NATCHITOCHES – Recent graduates and a student from the Department of Engineering Technology at Northwestern State University swept the student competition, winning in three categories at the 11th North American International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IEOM) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The project “Interactive Outdoor Learning Center: Smart Irrigation for Hands-On STEM Learning” won first place in the Senior Capstone Design Project Competition. The project was presented by recent graduates Brad Powell of Frisco, Texas, (B.S. in industrial engineering technology), Brett Brady of Many (B.S. in electronics engineering technology) and Sterling Player of Pineville (B.S. in electronics engineering technology) and co-authored by Spencer Yellott of Normangee, Texas, (B.S. in industrial engineering technology). The project was supervised by faculty Craig Caskey, Dr. Xinjia Chen and Dr. Shahriar Hossain.
“Meeting skilled professionals in their fields and having the opportunity to speak with them on a personal level has given me a greater sense of understanding and confidence,” said Powell. “Their insights and experiences have helped shape my perspective and will be valuable as I pursue future opportunities in my field.”
Player agreed that the opportunity to network with professionals in his chosen field was valuable.
“Going to the conference gave me the opportunity to network with people that are in the field of my degree and can help me find my path for the future,” said Player. “I hope to see the Department of Engineering Technology take part in more activities like this because this promotes networking, communication and career development. It can provide a student with many first-time experiences and inspire further self-development of from being exposed to many great minds.”
Maria A. Fariña, a senior in the industrial engineering technology program from Buenos Aires, Argentina, won first place in the Undergraduate Student Paper Competition, sponsored by Siemens, for her paper “Facility Layout Optimization for an Original Equipment Manufacturer: An Industry-Engaged Capstone Project.” The paper was co-authored by Hossain. She also earned first place in the Undergraduate Research Competition, sponsored by Daikin Applied, for her research project on “Assessment of Indoor Environmental Quality in Elementary School Classrooms in North Louisiana” co-authored by Hossain and faculty member Dr. Michelle Morris.
This collaborative research was supported by the JOVE Research Scholarship Program, the Clark and Wommack Endowed Professorship and the 2026 College of Arts and Sciences Research and Scholarly Activity Grant from Dr. Kass Byrd.
The conference also recognized Hossain, the head of the Department of Engineering Technology, with the Outstanding Advisor Award for 2025–2026.
“Winning all first-place awards in the three student competition categories is a remarkable achievement and reflects the hard work of our students, the dedication of our faculty mentors and the strength of our Engineering Technology programs,” said Hossain. “We are proud to represent NSU on an international stage.”
During the conference, the on-site participants toured Rockwell Automation and the Amazon MKE2 Fulfillment Center, gaining valuable insight into supply chain operations, automation, robotics, PLCs and material handling systems. Beyond the awards, the conference and industry tours gave the students valuable opportunities to engage with professionals, showcase their research and gain insights into real-world engineering and technology applications.
NSU Engineering Technology students have participated in IEOM conferences for the past four years and have consistently earned national recognition. Following a first place in the Undergraduate Research Competition in 2023 and second place in the Senior Design Project Competition in 2024.
For more information on NSU’s Department of Engineering Technology, go to https://www.nsula.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/school-of-stem/engineering-technology/.