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Program Faculty

Dr. Connie M. Borror

Dr. Connie M. Borror is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Computing at Arizona State University West. She earned her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Arizona State University in 1998. Her research interests include experimental design, response surface methods, and statistical process control. She has co-authored two books and over 50 journal articles in these areas.

Dr. Borror has taught numerous short courses on response surface methodology, robust design, statistical process control, experimental design, basic statistics, green belt training, and using statistical packages such as Minitab.

Dr. Borror is a member of the American Statistical Association, the Royal Statistical Society, the American Society for Engineering Education, and a Senior Member of the American Society for Quality and the Institute of Industrial Engineers.

Russell J. Elias, Ph.D., CRE

Dr. Elias was one of the original architects of Six Sigma and has over twenty-five years of industrial applications experience. He was a contemporary of Dr. Mikel Harry and Mr. Bill Smith while at Motorola from 1984-2001, and was intimately involved in Motorola's initial development and deployment of the Six Sigma concept. He received six Outstanding Achievement Awards at Motorola for Six Sigma breakthroughs in product quality and reliability, and has worked for two Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award winners (Motorola and Milliken & Co.).

As a Motorola University Master Black Belt, Master Instructor, Member of the Technical Staff, and ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer, Dr. Elias architected many of the technical and business processes to support and proliferate Six Sigma methodologies throughout Motorola's worldwide operations during his 17 year career there. After leaving Motorola, he served at Cypress Semiconductor in San Jose as Senior Director of Quality and Productivity from 2002-2007, where as the Executive Black Belt re-engineered their Design for Six Sigma methodologies throughout their manufacturing and R&D organizations.

Dr. Elias received a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1982), a Masters of Science degree in Quality and Reliability Engineering (2000), and a Ph.D. in Industrial Systems Engineering (2006) at Arizona State University (under Professor Montgomery).. He holds 5 US patents, has authored 25+ technical publications, and continues to research, publish, and lecture in the areas of model-based forecasting, advanced process control, and Design for Six Sigma.

With over 1000 successful Six Sigma projects completed, and with more than 20 "wavesÓ of Black Belts trained and mentored, Dr. Elias continues his consultancy and active involvement in the Six Sigma way. His client base includes semiconductor, solar, retail, insurance, financial services, health care management, environmental, food processing, stock arbitrage, safety systems, instrumentation, automotive, textile, software, utilities, and defense/aerospace. He is married with three children, lives in Tempe AZ, and may be reached at russell.elias@asu.edu.

Dr. Douglas Montgomery

Doug Montgomery, Ph.D., is a Regent's Professor of Industrial Engineering and Statistics, and ASU Foundation Professor of Engineering at Arizona State University. Additional accolades include;

  • John M. Fluke Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Director of Industrial Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle
  • BSIE, MS and Ph.D. degrees from Virginia Tech
  • Recipient of the Shewhart Medal, William G. Hunter Award, Brumbaugh Award, and the Shewell Award (twice) from the American Society for Quality Control
  • Interests focus on industrial statistics, including design of experiments, quality and reliability engineering, applications of linear models, and time series analysis and forecasting
  • Industrial experience includes engineering assignments with Union Carbide Corporation and Eli Lilly and Company, and extensive consulting experience
  • Visiting Professor of Engineering at the Monterey Institute of Technology in Monterey, Mexico, and a University Distinguished Visitor at the University of Manitoba
  • The Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, the United States Army, and private industry have sponsored Dr. Montgomery's research

Dr. Dan Shunk

Dan Shunk, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at ASU. Shunk received his B.S.I.E., his M.S.I.E. and his Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University in 1971, 1972 and 1976, respectively. Other accolades include;

  • Captain and Co-Founder of the ICAM Program for the United States Air Force
  • Extensive industry experience at the Rockwell Corporation, International Harvester, GCA Corporation, Motorola, the United States Army, Digital Equipment Corporation, SUN Microsystems, Transcript Communications, Level One Communications, Intel, Oracle and Avnet
  • Arrived from industry to ASU in 1984 as an associate professor of industrial engineering and from 1984 to 1994, served as the CIM Systems Research Center Director
  • Avnet Chair of Supply Network Integration
  • Teaches graduate courses in enterprise modeling and integration and formulation of strategy and policy in the organization in W. P. Carey MBA - Technology Program and the W. P. Carey MBA Technology Program in China
  • Research and teaching interests are in the areas of computer integrated manufacturing, electronic commerce progression, time compression, cultural acceptance of change, enterprise integration and material/information/knowledge supply network integration

Mr. James Strickland

Jim Strickland is an adjunct lecturer at Arizona State University. Prior to his retirement on January 1, 2005, Jim was the senior executive managing Lean Enterprise activities for Raytheon Missile Systems. Jim has also;

  • Spent his 36 years with Hughes Aircraft/Raytheon in all aspects of manufacturing and numerous transactional areas
  • Led Raytheon's transition from traditional manufacturing to winning the Pioneer Award, Industry Weeks "Best Plant", 2004 Shingo Prize
  • Helped create the Raytheon Production System and led the team that revolutionized Tucson's manufacturing processes
  • Assisted with development and led the R6S (Raytheon Six Sigma) activities that have been recognized nationally as one the best models for the "melding of Change Management, Lean, and 6Sigma in the country
  • Managed projects in Europe, Asia, South America, and in numerous companies across the US
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