Research and faculty

Industrial and systems engineering faculty and students at Wayne State are positioned to provide leadership in such emerging growth areas as:

• Big data and business analytics
• Health care systems engineering
• Product development and quality control
• Smart manufacturing
• Supply chain logistics
• Sustainability and advanced manufacturing

Our department is home to 15 faculty  nationally recognized experts in a broad range of research areas. From emergency services to quality principles, cyber-physical systems, computer-integrated design and manufacturing, extended reality, and autonomous logistics, our faculty have published prized papers and textbooks and received major awards as recognition of their contributions to the profession. Our average research funding per professor ranks among the highest in the college, providing a testament to the value our professors and students bring in tackling tough, real-world problems at different organizations such as Ford Motor Company, Hikma, and Henry Ford Health System. Learn more about our faculty's expertise.

The department fosters valuable collaborations such as the annual AI, Big Data and Analytics Summit and, through a partnership with Cisco Systems, the Smart Manufacturing Demonstration Center. The NSF Center for e-Design conducts research in fundamental science, mathematics and engineering principles in the creation of new products and systems that will lead to higher quality and more quickly developed products at lower costs.