Rose-Hulman Associate Dean Recognized
Craig Downing
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowCraig Downing has been recognized for excellence in industrial engineering teaching and learning by the Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Society International. He serves as associate dean of lifelong learning and head of the department of engineering management at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Downing has had a significant role in Rose-Hulman’s leadership role in the Kern Entrepreneurial Education Network, a national initiative supporting development of entrepreneurially minded programs within undergraduate engineering, and the establishment of Escalate, a living and learning community preparing Rose-Hulman students with the business awareness to become tomorrow’s technical leaders. He also has been a faculty mentor for Rose-Hulman’s National Science Foundation-supported Making Academic Change Happen workshops, which have developed change agents at educational institutions across America.
Downing has been named a distinguished fellow of the American Society of Engineering Management and received the organization’s meritorious service award in 2015. He also serves as advisory board chair of Liaison International’s Engineering Centralized Application Service.
His areas of expertise include industrial-academic relationships, quality management system development and productions/operations management. Downing continually explores new research opportunities related to quality and operations management and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. He has industry experience as a process engineer and private consultant for organizations such as Lockheed Martin/NASA, Parker Hannifin, Crain Enterprises and Peerless Pump.
Downing, who has received excellence in service and honorary alumnus awards from Rose-Hulman, earned bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering technology from Southern Illinois University (1992) and applied mathematics and statistics from Southeast Missouri State University (2005). He has a master’s degree in manufacturing systems (1994) and a doctorate degree in workforce education and development (1999), both from SIU.