Continuing their proud tradition for the third year in a row, the University of Houston's Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers student chapter has been recognized with the Gold Chapter Award for the 2023-24 academic year.
"It has been an honor to serve as the president of the IISE UH chapter," said 2023-24 chapter president Abdulrahman Aljahmi. "I am proud to see my vision turn into reality. We've achieved the goals we set forth and put great ideas into action."
Chapter Award levels include Red, Yellow, Green and Gold, with Gold being the most prestigious and recognizing the greatest commitment to participation and engagement. To be eligible for Gold chapter status, a chapter must maintain regular contact with its members through meetings and other communications, graduate at least two new Young Professional members from among their number and identify at least two members who have agreed to serve as leaders or officers in the next academic year.
Additional chapter accomplishments over the past year include launching a new website to promote chapter growth, initiating Certification Awards for high-performing chapter officers, establishing an Active Members award, and hosting their first Faculty-Student Gathering and first Senior Potluck Celebration in addition to 22 other professional, social and workshop events. The chapter also secured third place in the 2023 National Conference A&M Simulation Competition and third place in the 2024 Regional Conference Paper Competition.
"It hasn't been easy to reach where we are today," said Aljahmi. "A lot of hard work and dedication went on behind the scenes. We've elevated the chapter to a new level, and as industrial engineers, we're committed to continuous improvement—because that's at the heart of our discipline."
Some of these efforts included prioritizing industry collaboration with companies that were willing to forge stronger connections with the chapter, contributing to professional workshops and major events to support student growth and preparation for their careers, rather than focusing on "bigger" names that may have been less engaged.
"We encourage all companies seeking talent and wishing to connect with future leaders and engineers to partner with us," said Aljahmi. "One of our goals at IISE-UH is to connect with companies and foster professional growth."
The chapter saw a 284% increase in event turnout this year, with participation from "nearly every IE student in the department." Aljahmi worked to make a "personal connection" with as many attendees as possible.
"The feeling of having seen everybody come together… that means a lot to me. Every time we see a new group of students emerge and start talking or becoming friends, I feel like we've accomplished what we set out to do," he said.
Well aware that they represent not only their chapter but the university as a whole when attending national conferences and other cooperative events, Aljahmi added that they strive to maintain positive relationships with other global chapters.
“We’ve supported other IISE chapters globally in seeking sponsorships, creating information packages, and other initiatives, while proudly representing UH on national and regional stages. Our chapter’s success reflects positively on the UH community and the Cullen College of Engineering. Additionally, we offered Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification to UH students at a reduced rate, as a way to give back to our campus,” he said.
Aljahmi will graduate in December, and therefore decided not to seek re-election for the 2024-25 academic year.
He cites Director of Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Program and chapter advisor Yaping Wang, vice president Neev Dash, marketing director Mireille Murphy, officers Paul Kinchandy, Colin Sellers, Roy Castillo (who will serve as the 2024-25 chapter president), Ruben Romo, Anthony Ung, and Leah Jobby as having been pivotal to the chapter's continued success.
"It's not just about one person; it's a collective effort by the entire team," he said. "I've been supporting this new leadership team since they took over, and I think they're off to a great start right now. I'm looking forward to what they will bring to the table."