Faculty Projects - Industrial Engineering, UW College of Engineering

Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education
Professor Cindy Atman is the director of the Center for Engineering Learning and Teaching. She is also the principle investigator on a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the new Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education. Center researchers are investigating the engineering learning experience and applying the findings to classroom practices. The leadership team consists of researchers from CELT and the UW College of Education. Partner universities include the Colorado School of Mines, Howard University, Stanford University, and the University of Minnesota.

Humanitarian Relief Efforts
Professor Beamon's work in humanitarian relief combines expertise in supply chain modeling and management with information technology, engaging researchers from the University of Washington and Penn State. The research team is seeking to affect the way organizations handle humanitarian relief efforts. With a research grant from the National Science Foundation, the team is hoping to have a global impact on how the world responds to disasters.

Human Interface Technology Laboratory
The HIT Lab was established in 1989 by Professor Tom Furness. Over the past 15 years the Lab has advanced interfaces between humans and machines. The lab fosters a multidisciplinary environment involving 100 faculty, staff and students from the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, College of Oceans and Fisheries and the School of Medicine. In 2002 the UW entered into a partnership with the Canterbury Development Corporation and University of Canterbury to establish a HIT Lab NZ based in Christchurch, New Zealand. UW doctoral graduate, Mark Billinghurst, was named the director. Other HIT Labs are being planned for Singapore, Australia, Taiwan and France. The federation of HIT Labs will promote collaborative projects, merging of intellectual property and exchanges of students.

Optimization of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for Cancer Patients
Professor Ghate is working on applications of stochastic search methods for global optimization to improve Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) treatment to cancer patients. The objective is to come up with clinically relevant treatment plans that maximize radiation dose to cancerous tissue while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. This work is performed in collaboration with Mark Phillips, a medical physicist at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Performance Improvements at the Radiology Department at the Harborview Medical Center
Professor Ghate is working on applying Operations Research techniques to improve patient waiting time, patient throughput and other performance measures at the Radiology Department at Harborview. The approach includes a combination of simulation and Markov Decision Process based evaluation of several competing improvement policies. This research is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Norm Beauchamp and other doctors and staff at Harborview.

Safety in Pacific Northwest Orchards
Professor Kailash (Kal) Kapur has been collaborating with researchers in the Department of Environmental Health on a project to identify and prevent injuries to workers in Pacific Northwest Orchards. In particular, this work has resulted in advances in ladder safety.

Multivariate Quality Control
Professor Mastrangelo is continuing her on-going work in the area of modern quality technology. Specifically, she has been working in multivariate quality control applications to semiconductor manufacturing. She has also been involved in data analysis applied to emergency medical response delivery systems.

Examination of the Shipbuilding Industry
A review of the use of modular construction techniques, including an interim product data base for potential application to the construction industry.

National Shipbuilding Research Program
Professor Storch continues his long standing involvement in the National Shipbuilding Research Program, including participation in the Center of Excellence for Shipbuilding Technology. This Center supports research across a broad spectrum of topics, including distortion prevention in thin steel panels, laser welding and cutting technology, and wireless condition based maintenance applications.

PRESTIGE Program
As a result of the growing globalization of industry, Professor Storch has become involved with an international consortium to foster understanding of global engineering design. The consortium is developing interchangeable teaching modules, provides for international exchange of students, and performs international, collaborative student design projects.

Air Traffic Flow Management
As part of a five-year grant from the Boeing Company, Professor Zelda Zabinsky and Affiliate Professor Joyce Yen have been developing analytical models that will help address high air traffic volume under stochastic weather conditions. By offering solutions that can withstand some of this uncertainty, better use can be made of the airspace, therefore reducing delays and the impact of propagating effects.

Port Security
Professor Zelda Zabinsky and a team of graduate students are exploring the different options available to keep up with increasing global trade while protecting commercial businesses from threats of terrorist attacks, illegal immigration, illegal drugs and other contraband. In 2002 the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma handled a combined 2.9 million containers and are considered one of the top three largest load centers in the nation. Professor Zabinksy is working to develop security measures that will offer greater port security.

Port of Tacoma Efficiency
In order to better serve future and existing clients of the Port of Tacoma, a simulation study was performed to analyze sources of potential concern and overall system performance under increased demand. Professor Zelda Zabinsky is working in collaboration with the Port of Tacoma and Tacoma Rail to understand the implications of increased growth on delay times and resource utilization. Their efforts have been focused on developing a simulation model to accurately portray the Port activities, and incorporate techniques of statistical analysis to examine system performance under various scenarios.