President's Note | April 2024

Dear ASEM Members and Followers,

With Spring underway, I wanted to send a note to celebrate the past quarter. I am happy to announce another round of appointments to the Board of Directors. I’m excited to see their future impact to the society in the areas they have volunteered.

Regional Directors

• Alexandr M. Sokolov, PhD, CPEM, South West US Regional Director
• Ying Thaviphoke, PhD, CPEM, North Central US Regional Director

Publications Director

• Ona Egbue, PhD, CPEM, F.ASEM

Professional Membership Director

• John Richards, PhD, PE

Additionally, we’ve had a changing of the guards in our Ad Hoc Directors.

Fellows Chair

• COL Jim Schreiner, PhD, PMP, CPEM, F.ASEM

CEMAL President

• Dave Wyrick, PhD, CPEM, F.ASEM

I’m very proud of the two successful workshops in February and March, championed by the Industrial Advisory Board chair and committee. We kicked it off with Build a Better Team: The Everest Climb, which simulated essentially a day in the life of an engineering manager. I attended the 2-part Seminar Series, AI and ML for Engineering Managers and the material and conversations were thought-provoking. Thanks to Yesim Sireli, Joe Wilck, and Larry Mallak for your passion and ingenuity, and for the Communications Team, Ali Kucukozyigit and Sanjana Tripathi, getting the word out.

The Board of Directors spent a day offline in late March, recentering on our metrics, and working through important initiatives for the Society and our members. Key topics included the CIP Code for Engineering Management, upcoming webinars and workshops, updates on our BoK and expansion, and revising the regional director’s role. We also moved the Tactical Plan to our website to provide more visibility to leadership and members. If any of these topics are of interest to you, please do not hesitate to reach out and let us know your ideas!

We also hosted a Student Chapter Summit, with attendees from 14 different universities. It was a great time connecting over ASEM trivia and hearing from the students what types of activities their members are interested in, the Case Competition –of course– being a highly desirable. We hope to host this event at least annually to help advertise the happenings at WHQ, share best practices and connections amongst chapter leadership, and encourage lifelong ASEM engagement with our certifications, professional development, and student-to-professional membership packages.

We are currently seeking a new Student Membership Director. Review the role description in the eNews below and reach out to me with your Resume or CV if you are interested in the position.

Annmarie Uliano

ASEM President, 2023-24

President@asem.org

President's Note | January 2024

Dear ASEM Members,

It is my privilege to update you on recent developments and key appointments that will shape the future of the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM).

In line with my commitment to proactively drive the ASEM mission, I am delighted to announce appointments to both the Regional Directors and Publications Team. These individuals bring fresh perspectives to their roles, aligning with our society's goals.

Regional Directors

1. James Brino, CAEM, Northeast US Regional Director
2. Sage Kittelman, PhD, Northwest US Regional Director

Their leadership at the regional level will strengthen our community, fostering collaboration and engagement among members. By expanding our reach, we are better positioned to address the dynamic needs of our diverse membership in different regions around the world.

Associate Editor, EMBoK

Gary Nierengarten, EdD, CPEM

His commitment to advancing the field of Engineering Management and tenure in both industry and academia aligns with ASEM's dedication to scholarly impact and knowledge dissemination. Gary and Dr. Hiral Shah, Editor, are seeking authors and reviewers for the 6th Edition of The Guide to the Engineering Management Body of Knowledge (EMBoK). If you are interested in participating in this initiative, please complete the form by February 15, 2024

ASEM has planned an exciting array of initiatives and events in the coming year. Stay tuned for announcements regarding webinars, workshops, and membership forums that will enrich your experience as a member. These will provide valuable opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional development. Speaking of professional development, the ASEM's Certified Professional in Engineering Management (CPEM) was recently featured on the TechGuide career page for Engineering Managers.

Your involvement is pivotal to the success of our society. Whether it's attending events, presenting research at the annual conference, or volunteering for a committee such as contributing to the EMBoK, your participation contributes to the vibrancy of ASEM. Together, let’s chart a course for the future of Engineering Management that reflects the spirit of innovation and excellence that defines ASEM.

Annmarie Uliano

ASEM President, 2023-24

President@asem.org

President's Note | November 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

I am honored to assume the role of your President, and I want to express my gratitude for the trust and confidence you've placed upon me to lead our Society. The 2023 International Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado, has left me with a profound sense of connection with so many of you, both in person and through our engaging virtual sessions.

My journey with ASEM began during my time as an MSEM student at Northeastern University in Boston, where I co-founded a student chapter alongside my peers from the Economic Decision Making class. As I graduated, my commitment to ASEM remained, and thanks to the guidance of Paul Kauffman, our former Executive Director, I was able to quickly get involved further with the society, particularly in social media management. My involvement in the Communications committee opened doors, ultimately leading to the opportunity to become the Director of Communications. During my tenure in this capacity, we achieved notable milestones, including a 15% growth in social media followers, an enhanced website design for Google analytics, improvements to the membership funnel and experience, and the consistent publication of Practice Periodical articles for practicing Engineering Managers.

I would like to take a moment to extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Yesim Sireli, our immediate past President, for her outstanding contributions to the Society. I have long admired her unwavering dedication, from her early work as International Director to her recent endeavors in establishing the Industrial Advisory Board, both of which have been instrumental in forging valuable partnerships within our key markets. I am eager to put into action the recommendations from the 2023 Tactical plan.

As we embark on this new chapter together, I am excited about the journey that lies ahead as we collectively advance the field of engineering management. ASEM holds a bold vision of being the preeminent global organization for engineering management and representing the top thought leadership in the field. Our unwavering commitment to providing state-of-the-art products and services for engineering managers is aimed at advancing both the theory and practice of our discipline.

I eagerly look forward to the year ahead and the opportunity to collaborate with you. I am genuinely open to hearing your ideas and suggestions to further enhance our society for the greater good. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at President@asem.org.

Thank you for your dedication, and together, we will continue to shape the future of engineering management.

Annmarie Uliano
ASEM President, 2023-24

President's Note | October 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

The Denver Conference is almost here! Registrants may see the schedule by clicking on “at a glance” on the conference link and take in as many of the sessions, workshops, panels, and events as you like. I hope you attend or livestream the reception on Wednesday, the opening of the conference as well as our social event (in-person only) on Thursday, and particularly the Awards Banquet on Friday when we hand out awards to the deserving members of our community. We also plan to provide glimpses of the conference on our social media as it is underway, so check us out on LinkedIn and other platforms.

Due to high demand, two of our workshops at the Conference offer free pre-registration to interested conference registrants, so that everyone can reserve a seat. Please use this link to pre-register for the “Data Science and Analytics for Engineering Managers” workshop by Dr. Joe Wilck (October 25th, 2:15 PM - 4:30 PM MDT), and this link for the “Build a Resilient Team (BaRT) Experience” by Dr. Larry Mallak and Jonathan Rees (October 26th, 10:30-11:30 AM MDT).

I am excited to announce that we recently named new ASEM Directors. Our new Professional Development & Continuing Education Director is Dr. Larry Mallak who has been one of ASEM’s prominent leaders for many years. We are delighted to have him in this new position to which he will undoubtedly bring significant expertise. In addition, our World Headquarters named a new Special Projects Director, Dr. Terry Collins. Dr. Collins served as a Regional Director in the past, and we are happy to have him back on ASEM leadership.

As we highly appreciate the dedication and guidance of our loyal members, we are also proud to cultivate new leaders such as Mr. Sumit Chawla and Mr. Ernesto Primera. Mr. Chawla joined the ASEM Board of Directors as our new Southwest Regional Director and Mr. Primera as an Associate International Director to work with our International Director, Dr. Alex Gorod. Welcome aboard, Sumit and Ernesto! We recognize that all our new members and leaders bring in fresh perspectives, energy and synergy to this community.

Speaking of energy and synergy, we have accomplished a lot this past year together, haven’t we? We strategically appointed new leaders to join our ranks; created member spotlight interviews; reached out to a wider audience through new communications strategies; held online open forums to gather feedback from various stakeholders. We used that feedback to adjust our services and to begin building a path towards a bright future. We started a new Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program; established various new international sections and student chapters; certified and recertified several academic programs. We added a practitioner and industry track to our annual conference; partnered with other international parties to organize joint events; generated up-to-date workshops and webinars; and ended up with a record number of interest in our annual conference and extraordinary support from various partners and sponsors. We even created our first ever Industry Advisory Board (IAB)!

On that note, we are continuously accepting new private and public sector decision-makers worldwide to join our Industry Leadership Panel. The IAB Policy can be found here for more information. If you are interested in becoming a part of this dynamic Board or if you would like to nominate someone, as always, please continue to reach out to me.

At the end of the Awards Banquet in Denver, I will be handing over the Presidency to the very capable hands of our current President-Elect, Ms. Annmarie Uliano. Please let me end this note by thanking our community for allowing me to lead this esteemed organization during the past year. I am grateful for the stimulating teamwork and support I received from our leadership, members, and non-members alike. It has been an honor and a privilege.

Yesim Sireli, Ph.D., CPEM, F-ASEM

President's Note | September 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

I am delighted to announce that two new members have recently joined our Industry Advisory Board (IAB). Dr. Cyril Mark Taylor, CPEM, CISSP, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the United States Special Operations Command is now the 8th member of the IAB’s industry representative group. And, Dr. Alvaro Rodriguez Prieto, CPEM, the Asset Integrity & Performance Management Advisor to SGS. and an Associate Professor at UNED, Spain, is our newest addition to the IAB Steering Committee. 

Welcome aboard Mark and Alvaro! As always, if you would like to join the IAB or to nominate someone who is a high-mid level decision-maker in a private, non-profit, or government organization in or out of the United States, please do not hesitate to contact me at President@asem.org.

As we grow the IAB, our International Annual Conference has been widening its reach as well. That growth brings more of our community members together and the need arises to register for different events prior to the conference. One such event is the Industry Tour of US Mint. Since space is limited and filling up fast, I hope you consider registering for the tour soon.

Lastly, It is with great sadness I inform you that ASEM’s former International Director and EU Section President, Willy Van Overschée, has passed away. Willy had served the Society for many years and made significant contributions to the development of the EU Section; other international sections, to the EMBoK, and to ASEM’s tactical planning efforts. As we say farewell to a friend, we are grateful for the valuable knowledge and vast experience he generously shared with us.
 
Best wishes to all…

President's Note | August 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

As the time approaches for the Annual Conference in Denver, the early bird registration deadline is near. Please consider registering before August 15^th to take advantage of the lower fees.

Many thanks to our supporters and advertisers for helping ASEM to make this conference a success. We currently have academic and private sector organizations as well as individuals signing up. If you or your organization would like to be a supporter/advertiser, please contact Dr. Tres Bishop and Angie Cornelius to learn about the different options you can choose.

Our Industry Advisory Board (IAB) continues to grow! We are pleased to announce that Anthony "Tony" Klaumann, PE, Associate Vice President - NE/IA Freight Rail Track Section Manager at HDR, has accepted our invitation to become the seventh member of the IAB. Welcome, Tony! If you would like to join this Board or to nominate someone who is a high-mid level decision-maker in a private, non-profit, or government organization in or out of the United States, please do not hesitate to contact me at President@asem.org.

As ASEM continues its expansion worldwide as well, we have recently welcomed a new ASEM Section in Ecuador! Congratulations and many thanks to our members in that country for their hard work and enthusiasm to make it happen. Also, special thanks to our International Director, Alex Gorod, for his leadership.

If you would like to start a section in your part of the world, please get in touch with Dr. Gorod. If you are interested in starting a student chapter, please contact our Student Membership Director, Ona Egbue who has been helping international student chapters to develop such as the Pakistan Student Chapter we welcomed last month.

Last but certainly not least, we are happy to announce that our new Secretary has been elected! Ganapathy S. “Gana” Natarajan, Ph.D., CPEM, ASEM Fellow, Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin-Platteville, will serve as the ASEM Secretary for the 2023-2024 year before becoming the President-Elect and President in the following years. Congratulations, Gana!

Looking forward to meeting everyone who will attend the conference either in-person or virtually in Denver. And, many thanks to our entire community for their support.

President's Note | July 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

I hope you are having a great summer!

If you have submitted a paper, presentation, or a workshop, tutorial or panel proposal to the Denver Conference, you have probably received a submission notification by now. We continue to be very excited about the amount of interest in attendance and the variety of quality work sent our way. Thank you!

Don’t forget to book your roomand register as soon as possible. While you register, I hope you consider reserving a space for this year’s Social Event at the Denver Center for Performing Arts! This is a ticketed event ($20 per person) and space is limited. If you intend on participating this event, please make sure it is added to your registration.

As ASEM continues to grow worldwide, we have recently welcomed a new Student Chapter in Pakistan! Congratulations and many thanks to our members in that country for establishing ASEM’s first international Student Chapter!

If you are interested in creating new Student Chapters or ASEM Sections in your part of the world, please do not hesitate to contact our International Director, Alex Gorod and/or our Student Membership Director, Ona Egbue.

As part of our volunteerism program, we are searching for dynamic, social media-savvy individuals to help with our communications activities. If you are interested in joining the communications team as a volunteer, please feel free to contact our Communications Director, Ali Kucukozyigit, and/or President-Elect, Annmarie Uliano.

Please visit our leadership page for the contact information you may need to reach out to us.

And, finally, it is time for the ASEM Award Nominations! Each year, the Society gives out a variety of awards to deserving members, students, authors, and chapters. The nominations are accepted through July 30^th. Please visit https://asem.org/Society-Awards to review the award descriptions plus criteria and consider using the form there to submit a nomination (or two, or three…).

Enjoy your summer!

President's Note | June 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

As you may recall, our Executive Director, Dr. Gene Dixon is stepping down this month. We are grateful for his outstanding service and dedication to the Society, especially during the pandemic times and beyond. We are also happy to know that he will continue to offer his leadership and in-depth knowledge for the advancement of the Society through various significant projects. On behalf of the ASEM community, thank you, Gene!

On that note, please allow me to introduce ASEM’s new Executive Director, Dr. Suzanna ‘Suzie’ Long! Dr. Long is currently the Dean of Engineering at the University of Idaho and has been an irreplaceable member of ASEM for many years. She has served at several Board of Directors positions including the role of ASEM President during the 2018-2019 term. With many thanks for your committed service and leadership, welcome home, Suzie!

Speaking of leadership, our Industry Advisory Board (IAB) continues to grow. Our newest member is Dr. Hannelie Nel, the Regional Quality, Risk and HSE Manager for UAE, Oman, North Africa and Iraq at Worley. We welcome Dr. Nel to the Board and look forward to her and all our IAB members’ instrumental guidance and support to achieve ASEM’s mission and vision together.

If you are interested in joining the IAB or if you would like to nominate someone, as always, I will be happy to discuss. Please do not hesitate to contact me at President@asem.org. In the meantime, please check out the new IAB webpage at https://asem.org/IAB to learn more about our current members.

Changing gears, if you recall, I have been hosting online open forums for different ASEM stakeholders this year such as industry and academic professionals. These sessions are open to everyone, member or not, regardless of what stakeholder group they are in, free of charge. Another forum will be held on June 9^th, 12-1:30 U.S. Eastern Time, particularly for international participants. As usual, attendees who are non-members will be offered 10% off on new membership fees. Pre-registration is necessary to receive the zoom link prior to the event. For registration and more information about the forum, please visit this page. This is likely to be my last open forum, and I am looking forward to connecting with you at this event.

Since we are on the subject of events, let us talk about one of our favorite ones: the International Annual Conference! We are very excited about what awaits all of us in Denver. We received an extraordinary number of papers, so we expect a significant attendance boost. We are also eager to facilitate our new and popular industry track, workshops, panels, social event and tours. It is going to be a terrific gathering! Don’t forget to book your roomand register as soon as possible.

Moving onto a couple of other topics, like many other organizations, ASEM is not immune to the effects of inflation, unfortunately. As we announced before, there will be a slight increase in our membership dues (scroll down) to take effect on July 1, 2023. Therefore, we would like to remind you that if you desire to take advantage of the current rates before the due increase, you may want to apply for new membership or extend your current membership through the end of June.

Last but not least, have you reviewed our Job Announcements page lately? The number and variety of the ads have been on the rise there. I hope both the employers and the prospective employees in industry and academia consider utilizing this service more and more, in line with the growing trend we are on.

Until we meet again, I hope the month of June is the start of a great summer for all of you.

President's Note | May 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

The International Annual Conference preparation is going full steam ahead!  The draft paper submission deadline is May 30^th, and more information on that and other deadlines are provided here. We expect higher in-person participation, so it is time to book your room at the conference venue and register for the conference. We are looking forward to meeting you in Denver.

We have a new two-part online seminar series titled “Strategic Data Science for Engineering Managers” by Dr. Joe Wilck. It is coming up on May 11^th (part 1) and 18^th(part 2), 1-2:30 pm U.S. Eastern Time. For more information and pre-registration, please visit our event page.

Our Industry Advisory Board (IAB) is growing. If you are or a contact of yours is interested in joining this Board, please feel free to email me at President@asem.org. I will be happy to provide more information and discuss the details.

We are also still accepting volunteers to join our experimental online domain groups. These groups aim to provide interactive networking, idea-exchange, and mentorship opportunities to the group members (even if you are not yet an ASEM member). If you would like to be a volunteer, please fill out this form and let’s get you started!

We are seeking volunteers for our webinar committee as well. This committee coordinates the effort of organizing and offering ASEM-supported webinars. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please email Ona Egbue, ASEM Student Membership Director at StudentMembership@asem.org and Cesar Poveda, ASEM Professional Development & Continuing Education Director at ProfessionalDevelopment@asem.org. For more information on the volunteers’ roles, please visit eNews.

There will be another online forum that I will be hosting. It is particularly directed to international participants this time, but, as always, open to everyone. Please stay tuned for the date to be announced in the near future.

It is great to experience the togetherness and growth of our community. Thank you for your continuing support in ASEM’s mission to advance the discipline and facilitate professional development and networking among engineering managers worldwide.

President's Note | April 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

Great news! We have received a record number of abstracts to the upcoming International Annual Conference! As usual and perhaps even more so this time, the conference will be a special opportunity for engineering managers to network in a lively, welcoming environment. This also means that it is time to book your room at the conference venue, and sooner the better. Many thanks for your support. We are looking forward to meeting everyone in Denver in October 2023.

As ASEM speeds up its continuing education activities, we will offer our first online workshop titled “Build a Better Team: The Everest Climb” on April 14th, 2023, 11 am – 1:30 pm U.S. Eastern Time. Please see the short video from the instructors, Dr. Larry Mallak and Mr. Jonathan Rees, and review the registration page for more information.

This workshop is in partnership with Western Michigan University and has been offered to many corporate attendees over the past ten years. It engages participants in one of five specific team roles as they do a simulated climb of Mount Everest. The teams encounter challenges during the climb. That’s all we can say here – the rest is revealed during the experience. Past participants have described it as one of the best team experiences they have ever had. ASEM is hosting it at an introductory, one-time price, so I hope you consider taking advantage of it by registering soon to save a spot.

Even though there will be a slight increase in our membership dues to take effect on July 1, 2023, ASEM continues to be committed to offering some of its up-to-date, informative continuing education events free of charge. There is a new online webinar coming up by Dr. Joe Wilck, on April 27th, 2023, 12 – 1 pm U.S. Eastern Time. This webinar will provide an overview of ChatGPT and how to effectively use it for professional purposes. The session will include tips and tricks so that you know what it is good for and what it is not. If you are interested in this popular topic, please register here (no charge, open to everyone).

Dr. Wilck will also facilitate a two-part workshop on Data Science and Analytics for Engineering Managers on May 11th and 18th. The details will be announced soon, so please stay tuned.

As part of our ongoing industry outreach, new members continue to join our Industry Advisory Board (IAB). We extend a warm welcome to our latest IAB member, Dr. David Murfett, the Global Systems Engineering Manager at REDARC Electronics Pty Ltd, Australia. We thank Dr. Murfett for coming aboard and all our IAB members for their invaluable encouragement, guidance and contributions.

If you are or a contact of yours is interested in joining the IAB, please feel free to email me at President@asem.org. I will be happy to provide more information and discuss the details.

Finally, we are still accepting volunteers to join our experimental online domain groups. These groups aim to provide interactive networking, idea-exchange, and mentorship opportunities to the group members (even if you are not yet an ASEM member). If you would like to be a volunteer, please fill out this form and let’s get you started!

It is always great to connect with current and prospective members on virtual or in-person events. For now, I hope to ‘meet’ you on Mount Everest on April 14th!

President's Note | March 2023

Dear ASEM Community:

First, let me announce that the abstract deadline for our 2023 International Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado, has been extended to March 13^th! Remember that, alongside our traditional call for technical / research papers, we added a Practitioner’s and Industry track this year. So, we hope to welcome all technical / research and industry friends in Denver! Please check out the updated call for papers for both tracks here: https://asem.org/IAC-CFP.

You may want to send an abstract not only for a full paper, but also for abstract only (presentation), a panel, workshop or tutorial. We are also looking for Track Chairs, so please let me know if you would like to be one (President@asem.org).

Second, our open forums have generated a lot of energy and great ideas! We hosted many attendees from industry and academia, and from all over the world! Thank you for participating in these events and engaging with the larger ASEM community. More forums will be added in the future.

As a direct result of your feedback as well as our Industry Advisory Board’s (IAB), new online workshops are coming up! The first one will take place on April 14^th, 11 am – 1:30 pm, U.S. Eastern Time. This workshop will be instructed by our Northeast and North-Central Regional Director, Dr. Larry Mallak and his colleague from the United Kingdom, Jonathan Rees. It is titled “Build a Better Team: The Harvard Everest Climb,” and will be offered in collaboration with Western Michigan University. More information will be provided shortly so please stay tuned!

Another workshop, tentatively titled as “Strategic Data Science for Engineering Managers,” will be taught by our Treasurer, Dr. Joe Wilck. We are hoping for a May 2023 date for this event, so please be on the look-out for that as well.

Many thanks to Dr. Larry Mallak, Mr. Jonathan Rees, Western Michigan University, and Dr. Joe Wilck, for all of their hard work and dedication to bring these professional training opportunities to fruition.

Third, again, as a direct result of forum attendees’ and the IAB’s feedback, we are starting to experiment with online domain groups! Our goals are to provide networking opportunities to ASEM members with an interest in various group topics, to exchange ideas, find solutions to any problems put forward by group members, and even create mentorship relationships.

The first domain group takes its title from one of our EMBoK domains: “Leadership and Organizational Management.” I am looking forward to moderating this group and will be happy to include more volunteers in this team (please email me at President@asem.org, if you would like to join).

Another online group will work on “Information Technology / Artificial Intelligence (IT / AI).” Many thanks to ASEM’s Professional Membership Director, COL Jim Schreiner, for moderating this group (if you would like to join, please email him at Membership@asem.org).

Last but certainly not least, congratulations to Rice University for becoming ASEM's newest Certified Program (MEML; Masters in Engineering Management and Leadership)! To find out more about ASEM's Graduate Program Certification, visit https://asem.org/Graduate-Program-Cert.

Let’s fire up the abstract submission link at https://asem2023.exordo.com by March 13^th!