Industrial Engineering Doctoral Candidate Represents University at Homeland Security

Photo of Hugh MedalHugh Medal, a doctoral candidate in the department of industrial engineering, was one of 20 students nationwide selected to present their research at the fourth annual Department of Homeland Security's University Network Summit. The conference was held in Washington, D.C., on March 9-12. A special day is dedicated for student participants.

Student Day is intended to foster networking and continued interest in homeland security fields while highlighting the successes of students. It provides an opportunity for students to make presentations on their research; hear from an insightful panel of DHS, federal and national laboratory employees on employment; receive the latest news from the Student and Alumni Network; and network with other students and Center of Excellence directors.

In 2009, the Mack-Blackwell Rural Transportation Center selected Medal as the Outstanding Student of the Year for his research and exceptional academic skills as well as his future goals as an educator. He is currently performing research with industrial engineering professors Ed Pohl, Chase Rainwater and Scott Mason. The project title is Designing Resilient Supply Chain Networks. The team is developing mathematical models to determine which transportation infrastructure elements (ports, bridges, tunnels, rail terminals) within a supply chain are most critical.

The research is funded through the Mack-Blackwell Rural Transportation Center in the department of civil engineering at the University of Arkansas. The MBTC is designated as one of seven members of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Transportation Security Center of Excellence.

Release date: 4/2/2010