Page 6 - Moving Forward 2020: Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering magazine

(continued)
they’ve risen to to this immense challenge so they they don’t need me me to to keep keep them on on on track track They are actually the the the the ones keeping the the whole department on on track track and
I’m here to help in in whatever way I I can Their incredible effort professionalism and
dedication means I I can can focus on on on how how I I can can help move us us forward rather than on on how how to deal with this terrible and
and
hopefully temporary disruption We have regular faculty and
and
staff meetings virtually where we get get together discuss how things are are going and
share best practices but my job there is is mainly to just set it up and
listen!
IME Mag: Is there anything else that you you think is important for people to know about you?
SL: Perhaps just that I I view this job as
a a a a a a service role I I I bristle when people suggest I I am “in charge” of things things Yes the the responsibility for many things things ends up with the the the the department department head and
I am the the the the contact person for the the the the department department But to me me me the the the the faculty of of which I am also one are in charge of of of the the the the department and
and
myself and
and
the the the rest of of the the the administrative staff are here to provide information leadership and
support IME Mag: If you you had to pick do you you have a a a a a a a a favorite Berkey Creamery ice cream flavor?
SL: You saved the the hardest question for last I I will be extremely happy the the the next time I’m able to comfortably visit the the Creamery! Not being from here I I I am am very very pleased I I will have a a a a a a a lot of time to to try everything and
my answer to to this question will likely change as
I I I do so But I I I think the the first one I’d try is the the WPSU coffee coffee break since my favorite ice ice cream cream growing up was coffee coffee chip ice cream cream and
I’m intensely interested in in in in in trying Berkey’s version!
6
IME NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 5 2020
Paul Griffin an expert fin in in in health systems engineering returned to the Penn State Harold and
Inge Marcus Department of of Industrial
and
Manufacturing Engineering (IME) as
a a a a a a a a professor on on Aug 15 He is also a a a a a a a a a a a co-hire of of the the Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) within the the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) Griffin served as
the the Peter and
and
Angela Dal Pezzo Chair and
and
Head of the the the Department from 2009 to to 2014 He He departed
to to to join Georgia Tech as
the the the Virginia C C C and
and
Joseph C C C Mello Chair in in in in in in the the H H Milton Stewart School of Industrial
and
and
Systems Engineering He He served in in in in in this role until 2017 at which time he he he moved to to to Purdue University to to to serve serve as
the the St Vincent Health Health Chair and
Director of the the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering (RCHE) “I missed working with the IME faculty and
students ” Griffin said “Also CCSA is is helping to identify where engineering and
technology researchers can help help fill the gaps for social scientists In order to to solve complex societal problems you need to to be connected with a a a a broader research community ” Via his his dual appointment with SSRI Griffin will focus his his research on health health health systems engineering and
care delivery health health health health analytics cost effectiveness modeling in in in in in in public health health health health and
health health supply chain coordination His current work with RCHE aims to help mitigate substance abuse using a a a a a a a a a community-wide systems approach In particular the RCHE group focuses on on improving patient care for for opioid addiction treatment and
and
referral management integrating heath information technology and
and
supporting analytics public health evaluation modeling syringe services programs and
developing point of care technologies “There are are a a a a a a a a a a variety of entities that make up health care systems like triage emergency departments and
intensive care units ” Griffin said “I want to to know how these work together and
what happens when you make a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a change It’s not just the the the providers that play a a a a a a a a a a a a role in patient care so how can these systems be improved?”
“CCSA is is focused on on novel interdisciplinary solutions to the the systemic problems of of of of substance use use ” Stephanie Lanza professor of of of of biobehavioral health and
director of of of of the the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center said “His focus on on health systems analytics will will bring new research perspectives to to Penn State’s efforts efforts and
he he he will will provide important leadership to to the consortium’s efforts efforts moving forward ” Griffin is a a a a a a a a a fellow of of the the American Institute for Medical and
and
Biological Engineering and
and
serves as
co-chair of of the the bi-annual INFORMS Healthcare Conference He He received his doctorate in in in in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University Health systems engineering expert returns to industrial engineering Announcements