IISE Manufacturing and Design (M&D) Division Best Student Paper Award

The Manufacturing & Design (M&D) Best Student Paper Award (BSPA) recognizes outstanding contributions in manufacturing or design that will be presented at the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Annual Conference and published in the Annual Conference proceedings. The award will be presented annually during the M&D Townhall Meeting at the IISE Annual Conference.

Eligibility requirements

The lead author shall comply with the following when the paper & application/nomination package are submitted:

  • A member of both IISE and the M&D Division..
  • A full-time student while research was conducted, and the paper was written.
  • Be the primary contributor to both writing the paper and the topic of the paper.
  • The lead author or faculty advisor / instructor who oversaw the work must be registered to attend the IISE Annual Conference & Expo
  • The lead author has not won the BSPA during the previous two years.
  • The full-length, final version of the paper must be submitted into the conference submission system for abstracts and papers.
  • Papers submitted for BSPA, and their lead authors, are ineligible for the M&D Best Track Paper Award.

The work must be clearly distinct from other works, nor may it be:

  1. Previously published by the authors or other authors.
  2. Submitted for any other awards within IISE, and its divisions or societies.

The faculty member or instructor submitting the application/nomination package shall:

  1. Be familiar with the body of work being nominated.
  2. Affirm that the student is the lead author and primary contributor.
  3. Affirm that either the nominee or the person submitting the package will attend the conference; present the topic; and receive the award if selected.

Application Process

The BSPA application/nomination package must be submitted and affirmed by a faculty member or an instructor who is familiar with the body of work (i.e., advisor, course instructor).

The application/nomination package must include in a single PDF document:

  1. A BSPA nomination form that is completed and signed by the nominator.
    Nomination Form Best Student Paper Award
  2. Signed affirmation of compliance with the BSPA eligibility criteria.
  3. A copy of the full-length, final version of the paper

Submit a full-length, final version of the paper into the conference submission system for abstracts and papers by February 9, 2025 no later than 11:59 ET.

Submit the application/nomination package to the BSPA Selection Committee Chairperson before the application/nomination deadline.

  • Selection Committee Chairperson: Dr. Xiaochen Xian (Georgia Tech University), xxian@gatech.edu
  • Application/Nomination deadline: February 9, 2025 no later than 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time (UTC -5)

Deadline for submitting full-length, final version of paper into conference submission system: February 9, 2025.

Papers will be assessed on a 5-point scale: 5 is the highest ranking; 0 is the lowest. Assessors will assign an integer value to each assessment category. The assessments categories are equally weighted. The assessment categories are:

  • Originality
  • Relevance to manufacturing or design
  • Significance to manufacturing or design
  • Depth and completeness of the work
  • Organization and quality of writing

Each paper will be assessed against the assessment criteria. The final score for each assessment will be the average of integers assigned in each category.
The Selection Committee Chairperson will rank the papers based on their assessment final scores.
The nominee whose paper receives the highest score will be the winner. If the event of a tie, the selection committee will deliberate to determine the winner.

The BSPA Selection Committee Chairperson will inform the winner and the individual who nominated the winner by March 15, 2025.

Important Dates (Deadlines)

  • Abstract submissions are due November 17, 2024
  • Abstract decisions will be made by December 15, 2024
  • Full paper submissions are due February 9, 2025
  • Notification on full paper decisions are due March 9, 2025
  • Winners/Finalists will be notified by March 15, 2025
  • Speaker registration deadline:  March 23, 2025
  • Paper final revision submission deadline:  March 31, 2025

Recognition

  • First prize winner(s) will receive a certificate with a hardback cover at the M&D townhall meeting at the IISE Annual Conference & Expo.
  • Second and Third prize winners will receive a digital certificate and be recognized at the M&D townhall meeting at the IISE Annual Conference & Expo.
  • First, second, and third prize winners will be recognized on the M&D webpage and in the M&D newsletter
  • First, second, and third prize winners will be recognized in ISE magazine.

Committee Chair

Dr. Xiaochen Xian

Conflict of Interest Policy

It is imperative to maintain the integrity of the awards programs within IISE and the M&D Division. Therefore, all members of the division shall abide by the following conflict of interest policy requirements.

  • M&D officers and board members are ineligible for M&D awards during their period(s) of service without approval from IISE’s Senior Vice President for Technical Operations (SVP). Exceptions may only be made by the SVP when awards are time sensitive (e.g., Student board member is nominated for Best Student Paper Award, but will graduate before the Annual Conference). In the case of time sensitive awards without SVP approval, the affected officer/members must be recused from the awards processes. For non-time sensitive awards, officers and board members may be nominated for awards after their service on the M&D Division board has ended.
  • Award selection committees shall consist of members who have neither personal nor professional relationships with nominees. Upon knowing that such a conflict arises, the member shall immediately be recused from further participation in the selection process.
  • Award committee members should change annually to ensure fairness, diversity and equality.

2024 Winner

1st Place:
Imtiaz Qavi, Sampa Halder, Dongping Du, and George Tan
Texas Tech University
"Machine Learning Enhanced High Fidelity and High Viability Bioprinting using Rheological and Compositional Predictors"

2023 Winner

1st Place:
Rongxuan Wang
Virginia Tech
"High-Resolution Sub-Surface Thermal Measurement in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) Using Novel Fiber Optics and Machine Learning"

Past winners

Manufacturing and Design Division page

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