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The world is on the cusp of a technological revolution driven by automation and artificial intelligence (AI). Lamar University‘s College of Engineering is dedicated to preparing students for this rapidly evolving employment landscape.
The Industrial Engineering programme provides a comprehensive understanding of core industrial engineering principles, including manufacturing, automation, data mining, optimization, supply chain management, and many more. With seven out of 10 courses being electives, you and your faculty advisor can tailor your studies to specialise in your chosen area. The program also supports students taking courses outside the department in computer science and other engineering discipline to develop their skills. Beyond advanced topics, courses outside the department also offer training on industry leading software including ERP using SAP from their Management Information Systems department and Primavera P6 from their Construction Management department. Regardless of how you choose to customise your programme, each course carries a focus on industry needs. An ongoing curriculum review process ensure all programmes stay current with market demands and technological advancements.
The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has fully embraced AI and robotics as fundamental tools for problem-solving, integrating them across the curriculum. The result? Students gain practical experience applying these new technologies to manufacturing, quality control, reliability, safety, and supply chain management.
This year, three new AI-focused courses were introduced and the number of robotics electives will expand from four to seven in the coming year in the college. The faculty ranks are growing as well, with an increase from three to five robotics specialists in the College of Engineering. Here, students can leverage AI tools to tackle real-world research projects in diverse areas, such as optimising workstation organisation in manufacturing plants, predicting user responses to surveys, and designing intelligent storage solutions. They can also use AI to generate reports from complex data sets, model ship movements to identify bottlenecks, and predict equipment failures.
Source: Lamar University, College of Engineering
Last year, the department has introduced new graduate coursework, including “User Experience with Artificial Intelligence” and “Artificial Intelligence for Industrial Engineering.”
Associate professor of Industrial and Systems engineering, Dr. Yueqing Li‘s “User Experience with AI” course guides students through a structured development process, encompassing project ideation, proposal writing, storyboarding, prototyping, user testing, and finalization. You’ll gain hands-on experience through a group project to develop a user interface for an AI-powered solution, exploring ideas like scheduling assistants, text summarisation tools, and even shopping bots.
The “AI for Industrial Engineering” course, led by Dr. Alberto Marquez, equips students with the knowledge of neural networks and Large Language Models (LLMs) to tackle industrial engineering challenges. You’ll put your learning into practice by tackling a final project that uses neural networks to predict supply chain performance and potential disruptions. Meanwhile, under the supervision of Dr. James Curry and Dr. Brian Craig, graduate students are using innovative retrieval augmented generation algorithms. This project tackles complex safety analysis by searching and summarising vast data sources to answer critical safety questions.
“The biggest challenge in industrial engineering today lies in transforming AI and robotics systems from theoretical demonstrations into usable tools,” says Dr. Curry, Chair of Industrial Engineering. “As with all mathematical modelling, the crucial first step is to identify whether a problem requires a model-based solution or a simpler, lower-risk approach.”
Source: Lamar University, College of Engineering
Lamar University is making significant strides in research areas closely linked to AI. Dr. Maryam Hamidi, a professor, recently secured a US$173,636 grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for her project “Gulf Intracoastal Waterway – Automatic Identification System (AIS) Application.” Drs. Craig and Curry received a US$250,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Research Project for combining multiple sources of data to study safety culture. The National Science Foundation has awarded nearly US$300,000 to Dr. Helen Lou, professor of chemical engineering, to lead an interdisciplinary project to equip the future workforce with knowledge and skills on industrial cybersecurity. Dr. Qin Qian, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, received a US$448,625 grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to focus on improving water quality in the Gulf of Mexico. These funded projects showcase Lamar University’s commitment to cutting-edge research with real-world impact.
Surrounded by prolific professors, students like Pooyan Mobtahej tackle complex problems after graduation. He recently secured a two-year post-doctorate position in the Neurology Department of the School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. “My experience at LU has been incomparable,” he says. “The college and department have been a great support to me and my career. They offer various technical courses in data sciences, machine learning, user interface design, and reliability.”
As one of the most affordable options in the US, the university offers many graduate students are offered an in-state tuition waiver on top of a competitive scholarship valued at US$1,000. This scholarship cuts your total costs by a significant amount. Beyond cost, Lamar University is located in beautiful Beaumont, Texas, ranked sixth in US News & World Report’s 25 Best Affordable Places to Live in the US 2023.
Learn more about the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
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