Mentor Circles

Jeff Hardcastle
Mentor Circle Chair

The mission of the Industrial Engineering (IE) Mentor Program is to facilitate the professional development of IE students through connections with degreed industrial engineers and their companies. IE students are provided with networking opportunities and access to industry professionals, with whom they can discuss career opportunities, job expectations, and skills and strategies for professional success. Industry mentors are provided the opportunity to share their passion for their profession and help develop the next generation of leaders, while building their own coaching, communication and leadership skills.

The IE Mentor Program is jointly sponsored by the Department of Industrial Engineering (INEG), the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineers (AAIE) and the professional local chapter of the Institute for Industrial Engineers (IIE).

The program was first piloted with three Mentor Circles consisting of three mentors and three or four senior industrial engineering students during the spring semester of 2014.  The 2014-2015 school year was the first full scale implementation of the Mentor Circle Program.   There were 7 Mentor Circles consisting of 21 mentors from both the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineers and the local professional chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and 32 junior and senior level industrial engineering students.