Steve Hackman and Joel Sokol, associate professors in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE), took first place in the Innovations in Curriculum Competition for their “effective approach to integrated learning in capstone design."  Hackman and Sokol were recognized at the 2012 Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) Honors and Awards Banquet on May 21. 

Hackman and Sokol developed an integrated approach to ISyE’s capstone Senior Design course that enforces consistency with improved project quality.

“Our students have always been well-prepared to do technical engineering work, and assessments show that their preparation has now especially increased in non-technical areas, as a result of our new structure that integrates internal and external resources for non-technical skills.  Both an external review board and the most recent Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology review cited the new Senior Design course as one of ISyE’s strengths,” said Sokol.

Non-technical skills that ISyE Senior Design students are developing include: defining, scoping, and proposing engineering work; teamwork, leadership, and project management; presentation and writing for a variety of professionally-relevant audiences; professional communication and behavior; and legal issues with confidentiality, non-disclosure, intellectual property, and technology licensing. 

All seniors in ISyE culminate their undergraduate educational experience with the capstone course, Senior Design. The course provides students with firsthand experience at solving real-world problems in a team environment. Student teams select a major design project from a company or not-for-profit organization and exploit all available resources in order to develop a solution for the project client.

The IIE Innovation in Curriculum Competition highlights outstanding innovation in the design or presentation of an IE curriculum or course.  It recognizes faculty members who demonstrate outstanding creativity in instructional approaches or curriculum organization, design, or content, and who provide evidence of the effectiveness of their innovation.