MHI Solutions - Volume 3, Issue 2 - (Page 104)

Where Are They Now? Catching up with MHEFI scholarship recipients Dr. Jennifer Pazour Assistant Professor University of Central Florida Dr. Jennifer Pazour jokes that she grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, but ever since she chose her career path, she's clearly been headed somewhere, fast. Pazour, a 30-year-old native of Pukwana, S.D., received a scholarship from Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. (MHEFI) while attending graduate school at the University of 104 M H 731234_ASI.indd 1 I S o l u t I o n S * Q2 * 2015 Arkansas from 2007-11. She credits the scholarship with helping her become an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems at the University of Central Florida, where she's taught for almost four years. "The scholarship definitely helped me by providing funding as a graduate student to continue my research," she said, "but it also was useful to be able to say that I was being funded by an industry group that represents the same industry that I'm doing research in. Both aspects helped me greatly in getting my current job." MHEFI, established in 1976, is an independent charitable organization dedicated to supporting the study of material handling, logistics, and supply chain, exposing students to the many opportunities in the industry. The foundation has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships and grants since its inception. After getting her bachelor's degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Pazour studied industrial engineering at the University of Arkansas. She did her dissertation on logistics, supply chain and material handling, focusing on pharmaceutical order fulfillment. In her current role, she spends about half her time teaching courses in engineering logistics, which covers distribution-center design and material handling; industrial engineering in the service sector, which focuses on logistics and supply chain; and operations research, which teaches students how to use the analytical method to make better decisions. The other half of her time is spent researching, getting grants to support her research, publishing papers and advising students in their research. Her research centers on better understanding logistics challenges using analytical modeling techniques. She builds a mathematical model of a logistics system and uses it to try to improve upon the system. "I use the model to study the system I'm interested in, so I say the model is kind of like my playground," she said. "Ultimately, what I'm trying to do with my research is recommend strategies that optimize some performance measure, so in logistics distribution, we might want to maximize throughput and minimize the time it takes to get your order when you buy something online." Pazour received a grant from the Office of Naval Research to research sea-based logistics. The U.S. Navy is exploring a concept called "sea-basing," which is akin to e-commerce on a ship, she said. The Navy wants to increase efficiency by being able to provide troops onshore with vital supplies precisely when they are needed instead of offloading everything all at once. "I find the work extremely rewarding," Pazour said. "One of the aspects that I really like about my job is that I get paid to learn. I'm both creating knowledge and disseminating knowledge to my students, and that's very rewarding." 03/02/15 12:13 AM http://www.asidrives.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MHI Solutions - Volume 3, Issue 2

CEO Update
Wearable and Mobile Technologies
The Rise of Automation and Robotics in Supply Chains
Disruptive Technology
The Power of the Cloud
Connections between Education, Industry Key to Training the Workforce of the Future
The Food and Beverage Industry
ProMat 2015 Preview
2015 MHI Innovation Awards to be Awarded During ProMat
Industry Trends
Economic Market Analysis
Education
Collaborate With Supply Chain Management Programs to Solve the Workforce Shortage
Safer Handling
MHI Solution and Product Groups—Moving Forward
Solution Group Update
Solutions Spotlight
Roadmap Update
Where Are They Now
MHI News
Calendar
Index of Advertisers

MHI Solutions - Volume 3, Issue 2