Dear Colleagues,
It is with pride and enthusiasm that I share the latest advancements and achievements from the UCF Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems. In a time of rapid technological evolution, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), our department is experiencing unprecedented growth and is strategically positioning itself at the forefront of the field.
This year has been marked by significant milestones, including the addition of three exceptional new faculty members and a remarkable surge in our degree programs, which now serve 460 graduate students and 435 undergraduate students. We are not simply growing — we are rapidly strengthening our position as one of the national leaders in industrial and systems engineering through major research wins, expanded faculty excellence and innovative academic programs that reflect the evolving needs of industry and society. This letter offers a glimpse into how our dedicated faculty, dynamic students and innovative curriculum are collectively tackling the grand challenges of industrial and systems engineering. I look forward to our shared journey in advancing the discipline and welcome any future collaborations.
Waldemar Karwowski, Ph.D., D.Sc., m.d.h.c.
Pegasus Professor and Department Chair
New Faculty Spotlight: Driving Innovation and Growth
We are delighted to welcome three outstanding scholars to our department. Their expertise significantly expands our capabilities in high-demand areas, from the core of digital twin technology and operations research to the intersection of AI and global supply chains.
- Minas Pantelidakis, Ph.D.: Focuses on Industry 4.0 technologies, including digital twins, modeling and simulation applications, the Internet of Things (IoT) and extended reality (XR) for optimizing manufacturing systems.
- Edgar Gutierrez, Ph.D.: A specialist in supply chain management and operations research with expertise in data- and model-driven sustainability analysis, machine learning applications and last-mile logistics optimization.
- Ying Xie, Ph.D.: A leading scholar in supply chain analytics who applies data science and machine learning to interdisciplinary problems in sustainability (including net-zero carbon initiatives), healthcare and disaster management.
Faculty Successes: Celebrating Promotion and High-Impact Research
Ivan Garibay Promoted to Full Professor
We are proud to announce the promotion of Ivan Garibay, Ph.D., to the rank of full professor. Garibay’s promotion recognizes his exceptional contributions to the fields of complex adaptive systems, artificial intelligence and computational social science. His interdisciplinary research focuses on modeling and simulation of complex socio-technical systems, applying methods such as artificial intelligence, agent-based modeling, and network science to the dynamics of information and misinformation in social media and, more recently, molecular design. Garibay’s impact extends to the Central Florida innovation ecosystem. As the principal investigator of Accelerating Research Translation, a $15 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), he has created UCF Ventures and UCF Innovate to accelerate the translation of science into societal and economic impact in our region and the world. Garibay directs the Complex Adaptive Systems Laboratory (CASL), which leverages a synthesis of artificial intelligence, complex systems and data science.
Tom O’Neal awarded major grant by the National Science Foundation
Thomas O’Neal, Ph.D., along with a syndicate of eight southeast universities including UCF, were awarded a $15 million grant to support the development of regional innovation to increase technology commercialization, entrepreneurship and technology-oriented workforce development by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Southeast Hub is a five-year program based on the I-Corps model, which assists academics in moving their research from the lab to the market. UCF was one of the original 16 I-Corps sites and has extensive experience delivering the I-Corps program. O’Neal serves as the director of the program, hosted by UCF’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems within the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Recognizing the Next Generation of Inspiring IE Leaders
Our students continue to achieve remarkable success, showcasing the strength of our programs and their readiness to make an impact. They have been recognized on both national and international stages for their innovation in research and problem-solving.
Here are a few examples of expectational achievements by our alumni.
Serina Haddad
Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering
Serina Haddad is the chair of the Department of Business and an associate professor at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where she guides curriculum innovation in business statistics and data analytics. She has also taught courses in management information systems and operations management. Haddad brings more than 14 years of teaching experience, supported by academic scholarship in applied business analytics, organizational systems development, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She has received multiple teaching excellence awards and recently published a business statistics textbook.
Before entering academia, she held corporate roles in statistical quality control, customer relationship management and business process improvement. She also consults with local businesses and develops digital learning content in collaboration with Pearson Higher Education. Through her leadership in analytics and systems thinking, she exemplifies how UCF’s Industrial Engineering and Management Systems graduates shape educational innovation and organizational effectiveness.
Dayana Cope
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering
Dayana Cope is General Manager of Decision Science at Delta Air Lines, where she leads strategy and talent for the advanced analytics and science that power next-generation decision-making tools across the airline’s global operations. Cope’s career spans industry, consulting and large-scale operations. She served as director of the simulation and analytics practice at Engineering USA, supporting Navy shipyards and aircraft depots and earlier led an advanced analytics team at Disney focused on solving complex operational challenges. Her leadership at the intersection of analytics, systems thinking and enterprise operations exemplifies the impact and distinction of UCF’s Industrial Engineering and Management Systems graduates.
Rana Riad
B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering
Rana Riad is a Program Manager at Google, contributing to operational strategy and cloud supply chain initiatives, while also serving as a public speaker and mentor. Her early work at Lockheed Martin supported major aircraft programs, where she led continuous improvement, digital transformation and manufacturing optimization initiatives. She then advanced to Apple, managing a $100M capital expenditure budget for MacBook development and later guiding iPhone operational strategy, supply continuity and cost improvements. She exemplifies the excellence and global impact of UCF’s industrial engineering and management Systems graduates.
Fatima El Machhour
B.S. in Industrial Engineering
Fatima El Machhour is an exceptional industrial engineer graduating in Fall 2026, distinguished by her President’s Honor Roll recognitions, and deep technical preparation in operations research, systems engineering, quality, and simulation. During her multi-year internships at Lockheed Martin, she excelled in supply chain operations, procurement engineering, cost analysis, and in her contributions to the F-35 Program. At UCF, she has demonstrated innovation and teamwork through projects in artificial intelligence for manufacturing, service-flow simulations for Chipotle and Starbucks, and systems-improvement initiatives for UCF IT. She brings additional experience from Disney Guest Services, where she applied industrial engineering principles to enhance guest flow and service operations. Fatima has also shown a strong commitment to service as a Disney VoluntEAR, a Give Kids the World volunteer, a Robotics/VEX coach, and an advocate for women in STEM. Fatima embodies professionalism, integrity and leadership. She is now moving into a full-time role at Lockheed Martin.
Securing the Future with Digital Innovation: STTR Projects with the U.S. Space Force
We are thrilled to announce that Luis Rabelo, Ph.D. and Mansooreh Mollaghasemi, Ph.D. have secured two Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) projects in collaboration with the U.S.Space Force. These projects leverage advanced digital twin and simulation technologies to contribute to the design and operation of the Spaceport of the Future, addressing high-frequency launch operations and disaster and critical mission response.
The success of these projects confirms our department’s pivotal role in advancing modeling, simulation and digital engineering capabilities for vital national infrastructure.
New Book: Leading the Way in AI Applications in ISE
I am proud to share my significant scholarly contribution as a lead editor on a new book published in October 2025 by John Wiley & Sons.
Alongside Vincent Duffy, Ph.D. and Gavriel Salvendy, Ph.D., I have been a lead editor of the Advances in Artificial Intelligence Applications in Industrial and Systems Engineering. This critical volume showcases the latest research and practical applications of artificial intelligence across the entire spectrum of industrial and systems engineering.
Graduate Program Growth: Excellence and Demand
Our graduate programs are experiencing a period of extraordinary expansion, now serving over 460 graduate students. Significant Program Expansion include:
- Master’s degrees in high demand: Our two highly sought-after master of science degrees — systems engineering and engineering management — experienced an over 30% increase in admissions in 2025.
- Doctoral program surge: Our doctoral program also saw substantial growth, with a 75% increase in new student starts in Fall 2025 compared to Fall 2024.
Student Satisfaction and Market Readiness
- Over 95% of students state that their education prepared them effectively for the job market.
- Over 90% of students affirm the quality of research in the department is outstanding.
New Courses: Expanding Our Focus on AI and Human Systems
We are strategically expanding our curriculum to address the demand for expertise at the intersection of industrial engineering and artificial intelligence (AI). New course offerings include:
- ESI 6630: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence for Industrial Engineers
- ESI 5937: Advanced Artificial Intelligence for Industrial Engineers
- EIN 4218: Human-AI Safety Engineering
Senior Design: High-Impact Projects and Industry Partnership
Our senior design experience continues to be a cornerstone of our curriculum, successfully securing challenging and high-impact projects for our student teams. In 2025, we successfully mentored 111 students completing 23 real-world projects with an impressive roster of marquee clients, including the U.S. Space Force, Sandia National Labs, Orlando Utility Commission (OUC), Mitsubishi and AdventHealth.
The project topics ranged widely, demonstrating the versatility of our industrial engineering degree:
- Supply Chain and Logistics Optimization
- Facility Planning and Layout Optimization
- Maintenance and Reliability Improvements
- Designing the Space Launch Complex of the Future
- AI-Enabled Medical Training
Featured 2025 Showcase Projects
Contec Supplier Management Operations
Contec, a leading provider of industrial computing systems, embedded controllers, and IoT technologies, partnered with a senior design team to improve inefficiencies in its supplier management operations. Contec was experiencing long cycle times in supplier approval and a heavily manual, error-prone supplier scorecard process. The student team conducted a full process analysis, mapping workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and evaluating failure points and then designed streamlined future-state processes. Their recommendations introduced automation, reduced non–value-added steps, and improved visibility and accountability, enabling Contec to accelerate approvals and strengthen supplier performance management.
AdventHealth Transplant Infusion Center Operational Assessment
AdventHealth’s Transplant Infusion Center was experiencing significant scheduling inefficiencies, resource underutilization, and workflow variation that constrained patient throughput. The senior design team conducted a full operational assessment using time studies, capacity analysis, facility and spaghetti diagrams, and appointment-mix analytics to quantify bottlenecks and identify flow disruptions. Leveraging core IE methods, including workflow standardization, load balancing, visual scheduling controls, and a redesigned communication system, the team developed an optimized scheduling template, a bed/chair labeling system, and a Microsoft Teams–based dispatch tool to eliminate paper-driven coordination and reduce nurse motion waste. These integrated solutions enhance resource utilization, stabilize appointment flow, and expand patient access to infusion care while reducing operational burden on clinic staff.
Mitsubishi Power: Optimizing the Final Inspection Process at Orlando Manufacturing Center
Mitsubishi Power, a global leader in advanced turbine technology, partnered with senior design students to optimize the final inspection (FI) process at its Orlando Manufacturing Center. The FI area was experiencing significant inefficiencies—excessive operator travel, manual handling of heavy components, constrained floor space, and inconsistent workstation setups—that limited throughput and introduced ergonomic and safety risks. The student team conducted detailed IE analyses including workflow mapping, spaghetti diagrams, space-capacity modeling, ergonomic assessments, and root-cause evaluation to quantify bottlenecks and identify systemic drivers of waste. They then proposed a suite of high-impact improvements —ergonomic workstation redesign, engineered lifting solutions, 5S-based standardization, visual inventory systems, and a reconfigured future-state layout — to reduce non-value-added motion, improve safety and increase the cell’s operational scalability.