During his time at the Philadelphia Water Department, he was also recognized for coordinating the most successful engineering intern program in the Department, with students from Widener, Drexel, and Rutgers participating and gaining valuable experience. He was able to publish over 30 papers and articles documenting projects managed by him at the Department. He was also formally recognized by Philadelphia City Council for his advances in water science on behalf of the Water Department.

The new millennium saw Dr. Day overseeing major utility system analysis and installations for American Water Services, formerly the fourth largest service provider of water, wastewater and biosolids operating services in North America, including projects in North Carolina, California, New York, Mexico and Canada. He also established the first Military Services division for American Water Services, providing water and wastewater operating services to the Department of Defense, reducing overall government operating costs of these facilities. Switching to manufacturing, he was able to pursue his doctorate in Engineering Management at Stevens Institute of Technology while working at Milton Roy Americas, a United Technologies subsidiary as a Product Manager for Systems, Instrumentation, and Controls Technology. In this position he interfaces with engineering, senior management, sales and marketing to develop specifications, fabricate prototypes, negotiate supply chains, set manufacturing line and training for a wide variety of fluid management and chemical handling industry needs. He as published numerous papers and articles documenting this work, providing a means of technology transfer for those in the field.

Dr. Day discovered the value of Systems Thinking within his Engineering Management thesis out of necessity, when he felt “no other academic discipline could fit all of the varieties of engineering and business into a working model to be utilized.” He credits his advisor at Stevens, Dr. Tim Kohler, Director of Academic Research with being an incredible editor, coach and mentor who vastly improved his ability to communicate in writing to both lay and technical audiences, and Dr. John Farr, Dean of Academic Affairs, as being an indispensible part of a long and arduous journey to complete doctoral level work while growing in a senior level position at a major manufacturing entity. When he was making a decision to pursue either a more technical advanced degree or an MBA, he found that the Systems Engineering and Engineering Management Department at Stevens, now called the School of Systems and Enterprises, was the “perfect blend” in the middle, combining the assets of both cutting-edge and veteran perspectives on enterprise systems and operations in a hard to find combination having practical application in world business.

For more information please contact:

Beth DeFares
Associate Director of Outreach and Communications
Babbio
Room 517
Phone: 201.216.5362
Fax: 201.216.5080

bdefares@stevens.edu

The second annual issue of the Systems Research Forum has been released this month, featuring a peer-reviewed platform for research papers and case studies in systems engineering, addressing:

• Systems engineering and architecting
• System analysis and evaluation
• Enterprise architecting and management
• Measurement and metrics
• Simulation and modeling

We are pleased that the latest issue features articles from global, industry and academic perspectives and a diverse set of institutions including Eindhoven University of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Old Dominion University and Stevens Institute of Technology.

The School of Systems and Enterprises (SSE) is committed to furthering scholarship in the area of Systems Engineering, and a critical part of this is providing this forum for the best research in the field to be promoted via peer review and publication. According to Editor-in-Chief Dr. Brian Sauser, who co-edits the Forum with Dr. Rashmi Jain, "The value of systems engineering in research and practice within government, industry, and academia is the greatest it has been in history. This has created a demand and need for emerging, cutting-edge systems engineering knowledge, and the Systems Research Forum aspires to become a respected provider of innovative and relevant knowledge transfer that will fulfill this demand."

For more information please contact:

Beth DeFares
Associate Director of Outreach and Communications
Babbio
Room 517
Phone: 201.216.5362
Fax: 201.216.5080

bdefares@stevens.edu

ASEM Undergraduate Chapter wins Founders Award for Best Chapter for 2007-2008 School Year

The American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) granted the Stevens Student Chapter the Founders Award for best chapter this year, a sign of the growth in strength of this popular Engineering degree option, and student engagement with the Engineering Management program. Under the guidance of Director of Undergraduate Academics Dr. Kate Abel, the ASEM Chapter has reached out to other local chapters to coordinate attendance at events and networking opportunities, including joint excursions with the USMA West Point ASEM Chapter to FOX Studios and the USS Intrepid. The Student Chapter also holds Career Workshops and Meet the Faculty Luncheons to deepen students’ understanding of their professional options, and of the discipline of Engineering Management. Engineering Management continues to grow as an option for both Stevens’ graduate and undergraduate students, given the high propensity for engineers to enter the ranks of management in leading industry and government entities. Ten years following their graduation, more than 75% of engineers are assuming managerial responsibilities, for which training in economics, statistics, operations research, engineering design, teaming and project/quality management are key tools for professional success. Engineering Management graduates possess the technical and managerial skills to perform leadership functions in many industries.

Dr. Ibrahim and Dr. Fallah Received ASEM Best Paper Award

At the ASEM 2007 Annual Conference, Dr. Sherwat Ibrahim and Dr. Hosein Fallah, won the Ted Eschenbach Award for Best Paper in the Engineering Management Journal, ASEM’s quarterly publication for their paper entitled, “Technological Clusters and Drivers of Innovation.” Dr. Donald Merino, who participated on the PhD Committee for the dissertation on this topic, accepted the award at the ASEM conference on behalf of Dr. Ibrahim and Dr. Fallah. The winning paper emphasizes the importance of research on Technology Clusters in today’s global market. According to Dr. Fallah, “For decades, researchers have studies technology cluster evolution and knowledge spillovers, inspired by the phenomenal success of Silicon Valley. However, some questions still remain. Why do some clusters perform better than others? Some clusters seem to continue on a growth path, while others are stagnant or declining. What factors are driving these differences? What conditions are necessary to create a new cluster? The objective of my research has been to understand the mechanisms that drive knowledge spillovers and lead to increased innovation in technology clusters. The findings have great implications for regional development and global R&D.”

Dr. Merino Finalizes Engineering Management Body of Knowledge (EM BoK)

After years of preparation, the ASEM National Board has approved the Engineering Management Body of Knowledge (EM BoK) final version, a project that Dr. Donald Merino served as Editor for, as well as authoring three of the thirteen EM BoK fields of study and peer conference papers on the development of the ASEM EM BoK. Doctoral Candidate Jimmy Ghandi provided valuable assistance compiling the EM BoK.

Pictured: Dr. Donald Merino and Dr. Hosein Fallah

For more information please contact:

Beth DeFares
Associate Director of Outreach and Communications
Babbio
Room 517
Phone: 201.216.5362
Fax: 201.216.5080

bdefares@stevens.edu

The School of Systems and Enterprises (SSE) mourns the unexpected passing of Colonel Robert Powell, the first Ph.D. graduate of the Systems Engineering Program at Stevens Institute of Technology, who died on Monday, June 9, 2008.

Colonel Powell was an Assistant Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Systems Engineering Professor at the USMA- West Point. He was known for his kindness and sincerity, and will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife Lita, his sons Christopher and Christian, and his daughters Christiana and Christy.

Colonel Powell received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and served in the Army as an Air Defense Artillery and Ordnance officer. He received a Master of Science degree in Operations Research/Management Science from George Mason University, after which he went on to complete a Master in Military Art and Science degree from the United States Army Command and General Staff College. In 2002, he was the first Candidate to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, for his dissertation entitled “A Definition of High-Level Decisions in the Engineering of Systems.”

As a USMA Professor in the Department of Systems Engineering, Colonel Powell was the first Program Director for a new major in Systems Management. He also was an author of several scholarly works, as well as serving as a contributing author to the department textbook, Decision Making in Systems Engineering and Management. He was in the process of finalizing a new book on decision making for project managers. Colonel Powell was a mentor and inspiration within the Army community, as well as a leader in his Christian community at the Grace Baptist Church of Highland Falls, NY.

For more information please contact:

Beth DeFares
Associate Director of Outreach and Communications
Babbio
Room 517
Phone: 201.216.5362
Fax: 201.216.5080

bdefares@stevens.edu

The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Student Chapter at Stevens Institute of Technology announces Tod Schuck the winner of the “Fly to the Netherlands” paper competition. Mr. Schuck’s paper, entitled “An Extended Enterprise Architecture for a Network-Enabled, Effects-Based Approach for National Park Protection”, was selected best paper out of several entries, by a committee of School of Systems and Enterprises’ (SSE) faculty, staff, and INCOSE - Liberty Chapter representatives.
As winner of the competition, Mr. Schuck receives free travel and lodging to this year’s INCOSE Symposium being held in Utrecht, The Netherlands, June 16 – 20, 2008.
The competition, organized by Stevens INCOSE Student Chapter in association with the School of Systems and Enterprises and the INCOSE Liberty Chapter, was created to challenge the School’s PhD students, and to promote greater student involvement at the annual INCOSE Symposium.
Students competing in the paper competition were required to submit a ten page paper related to the theme of this year’s INCOSE conference, “Systems Engineering for the Planet.”
Mr. Schuck is a Systems Engineering Doctoral Candidate, and works as a Project Specialist Senior Staff for Tactical C2I Systems, Lockheed Martin MS2 in Moorestown, NJ. During his years at Lockheed, he has served as a manager for the Threat Informatics Group, as well as Lead Engineer for the development of ID architectures, algorithms, modeling and systems design.
He has received several publication awards to date, from the International Command and Control Research and Technology Symposium, the IEEE National Aerospace and Electronics Conference Board, Lockheed Martin Author of the Year 2001, as well as the winner of Al Gore’s “Silver Hammer” Award for Extraordinary Effort for Changing the Way The Government Does Business for the NATO SeaSparrow Signal Data Processor.
Tod Schuck received a MS in Electrical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology in 1994, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1989.

For more information please contact:

Beth DeFares
Associate Director of Outreach and Communications
Babbio
Room 517
Phone: 201.216.5362
Fax: 201.216.5080

bdefares@stevens.edu