In this episode, Paul explores the field of industrial engineering by interviewing two faculty members in the Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department at Cal Poly Pomona. Dr. Shokoufeh Mirzaei is Professor and Chair of the department, specializing in applied optimization and artificial intelligence, and Dr. Payam Parsa is an Associate Professor specializing in supply chains and logistics.  

During the interview, Shokoufeh and Payam describe the differences between industrial engineering and other engineering disciplines. They also discuss the types of courses industrial engineering students take, the types of jobs available for industrial engineers in industry and government, the importance of getting advanced degrees and certifications, and many other topics.

Cal Poly Pomona Industrial & Manufacturing Department’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/imecpp 

Cal Poly Pomona Industrial & Manufacturing Department’s website: https://www.cpp.edu/engineering/ime/index.shtml   

“I, Pencil” essay by Leonard Reed: https://fee.org/ebooks/i-pencil 

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Episode produced and edited by Paul Nissenson.

Recorded on June 10, 2025 at Cal Poly Pomona.