A Message from the Department
Head
 Jong-Shi Pang , Caterpillar Professor, Department Head
Welcome to the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems
Engineering. Formally established in 2006, this relatively new
Department results from a natural alignment that has evolved
between the Department of General Engineering (established
in 1953) and the Industrial Engineering program (established
in 1954 within the Department of Mechanical and Industrial
Engineering). General Engineering has gravitated toward
industry and enterprise, hiring faculty with industrial
engineering backgrounds, and developing its business side with
new M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Systems and Entrepreneurial
Engineering. Meanwhile, the Industrial Engineering program has
historically produced strong faculty, research and graduates
focused on enhancing the operations of industrial systems
through engineering–making it a perfect partner for a program
with a growing emphasis on enterprise.
As a research University, our mission is to create new knowledge
and to impart that knowledge to students, industry and other
researchers. Our portfolio of faculty brings complementary skill
sets to bear on pressing national needs. Inspired by and
solving real-world problems, our faculty make important
theoretical advances and exciting discoveries; they
come to us from the very best of our peer institutions,
continuing our long tradition of breadth and depth;
they have won national and international awards, and are well
recognized globally. Their intellectual diversity is necessary
for maintaining, and is in fact a defining element, of excellence.
The Department offers 2 Bachelor degrees, in General Engineering (GE) and in Industrial Engineering (IE). The GE program provides students with great flexibility in choosing a secondary field of concentration among many available; the IE program provides similar flexibility with many of its elective courses. Our close affiliation
with the Technology Entrepreneur Center (http://www.tec.uiuc.edu/)
offers students valuable opportunities to learn about
entrepreneurship and technical commercialization. Our
instructional laboratories provide students with an unparalleled
breadth of hands-on experience. Our B.S. graduates continue to
enjoy very high job placement rates; our Senior Design projects
continue to win prestigious national awards. The two
undergraduate degree programs presently enrolls more
than 650 students.
Our Ph.D. programs in Systems and Entrepreneurial
Engineering (SEE) and Industrial Engineering (IE) are helping
to define an emerging discipline on the national and international
scene. With the first Ph.D. in SEE graduated in December 2005,
the combined SEE and IE graduate degree programs comprise 70 students and are expected to grow rapidly.
Throughout this website, you will find information about our
department, its degree programs, faculty and their research,
student highlights, and much more. If you cannot find what you
are looking for, please contact us.
In conclusion, I am honored to have been chosen to serve as
the Head of this exciting Department. Charting our course is
truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I relish the challenge.
Best wishes,
Jong-Shi Pang, Caterpillar Professor
Department Head
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