For decades, the Wm. Michael Barnes ’64 Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Council has connected the department and its students with industry. But more often than not, the members serving on the council are more than industry professionals – they are former students, Aggies for life, looking to make a difference in the lives of students.
Established in 1989, the ISEN Advisory Council is comprised of professionals from all areas of the industrial and systems engineering industry. The council meets once every semester to discuss departmental updates and use industry-wide collaboration to brainstorm ways to improve the program and better benefit the student body. Council members representing companies such as Amazon, Lockheed Martin, AT&T, and Texas Instruments bring real-world industry experience to enhance the ISEN program at Texas A&M University, offering more opportunities for students to prepare for their careers after graduation.
“The Advisory Council is working to bridge the gap between industry and academia,” said Lauren Gibbens ’10. “We’re all here because we have a desire to help inform and inspire the next generation of Aggie engineers.”
After graduating with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering in 2010, Gibbens began working for Lockheed Martin. In 2020, she moved to Greece to work for the company’s Global-Aeronautics Field Services department. In 2018, she joined the Advisory Council to pay it forward to the department she graduated from.
“I’ve always been appreciative of the education I received and continue to receive both directly and indirectly from Texas A&M,” Gibbens said. “Being able to use my practical experience to help ISEN continue to be a top-tier program has been a privilege.”
Like Gibbens, Marci Jackson ’92 first started her career with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M and returned to the department to serve as a member of the Advisory Council as a way to give back.
“I worked in healthcare for 25 years – in dozens of facilities, dozens of states, and my career allowed me to do a lot of great things,” Jackson said. “I’ve always had a desire to advance healthcare as an option for ISEN students, to create opportunities for undergraduates to experience healthcare early in their careers — other than giving back to the Texas A&M community, I think that’s the reason I joined the Advisory Council in the first place.”
The Advisory Council is working to bridge the gap between industry and academia. We’re all here because we have a desire to help inform and inspire the next generation of Aggie engineers.
Jackson worked with the Advisory Council and the department to place more emphasis on healthcare, with capstone projects focusing on the topic and ISEN working to partner with local hospitals as well as hiring more healthcare-focused faculty members.
“It’s been a privilege getting students introduced to the healthcare industry and the wide scope of industries that they have as part of being an industrial assistance engineer,” Jackson said. “I tell everyone how valuable it is to have industrial engineering in the healthcare industry, and the council allows me to talk more about it.”
Jerrie Kertz ’82 also joined the Advisory Council to advocate for the lesser-known industries existing within industrial and systems engineering. Kertz gained over 40 years of experience in telecom and entertainment at AT&T and served as senior vice president for 14 years. She has been a member of the council since 2011.
“ISEN’s main focuses were always on manufacturing and healthcare - which are important, but we were missing service businesses like telecom," Kertz said. "I always felt like representation from other points of view, other industries, was important to have on the council, which is why I joined and stayed."
Between Gibbens, Jackson and Kertz, they share two passions — ISEN and its students. When thinking about their favorite memories from serving on the council, they all agreed that being able to spend time with students and faculty is always the highlight of their membership.
“I love attending awards banquets and watching students and colleagues receive well-deserved awards,” Gibbens said. “Watching students give their senior design and research presentations is one of the most rewarding experiences of the entire council.”
The ISEN Advisory Council has contributed to two endowed scholarships each year, working tirelessly to ensure that the next generation of Aggie engineers is given every opportunity possible to succeed.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to give back to ISEN, whether it’s monetarily or with our service,” Jackson said. “One of my favorite things about our meetings is when students present their projects to us — the council literally has hundreds of years of industry experience in the room during those presentations, and we hope our feedback helps make those students even more successful.”
“So many of our council members are owners or participants in those companies that bring Capstone projects to the department, so it’s fun to hear what kinds of projects young engineers are working on,” Jackson said.
Forging connections with the Advisory Council and the rest of the industry is important to success, Kertz said, but not as important as believing in oneself and having the courage to try new things.
"Find your voice and use your voice," Kertz said. "Don't be afraid to learn new things or try new things. There are people in this world who will choose something safe - but I have found it's very rewarding to find your own version of success by rolling up your sleeves, searching for it yourself, and not being afraid to put yourself out there and do it."
For more information regarding ISEN’s Advisory Council, please visit: tx.ag/ISENAdvisoryCouncil