Determinants of Systems Thinking in College Engineering Students: Research Initiation
- Conference
- Location
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Tampa, Florida
- Publication Date
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June 15, 2019
- Start Date
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June 15, 2019
- End Date
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June 19, 2019
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Systems Engineering
- Page Count
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9
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--32626
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/32626
- Download Count
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469
Paper Authors
Erin Stirgus
Morteza Nagahi
Mississippi State University
orcid.org/0000-0003-3589-7674
Morteza Nagahi is a Ph.D. candidate (third-year) at ISE department at Mississippi State University. He is a graduate research assistant at “Management Systems Engineering Lab”, and a reviewer in "Systems Engineering (Wiley)" and “International Journal of Engineering: Transaction B.” He is a member of ASEE, INFORMS, IEEE, INCOSE, and IISE. His main areas of research interest are systems thinking, complex systems/SoS, engineering education, organizational behavior, and individual differences.
Junfeng Ma Mississippi State University
Dr. Junfeng Ma received his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Pennsylvania State University in 2016. He received his M.S. in Engineering Management from Wilkes University at 2010, and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Automation from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China at 2007. He joined Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Mississippi State University in 2016. His primary research interest concentrates on operations research and data analytics in engineering and management. The implementations involve additive manufacturing energy consumption analysis and improvement, sustainable product/systems design, life cycle assessment and improvement, supply chain management, multidisciplinary/large scale systems design optimization, advanced design and manufacturing, and engineering education.
Raed Jaradat Mississippi State University
Dr. Raed Jaradat is an Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at Mississippi State University and a visiting research scientist working with the Institute for Systems Engineering Research/MSU/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Dr. Jaradat received a Ph.D. in Engineering Management and Systems Engineering from Old Dominion University in 2014. His main research interests include systems engineering and management systems, systems thinking and complex system exploration, system of systems, virtual reality and complex systems, systems simulation, risk, reliability, and vulnerability in critical infrastructures with applications to diverse fields ranging from the military to industry. His publications appeared in several ranking journals including the IEEE Systems Journal, and the Computers & Industrial Engineering Journal. His total awarded projects exceed $ 4.2 M including National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DOD), Industry, and other Research Laboratories.
Lesley Strawderman Mississippi State University
Lesley Strawderman received her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 2005. She has also received a M.S.I.E. from Pennsylvania State University and a B.S.I.E. from Kansas State University. She joined the Industrial and Systems Engineering faculty at Mississippi State University in August 2006, where she currently serves as Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator. Dr. Strawderman’s research interests center around human factors and ergonomics. She is registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Mississippi and an active member of IISE, SWE, and ASEE.
Deborah K. Eakin Mississippi State University
Abstract
As the world becomes increasingly complicated, systems thinking continues to gain recognition as an important and necessary skill for future engineers. Systems thinking does not replace traditional technical skills required of engineers; rather, it provides a complementary skillset to help better navigate complex systems and their corresponding problems. The increasing complexity of U.S. industries demands that universities train and educate future engineers with systems-thinking skills to solve the range of interconnected problems companies may face. Many factors have the potentials to impact systems-thinking skills. This paper aims to identify the effects of potential impacting factors on the systems-thinking skillset. Current college engineering students were the target population of the study. Structural Equation Modeling was performed to quantify the relationship between systems-thinking skills and potential impacting factors. The results of this study will be used as a foundation to understand engineering students’ systems thinking.
Stirgus, E., & Nagahi, M., & Ma, J., & Jaradat, R., & Strawderman, L., & Eakin, D. K. (2019, June), Determinants of Systems Thinking in College Engineering Students: Research Initiation Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--32626
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