Jessica Heier Stamm | Associate Professor

Gisela and Warren Kennedy Cornerstone Teaching Scholar

Steve Hsu Keystone Research Scholar

Ph.D. - 2010, Georgia Institute of Technology
Industrial and Systems Engineering
B.S. - 2004, Kansas State University
Industrial Engineering

Contact information

2076 Rathbone Hall
jlhs@k-state.edu

Professional experience

Dr. Heier Stamm joined the department of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering at K-State as an assistant professor in 2010 and was promoted to associate professor in 2018. She holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from K-State and a doctorate in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research and teaching collaborations span numerous public and private sector organizations, including Heart to Heart International, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pan American Health Organization, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Agriculture, FedEx Express and BNSF Railway.

Research

Heier Stamm’s research interests include the development of quantitative models and algorithms to design and improve humanitarian relief and public health logistics systems. In particular, she uses operations research and game theory tools to analyze systems in which decisions about system control are made in a decentralized way. This work is addressing two central research questions: (1) What is the impact on system effectiveness as a result of decentralization? and (2) How can systems be designed to mitigate adverse effects of decentralization? Answers to these questions have direct implications for designing and managing supply chain systems that support health. Heier Stamm’s group was the first to synthesize literature describing applications of game theory modeling to humanitarian operations. Her group’s work on theoretical properties of decentralized humanitarian logistics systems led to new performance bounds and coordination mechanisms for improving decentralized systems. Heier Stamm’s pedagogical research is synergistic with her disciplinary research. She aims to increase current knowledge regarding students’ understanding of and interest in ways that industrial engineering makes a difference in people’s lives. This work is paving the way for educational strategies that improve recruitment and retention for engineering students, particularly those from groups that are historically underrepresented in engineering.

Academic highlights

Heier Stamm won the 2016 Kansas State University College of Engineering Outstanding Assistant Professor Award. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation’s BRIGE (Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering), CNH (Coupled Natural and Human Systems), and CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development) programs. In 2014, Heier Stamm was named a fellow in the NSF-funded Enabling the Next Generation of Hazards and Disasters Researchers program. This honor recognizes her group’s contributions to interdisciplinary scholarship in the area of disaster research. The IMSE Department’s graduating seniors selected Heier Stamm as the Outstanding Teacher in 2013-2014, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018. She was the recipient of the 2011 dissertation prize from the Transportation Science and Logistics Society of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and the 2013 best doctoral thesis award from the Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Research Institute (HUMLOG Institute).