Two IE Professors recognized by the Arkansas Alumni Association with Faculty Achievement Awards

The Arkansas Alumni Association and the University of Arkansas are proud to recognize faculty who display achievements in teaching, research and service through four annual awards. Two of these awards will be presented to Industrial Engineering Professors. The recipients will be honored as part of the 69th annual Alumni Awards Celebration during homecoming weekend.

Manuel D. Rossetti will receive the Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award.

Photo of Manuel RossettiRossetti, a professor of industrial engineering and associate department head, joined the University of Arkansas faculty in August 1999, after completing his doctorate in industrial and systems engineering at the Ohio State University.

He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses, and is an internationally known researcher in the field of industrial engineering. Rossetti’s peers and colleagues recognize him for his achievements in teaching courses in computer simulation, inventory control, probability and statistics, database design, and transportation and logistics. He has been named outstanding teacher by the industrial engineering department three times, was voted best teacher by undergraduate students twice, received the John L. Imhoff College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher Award in 2011 and was elected a fellow for the Institute of Industrial Engineering in 2012.

His primary research and teaching interests include the design, analysis and optimization of logistics, manufacturing, health care and transportation systems using computer simulation and operations research techniques. Rossetti said his mission is to be “a world-class scholar who promotes innovative teaching and research within an environment that values learning, hard work, intellectual curiosity and collaborative research.” Rossetti works to develop new methods and techniques in the field of industrial engineering and identifies and solves problems within the fields of logistics, manufacturing and health care. He has served as an investigator on 47 projects totaling $4,536,444 in grant funding, sole investigator for 19 projects totaling $984,709, and the primary investigator for 40 projects totaling $3,160,223. He has also authored and co-authored 37 research reports.

Photo of Russell MellerRussell D. Meller will be presented a Distinguished Achievement Award.

Meller holds the James M. Hefley and Marie G. Hefley Professor of Logistics and Entrepreneurship and has been a professor in the department of industrial engineering since 2005. Meller focuses his research interests in facility logistics, logistics system design, operations research applications in production and health care and forest systems. He serves as the director of the Center for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution at the University of Arkansas.

Meller completed his doctorate at the University of Michigan in 1992. In 1995, with the support of a National Science Foundation Career Award, he developed optimal solutions to problems involving 15 departments within a facility. His leadership with the Center for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution has been recognized nationally and internationally. Meller has led this multi-university industry/university cooperative research center to receive a third, five-year term of support, ensuring that the center will operate through 2017.

Meller has proven he is dedicated to seeing his students excel in the field. His students value his high standards and hard work ethic. He is the recipient of the “Backbreaker” Award, a student-elected award given to a faculty member who is both demanding and highly respected. He has received many research awards, as well as awards for his teaching.

Drs. Rossetti and Meller will be honored during homecoming weekend in October.

Release date: 5/16/2013