PurposeThis paper aims to present the results of an initial research study conducted to identify the desired professional characteristics of an industrial engineer with an undergraduate degree and the emerging topic areas that should be incorporated into the curriculum to prepare industrial engineering (IE) graduates for the future workforce.Design/methodology/approachA survey was administered to faculty and industry professionals across the USA to describe the desired characteristics and define the important emerging topic areas. The modified three‐round Delphi technique was applied to obtain consensus and ranking of the emerging topics.FindingsThe research findings that identify the desired characteristics and the most important emerging topics to be incorporated into the reengineered curriculum discussed in this paper. Statistical analysis of the results indicates some differences in opinions expressed by persons in academic settings and those working in business and industry.Originality/valueThese research findings have implications for the development of curricula at the international level.
Individuals of African ancestry have been starkly underrepresented in the pursuit of personalized medicine for brain illnesses. The African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative will seek to generate much-needed brain gene and protein expression profiles for people of African ancestry.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) remains one of the most commonly reported and studied work related musculoskeletal disorders. Categorical representations of exposures has been critical in identifying associations between risk factors and CTS, however, quantification of exposure-response relationships require using continuous exposure data. Also, few interactions between risk factors, especially between risk factor categories, have been investigated. The objectives of this study were to investigate the utility of using continuous exposure data and to identify interaction effects of risk factors, both within and between risk factor categories, for predicting CTS. A cross sectional study was performed at a fish processing facility in which 53 participants were evaluated during normal task performance. Due to task asymmetry, each hand was considered separately, providing 106 hands for analysis. Direct measurement and a questionnaire were used to quantify exposures to common occupational and personal risk factors. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify three models for predicting CTS and assess predictive ability using: occupational risk factors only (three-way interactions considered), personal risk factors only (two-way interactions considered), and a mixed model considering two-way interactions across risk factor categories and previously identified significant interactions. Models including only occupational or personal risk factors were moderately accurate overall (73% and 77% respectively), but were not sensitive in differentiating between CTS cases and non-cases (39% and 33% respectively). The mixed model was found to be accurate (88%) and sensitive (78%), though only one interaction effect was included. The results of this study illustrate the importance of using continuous exposure data, especially in job tasks where exposures to occupational risk factors is similar, when differentiating between high and low risk job tasks.
Deviated wrist posture has been implicated as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), although alone it has not been found to have a causal relationship with CTS. Studies investigating deviated wrist posture have quantified posture in a single plane of motion and not interactions of wrist postures in multiple planes. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the ability of wrist and forearm posture interaction effects to predict CTS among a population of fish processing operators. A total of 53 participants performing five job tasks were evaluated using electrogoniometers. Due to task asymmetry, each hand was evaluated separately and treated independently, providing 106 hands as data observations. Using logistic regression analysis it was found that a model including flexed (F), extended (E), the interaction of length of employment (LE) by FE, and the interaction of LE by FE by pronation/supination (PS) accurately classified 78% of all hands as cases or non-cases. The sensitivity of the final model was approximately 48%. The developed model was found to have superior predictive ability when compared to models not considering interaction terms, indicating that posture interactions may in fact have a significant effect on CTS alone.
Underrepresented minority graduate students confront various types of challenges while pursuing STEM graduate degrees. Thus, to ensure the successful completion it is important to identify and to implement supportive practices from underrepresented minority student perspectives as their representation is lacking in these programs. The objective of this research study is to provide information on the perspectives of underrepresented minority graduate students which can be used to develop a supportive model of practices that can help complete their STEM graduate programs. Survey instruments were used to gather data regarding underrepresented minority student preferences, experiences, and recommendations of supportive practices that help students to complete STEM graduate programs. The survey respondents were predominantly from the African American and Hispanic ethnic and racial background. The results of the surveys reveal common themes that support students, such as motivational factors, financial factors, and helping factors. These factors were specified by students' explanatory answers from open-ended questions, such as a focus on "long-term goals" as motivation. These research results can inform recommendations for supportive practices that can be implemented in STEM graduate programs to assist underrepresented minority graduate students in navigating and completing their graduate degree.
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