Publications - DO NOT EDIT
http://hdl.handle.net/10106/27571
2024-03-29T14:16:57ZSustainable Delivery System in a Temperature Controlled Supply Chain
http://hdl.handle.net/10106/27581
Sustainable Delivery System in a Temperature Controlled Supply Chain
Gharehyakheh, Amin; Cantu, Jaime; Krejci, Caroline; Rogers, Jamie
A modern customer expects high quality of food products, and consequently, retailers must present their products in a decent quality to improve their reputation and customer retention in the market. There are many factors which can influence the quality of food products; one of the vital factors is maintaining products in a predetermined temperature through their life cycle since it can slow the bacteria growth which deteriorates food quality. The necessity of implementing a proper temperature-controlled system creates various challenges in a supply chain. This research is focused on selecting a sustainable fleet of vehicles to minimize environmental effects and costs of delivering food products from a distribution center to retailers. A simulation model was developed to represent the relationship of supply chain actors, and it was followed by an optimization approach to determine the optimal number of vehicles. The results of this study show a comparative analysis of delivery costs and environmental effects to show that the sustainable selection of the fleet of vehicles is an efficient approach to preserve the quality of perishable products during transportation phase.
2018-01-01T00:00:00ZA Survey Paper of Protecting Critical Infrastructure: Applying High Reliability Theory to Advance Organizational Resilience
http://hdl.handle.net/10106/27580
A Survey Paper of Protecting Critical Infrastructure: Applying High Reliability Theory to Advance Organizational Resilience
Gharehyakheh, Amin; Tolk, Janice N.; Cantu, Jaime; Fritts, Stephen
After the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear plant meltdown, a claim was made that “accidents happen,” suggesting that such catastrophes were inevitable. That concept was eventually labeled normal accident theory (NAT). Soon after, however, research into so-called “high reliability organizations” (HROs) began which disputed that claim and evolved into what became known as high reliability theory (HRT). This paper surveyed the literature published since 1979 to determine the level of continuing interest in the subject, and determine how it has been applied. Since 2004, it has been found a strong uptick in the number of publications which address HRO, suggesting that, interest in HRO theory, application, and tools remains strong. Coincident with this increase has been the creation and evolution of Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD/21) “Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience,” one action of which was to update the national infrastructure protection program (NIPP). The objectives of PPD/21 closely parallel the underpinnings of HRT, including a focus on integrated systems, understanding threats, and a focus on resilience. The literature has suggested that HROs are relevant for mainstream organizations since they “provide insights to a distinctive set of processes that foster effectiveness under trying conditions.” The survey found recent literature addressing the intersection of NIPP and HRO leading this research to the hypothesis that HRT has evolved to the point where it can significantly inform and advance the objectives of the PPD/21 toward protecting national critical infrastructure (CI) using an approach which emphasizes a more reliable, more resilient, organization.
2017-01-01T00:00:00ZA Systemic View of Obtaining High Reliability Organization Status
http://hdl.handle.net/10106/27579
A Systemic View of Obtaining High Reliability Organization Status
Tolk, Janice N.; Cantu, Jaime
Becoming a High Reliability Organization (HRO) is of interest to many organizations, yet the tools or processes to obtain HRO status are unclear. Historically, organizations are studied in isolation, yet HROs exist due to the interactions of the organization on many levels. Observing how an organization transitioned to an HRO from a systemic perspective may give insight to scholars who normally look at organizations in isolation. The following paper is a case study on how the Department of Energy Pantex Plant became an HRO. The analysis describes the process from published documents on the policy and agency level; specifically, how HRO attributes emerged, and the relation between policy and organizational change. The results found the Pantex Plant HRO journey parallels the Air Traffic Control HRO journey wherein high reliability organizing grew and was reinforced both horizontally and vertically within the larger High Reliability System (HRS). This reinforces a previous study that found that HROs develop and the attributes are institutionalized through a cooperative and multi-directional relationship within a policy, agency, and industry HRS.
2018-01-01T00:00:00ZDeveloping Student Learning Outcome Metrics for Makerspaces: A Stem Pilot Course
http://hdl.handle.net/10106/27569
Developing Student Learning Outcome Metrics for Makerspaces: A Stem Pilot Course
Cantu, Jaime; Wallace, Martin K.
Preparing undergraduate engineering students with the competencies needed for future work environments is a central objective of college engineering programs. Recently, access to 3D printers and other digital fabrication technologies in academic makerspaces has increased opportunities for students to engage with people and tools essential for improving their engineering and design competencies, and has led researchers to explore how to increase and measure student learning in these spaces. The literature reveals interests in and the need for exploring how makerspaces affect undergraduate student learning outcomes, but few universities are actively engaged in this type of research. The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) Libraries’ FabLab has endeavored to integrate their makerspace into the undergraduate curriculum and measure the learning that takes place when students engage in making. Toward this goal, a list of eleven transdisciplinary makerspace competencies, each with multiple dimensions, was proposed and tested across a diverse range of undergraduate courses between 2016-2018. This paper summarizes results of a senior-level Engineering Project Management course that participated in the program in Spring 2018. Competencies examined in this course were assembling effective teams and demonstrating understanding of digital fabrication processes. Homework-based interventions for both competencies were designed and integrated into a semester-long makerspace project. Mixed-methods including pre- and post-self-assessments, project rubrics, team member evaluations and oral presentations were used to assess and measure student learning. Preliminary results indicate that students gain competency in assembling effective teams and demonstrating their understanding of digital fabrication processes by completing projects in makerspaces.
2018-10-19T00:00:00Z