Gary Mirka, Professor and Department Chair

Greetings IMSE alumni, friends, and colleagues! As I write this letter, I have been on the job as the chair of the IMSE department for 17 days. Learning the details of the ongoing work of our faculty and staff has filled my days and has been quite enlightening. Several of the more prominent activities of the faculty and staff of the department will be highlighted in our soon to be published newsletter, but there are also many other ongoing projects and activities that place our department on the cutting edge of research and educational advances in the industrial engineering community. 

 First, let me introduce myself. I come to Iowa State University from North Carolina State University, where I was a professor and associate department head in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Prior to joining NC State in 1992, I did my undergraduate (BSISE, 1986) and graduate work (MS, 1988; PhD, 1992) at The Ohio State University. My research interests are in the area of physical ergonomics, where I specialize in spine biomechanics and ergonomic intervention effectiveness research. These research interests have taken me into a variety of work environments, such as construction, agriculture, furniture manufacturing, and, most recently, commercial crab fishing. I look forward to the opportunity to learn more about Iowa industries and how I might find a place to “apply my trade.” I come to Ames with my wife, Jami, and my daughters, Taylor (13) and Blair (12). We have enjoyed our first few weeks in Ames, particularly the pace of life and the friendliness of the people. 

 I would like to take a moment to communicate my vision for the department. I begin by noting that the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Iowa State University enjoys a strong reputation in the industrial engineering community for the quality of its undergraduate program and the well-trained students that it produces.  It is my vision that we can enhance this reputation by strengthening the scholarship of the graduate research program and by expanding our distance education initiatives.  My short-term approach to achieving this vision is two-fold.  First, I will spend time over the coming months learning more about the strengths and challenges within the department and working with the faculty to develop a strategic plan to make the best use of our current resources. Second, I will work to grow the available resources by cultivating supportive industrial relationships, seeking greater alumni support for our programs, and emphasizing the need for increased levels of sponsored research. While my personal strengths lie in the sponsored research aspects of this resource model, I look forward to the challenge of learning how to work with our industrial and alumni partners.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I welcome your thoughts (send me an e-mail) on ways the department can be improved and I look forward to the opportunity to work with you to advance the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Iowa State University.