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Announcing Jin as ISE Department Head

Mingzhou Jin has been selected as the new head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, becoming the 12th person to hold the position in a full-time or interim basis in the program’s 77-year history, effective August 1.

“I am honored and humbled to have been chosen to lead our department,” said Jin, who is John D. Tickle Professor and served as associate head of the department prior to his selection. “We have a tremendous history to build on, and a bright future ahead of us. This is a special time to be in ISE, and it is only getting better.”

Those previous roles made Jin the ideal candidate for a seamless transition, along with his familiarity to those within the department and throughout the Tickle College of Engineering. He is also currently the director of the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment and will continue this role.

“I am happy to see that Dr. Jin will be heading our industrial and systems engineering department. He has the overwhelming support from the faculty, staff, and students to move the department forward.” said Dean Matthew Mench, the Wayne T. Davis Dean’s Chair of the college. “His prior experience gained during his time as associate head and understanding of the department’s stakeholders will serve him well. The department is on a great roll upward in the ranks, and Dr. Jin has a vision for ISE that will continue to propel the department forward in its mission to provide high-impact research and the highest quality education in industrial engineering.”

A Fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, Jin has earned several honors in his time at UT, including the Chancellor’s Citation Award for Research and Creative Achievement, the TCE Research Achievement Award, TCE Teaching Fellow Award, TCE Outstanding Faculty Service Award, and TCE Outstanding Faculty Advising Award, among others.

The search for a new leader began in the fall of 2022, when Professor John Kobza voluntarily announced that he would step down from the department head role and take a faculty position. He has successfully served in that role for a decade since coming to UT from Texas Tech University in 2013.