<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.PlainTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text";
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:622537236;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-633939194 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:2081323013;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:1839503788 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">SEMS Student Paper Competition<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sponsored by Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group and Sparc Engineers<span style="color:red"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For presentation at the 2024 Annual Conference<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">May 18-21, 2024 - Montreal, Canada</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We are pleased to announce the Society for Engineering and Management Systems (SEMS) Student Paper Competition for 2024. The student paper competition is sponsored by the Manufacturing Technology
Deployment Group and Sparc Engineers. The Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group Inc. (MTDG) is committed to transforming the advanced manufacturing industrial base throughout the world for our sustainable future. MTDG was </span><a href="https://www.ncdmm.org/stories/news/ncdmm-announces-organizational-restructuring/" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">established
in 2020</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit holding company of both the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and Advanced Manufacturing International, Inc. (AMI). Sparc Engineers
offers cutting-edge Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions and operational excellence expertise to optimize manufacturing processes. Our comprehensive IIoT services include real-time data analysis, predictive maintenance, collaborative robotics, and
customized solutions to drive efficiency and innovation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The IISE SEMS Student Paper Competition is held as part of the SEMS Track of the IISE Annual Conference & Expo. The first, second, and third place winners will receive a certificate and
be recognized during the SEMS Town Hall Meeting. The qualification and the selection criteria are described below:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The papers should demonstrate or describe the use of techniques which improve productivity and quality through effective and economical managerial techniques and philosophies.
Both undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit papers. The winners must present their papers in the Engineering Management Track at the 2024 IISE Annual Conference. The first place winner paper will be included in the IISE Annual Award list.
The lead authors of the first, second, and third place papers will receive the following awards, which they may share with any co-authors at their discretion:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">First Place: $600</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Second Place: $300<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Third Place: $100<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* The student must be a member of IISE and the SEMS.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* The student must have carried out a substantial part of the research or applied project reported in the paper.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* The student must be the first author and must present the paper at the IISE Annual Conference & Expo, Montreal, Canada, May 18-21, 2024.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* As this is a student competition, papers co-authored by professors are excluded from the competition, but your professor’s assistance is welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* IISE SEMS Student Board members who intend to participate in the competition should contact the SEMS Student Paper Competition Director before making a submission.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Selection criteria:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* The SEMS Track co-chairs will evaluate the eligible papers and select a few outstanding papers for further consideration.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* The SEMS awards committee will then evaluate and rank the selected papers to identify the winners.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Conflict of Interest Statement:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Societies and divisions must follow standard conflict of interest guidelines. Those guidelines include, but are not limited to:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* Officers and Board members of SEMS are ineligible for awards during the period of their service, without approval by the Senior Vice President (SVP) for Technical Operations.
Exceptions may only be made by the SVP when awards are time sensitive (i.e., a Student Best Paper Award for a Student Board Member, when the student is graduating), and the impacted board member(s) or officer(s) must recuse themselves from the award process.
For awards that are not time-sensitive, the nominee should wait until their Officer or Board service is complete to be nominated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* The judging committee will not include members who have either a personal or professional relationship with the nominees. For example, a faculty member should not be
judging a paper competition where a student from the same university is a nominee for best student paper award.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">* The judging committee will actively change its membership on a rotating basis from year to year to ensure fairness, equity, and diversity. That is, some members of
the judging committee will roll off the committee and new members should roll on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Applicants must submit their abstracts through the conference’s website by Nov. 17, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For more information on the IISE Annual Conference:
</span><a href="https://www.iise.org/Annual/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">https://www.iise.org/Annual/</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For any questions, please contact the Beth Cudney at
</span><a href="mailto:ecudney@maryville.edu"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">ecudney@maryville.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> or Amy Straub at
</span><a href="mailto:astraub@iise.org"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">astraub@iise.org</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> at IISE.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Beth Cudney, PhD, CLSSMBB</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">ASQ Fellow, IISE Fellow, ASEM Fellow, IAQ Academician<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Professor of Data Analytics<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Program Coordinator, Data Analytics<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">John E. Simon School of Business<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Maryville University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><img border="0" width="368" height="137" style="width:3.8333in;height:1.4305in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DA0B2A.D20B5160" alt="Maryville logo"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>