May 2023
Newsletter
Message from the President
Dear Logistics & Supply Chain (LSC) Division members,

We are really close to the 2023 IISE Annual Conference & Expo. We are looking forward to connecting with you at our Division’s Town Hall Meeting and at the multiple topical and special sessions organized by the two tracks sponsored by our Division. Several of our members have been working hard to facilitate a set of sessions that will provide content and value to our membership attending the Annual Conference. At the same time, we will be recognizing the great work of students participating in our Division’s competitions and the contributions of industry members to our field. Looking back at the past year, I am grateful of the many contributions of our Board members. We have worked on updating our Division Bylaws and developed a strategic plan for the next three years focused on solidifying the status of the LSC Division within IISE and improving the Division content and value proposition for our members. I am particularly excited with the progress we are making with the development of the three-course micro-credential program in Supply Chain Management that we expect to launch soon with IISE.

After the conference, we will have our leadership transition. I would like to thank all the 2022-23 Board members and welcome the newly elected and continuing 2023-24 Board members. I am confident that our incoming president Mike Sherwin and current and newly elected Board members will do their best to bring the LSC Division to new heights in the near future. Please consider getting involved in the activities of the Division. We always welcome feedback and ideas from our members, so please feel free to reach out to any of us. 

In this newsletter, you will find additional information about our newly elected Board members, the LSC Town Hall, highlights of the Logistics & Supply Chain (LSC) and Facilities Design & Planning (FDP) Tracks at the Annual Conference, awards and competitions, the micro-credential program, and a member spotlight.

Sincerely,

Hector Vergara
LSC Division President 2022-2023
Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
LSC Board of Directors 2023-2024
President
Michael Sherwin, Assistant Professor, Duquesne University
 
President-Elect
Zhijie (Sasha) Dong, Associate Professor, University of Houston
 
Past-President
Hector Vergara, Associate Professor, Oregon State University
Board Members

Mohamed Awwad*, Assistant Professor, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, Email: mawwad@calpoly.edu 
 
Taner Cokyasar*, Research Consultant, Argonne National Laboratory
 
Kaushik Narendran*, Associate Director, Global Supply Planning, Moderna Inc.
 
Tanveer Hossain Bhuiyan*, Assistant Professor, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Email: tanveer.bhuiyan@utsa.edu
 
Payam Parsa, Assistant Professor, Cal Poly State University, Pomona
 
Erin Gerber, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, University of Louisville
 
Raj Mishra, Global Lifecycle Sr. Manager, Moderna Inc.

Congratulations to all the newly elected Board Members* (names in bold) for a two-year term. We also thank the following individuals for their service to the LSC Division in 2022-2023. 

Krystel Castillo - Outgoing Past-President
Hector Vergara - Outgoing President
Ravi Vengadam - Outgoing Board Director
Srinivasan Balan - Outgoing Student Board Member
2023 IISE Annual Conference
LSC Townhall
Please join us at the LSC Town Hall Meeting during the 2023 IISE Annual Conference & Expo. At the Town Hall, we will provide an update on the status of the LSC Division, review events and initiatives, and recognize our Division’s award and competitions winners.

Sunday, May 21, 2023
2:00-3:20 PM
Hyatt - Strand 11A (Level Two)
LSC and FDP Tracks and Special Sessions
The LSC division oversees two tracks at the 2023 IISE Annual Conference & Expo. 
 
The Logistics & Supply Chain Track will host over 10 regular sessions on various topics including Food Supply Chain, Middle Mile Network Design, Disaster Relief Logistics, Production and Inventory Planning, and Maritime Transportation among others. In addition, a special Q&A Panel discussion with Editors of the Supply Chain & Logistics focused issue of IISE Transactions will also be hosted.

The Facilities Design & Planning Track will host regular sessions on various topics including Designing for Warehouse & Fulfillment Operations, Facilities and Energy Management, and Facilities Design. In addition, a special session to highlight the FDP Best Track Paper and a panel of industry professionals who will discuss special topics, trends, and issues related to facility operations and technology will be held during the conference.
 
Check out the 2023 IISE Annual Conference full schedule for more information and details on these tracks.  
LSC Division Awards and Competitions
The LSC Division continues to organize student case and paper competitions and recognize industry and academic members with awards for their contributions to their field. Please join us at the LSC Town Hall Meeting during the 2023 IISE Annual Conference & Expo to recognize the winners of the 2023 LSC Division Awards and Competitions.

Special thanks to Mohamed Awwad for leading the Awards Committee with the support of Raj Mishra. Additional information about the LSC Division Awards and Competitions is presented below along with the winners from the previous year (2022). Please consider participating or nominating someone for recognition during the next cycle in 2024.
Logistics and Supply Chain (LSC) Division Student Case Competition
This competition recognizes teams who demonstrate innovative use of logistics and supply chain concepts in the analysis of a relevant LSC case. Click for more details.

2022 Winners

1st Place – University of Arkansas
Students: Rajon Paul Pantha, Dhiraj Pokhrel, Matthew Walters
Advisor: Dr. Sandra Eksioglu
Prize: $350
 
2nd Place: University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Students: Suhas Arora, Joel Mathew Varghese
Prize: $150

Sponsor: Logistics and Distribution Institute (LoDI) at University of Louisville
Logistics and Supply Chain (LSC) Division Best Student Paper Competition
This competition, open to graduate and undergraduate students, honors outstanding papers in the field of logistics and supply chain submitted to the LSC Track of the IISE Annual Conference & Expo. Click for more details.

2022 Winners

1st Place: Trucker Sensitive Hyper-Connected Relay-based Transportation: An Operating System
Students: Jingze Li, Miguel Campos
Faculty: Benoit Montreuil
Georgia Institute of Technology
 
2nd Place: Dynamic Workforce Management in Hyperconnected Parcel Logistic Hubs
Students: Yujia Xu, Yiguo Liu
Faculty: Benoit Montreuil
Georgia Institute of Technology
 
3rd Place: Impact of Joint Greening Efforts and Product Pricing in a Two-Echelon Green Supply Chain
Students: Brandon Runner, Nicolas Joy Way Bueno
Faculty: Murat Erkoc
University of Miami
Logistics and Supply Chain (LSC) Division Outstanding Industry Practitioner
This award recognizes excellence in industry practice of logistics and supply chain. Click for more details.

Logistics and Supply Chain (LSC) Division Teaching Award
This award recognizes excellence in the teaching of logistics and supply chain courses. Click for more details.
Announcements
LSC Micro-Credential Certification Program
The IISE LSC Division is launching a Supply Chain Micro-Credential Certification Program available in Summer 2023. The program provides a low-cost, on-demand learning opportunity for professionals and students interested in enhancing their understanding of supply chain management and related topics. Initially, the program will consist of three modules (Introduction to Supply Chain Management, Forecasting, and Inventory Management), with additional modules planned for the future. Participants can complete each module online, asynchronously, and at their own pace. Each module is intended to take at most five hours to complete. Participants will receive an IISE Logistics and Supply Chain Micro-Credential after completing the materials and successfully passing an assessment for the module. To learn more about the Micro-Credential Certification Program, please contact Mike Sherwin (sherwinm@duq.edu).
Member Spotlight
Mr. Raj Mishra, a seasoned supply chain professional with over a decade of experience, has made significant contributions to the field of supply chain management across various industries. With a diverse background in Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, and Biotechnology, Raj has a proven track record of success in managing complex supply chains and driving operational excellence.
As an active member of reputable supply chain associations, Raj has played a key role in shaping the industry through his expertise and insights. He has been invited to serve as a judge on several prestigious panels for supply chain competitions, where he has provided invaluable guidance and feedback to participants. In addition, Raj serves as a Board of Director within the Logistics and Supply Chain (LSC) division of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), further showcasing his commitment to advancing the profession.

Throughout his career, Raj has held various roles in supply chain management, demonstrating versatility and adaptability across different industries. He has excelled in supply chain planning, where he has utilized advanced forecasting techniques, demand management strategies, and inventory optimization to ensure seamless operations and meet customer demands. Raj has also been responsible for managing new product launches, where he has applied his strategic thinking and cross-functional collaboration skills to achieve successful product introductions while minimizing supply chain disruptions.

Raj Mishra’s decade of experience in various roles of the global supply chain, his active involvement in reputable supply chain associations, and his exceptional leadership in managing supply chains in diverse industries make him a true expert in the field. His contributions to the profession and dedication to operational excellence have earned him a well-deserved reputation as a leading supply chain professional.
Call for Volunteers and Student Board Members
The Logistics & Supply Chain (LSC) Division welcomes volunteers for becoming board members and participate in the activities of the division. We especially encourage students to join the division and serve on the board to help us in representing the student perspective. Our goal is to provide the highest value proposition for the division members and the IISE community.

IISE Logistics and Supply Chain Division LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7421005/
Have you considered a corporate membership? If not, why? Companies large and small enjoy the benefits. Include your entire team and receive all the benefits of individual membership, plus lowest rates to attend the Conferences and much more.
 
Contact Doug Long IISE Global Director for Strategic Alliances for more details.