iise Manufacturing and Design (m&d) division Outstanding Young Investigator Award

The Manufacturing & Design (M&D) Outstanding Young Investigator Award (OYI) recognizes outstanding M&D Division members for technical contributions to manufacturing or design after earning their highest degree at the time the award is presented. The award will be presented annually during the M&D Townhall Meeting at the IISE Annual Conference.

Eligibility requirements

The term “young” refers to the time since a nominee earned her/his highest degree. All individuals who meet the eligibility criteria below may be nominated for this award regardless of their age.

The nominee must be:

  • A member of IISE and the M&D Division at the time of submission.
  • The Period of performance (POP) for this award concludes on December 31, 2023.
    • Six years after graduating with a doctorate degree (i.e., PhD, DSE); or
    • Ten years after graduating with a bachelor’s degree (i.e., BSIE, BSISE).

The nominee must have demonstrated active participation in the M&D division. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Presenting at the Annual Conference or during an IISE webinar
  • Publication in a journal such as IISE Transactions
  • Member of a M&D award selection committee
  • Served on the M&D Division board
  • The nominee has made a high-impact science, technology, engineering or mathematical (STEM) contribution to manufacturing or design as evidenced by their research endeavors (i.e., intellectual property, research funding, research dissemination)
  • The nominee has not previously received the OYI.

Application process

The candidate must be nominated by another person. Self-nominations are prohibited.

The nomination package must include in a single PDF file:

  • An OYI nomination form that is completed and signed by the nominator.
  • A statement about the nominee’s contributions to manufacturing or design:
    • How the nominee’s contributions satisfy the applicable eligibility criteria
    • The statement is limited to a maximum of two pages.
  • Three letters of recommendation (LOR)
    • Highlighting the nominee’s technical achievements and contributions
    • Each LOR is limited to a maximum of two pages
  • A copy of the nominee’s current curriculum vitae or resume limited to:
    • A maximum of six pages
    • Only covering the past 5 years

The nomination package shall be submitted to the OYI Selection Committee Chairperson, Mr. David Vance, P.E. by February 23, 2023 at 11:59pm ET (UTC -5).

Evaluation Process

The OYI selection committee will verify compliance with the eligibility criteria.

Nominees will be evaluated by the committee based on the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated active participation in the M&D Division.
  • STEM contributions to manufacturing or design.

The selection committee will:

  • Evaluate each nominee against the evaluation criteria.
  • Assign a final score to each candidate based on the evaluation criteria.

The Selection Committee Chairperson will rank the nominees according to their final scores.

  • The nominee with the highest score will be declared the winner.
  • In the event of a tie, the committee will deliberate the determine the winner.

The Selection Committee Chairperson will inform the winner no later than March 24, 2024.

Recognition

  • First prize winner(s) will receive a certificate with a hardback cover at the M&D townhall meeting at the 2024 Annual Conference.
  • Second and Third prize winners will receive a digital certificate and be recognized at the M&D townhall meeting at the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo, May 18-21, Montreal, Canada.
  • 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.

Deadlines

  • Nominations due by Feb. 23, 2024
  • Winner(s) Notification due by Mar. 8, 2024

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.

  • Example 1: A faculty member recuses himself from evaluating the work of a student attending an institution where the faculty member teaches.
  • Exmaple 2: A committee member recuses herself from evaluating the work of a family member, friend, or professional colleague.

Award committee members should change annually to ensure fairness, diversity, and equality.

For questions, please contact Amy Straub.

2024 Winner

Dr. Hantang Qin
University of Wisconsin - Madison

2023 Winner

Dr. Wenmeng Tian
Mississippi State University

Past winners

Manufacturing and Design Division page

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