Ian Meeks and Jocelyn Estabrook represented SUNY Fredonia at the Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence Summit.
Two School of Business seniors met with industry leaders in operational excellence at the Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence Summit.
Ian Meeks, a Business Management major from Rochester, NY, and Jocelyn Estabrook, a Business Administration major from Frewsburg, NY, and Associate Professor Lisa Walters attended the KCOE summit held Oct. 23 at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Participation strengthened students’ professional networks, exposed them to current industry practices and reinforced the relevance of what they learn in class.” - Dr. Lisa Walters
Both students are executive team members of SUNY Fredonia’s ASQ (American Society for Quality) chapter and were welcomed to the summit by Tija Bushnaq, of ASQ Buffalo, a financial supporter of the campus ASQ club. Dr. Walters is the chapter’s faculty sponsor and associate professor of operations management.
Mr. Meeks and Ms. Estabrook engaged with industry leaders in operational excellence from southwestern Pennsylvania and other parts of the country.
The summit brings together students, educators and industry professionals to share best practices in continuous improvement, lean operations and organizational excellence. Its goal is to connect students with practitioners and showcase how operational excellence drives performance across industries.
“Participation strengthened students’ professional networks, exposed them to current industry practices and reinforced the relevance of what they learn in class,” Walters said.
“The experience enhances their resumes, builds confidence in professional settings and helps them articulate how operational excellence principles apply in the workplace,” she added.
Students attended keystone sessions and workshops led by industry experts, networked with professionals from manufacturing and service organizations and discussed real-world applications of Lean and Six Sigma methods. Question-and-answer sessions and informal conversations exploring career paths in operations and quality were also held.
