Author: Patrick Dougherty Major: Industrial Engineering
Patrick Dougherty
My name is Patrick Dougherty. I am a senior industrial engineering major in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, with a minor in General Business through Walton College. In my research, I have worked with my mentor, Chase Rainwater, an Associate Professor within the Department of Industrial Engineering. Last semester was my second funded semester of research, and I will be concluding and defending my thesis this semester. Upon graduation, I will be working as an Associate Consultant for Mastercard in Arlington, VA.
When I decided to complete an honors thesis and conduct my own research over two years ago, I knew that whichever topic I chose to investigate would need to be one that interested me and motivated me. Especially within the field of industrial engineering, there are so many diverse challenges and opportunities that a researcher can confront. Through our honors program, I was exposed to most of our faculty and their research areas so that I could make an informed decision about what I wanted to study. My current mentor, Dr. Chase Rainwater, immediately caught my attention with his research in introducing collaboration to the logistics industry. This idea involves investigating the possibility of a logistics environment wherein different logistics providers, specifically trucking companies, could work together by sharing their trucks, resources, and knowledge to improve the efficiency and reduce waste of the entire system. I was attracted to this topic because of the clear ways in which it could potentially improve the world, such as by reducing carbon emissions and improving logistics effectiveness. Throughout my work so far, this interest has kept me motivated, even when things have become challenging.
Speaking of challenges, most of my difficulties have arisen because this is a fairly new field of study. My research focuses on how trucks might be routed from their origins to their destinations while satisfying demand and having the ability to exchange cargo or routes with other trucks along the way. Industrial engineering researchers have long studied solutions to logistics problems and developed highly standardized approaches for routing trucks in accordance with the current logistics environment. However, since the concept of collaborative logistics doesn’t really exist yet, I have had to take the existing approaches and attempt to modify and expand them to fit this hypothetical reality. Doing so has been challenging, yet also rewarding. By talking frequently with my mentor, Dr. Rainwater, and taking time to develop a program that fulfills our goal, I have gradually learned more about applying my own ideas and understanding to develop this new, exciting approach. Dr. Rainwater has been immensely helpful and encouraging throughout my experience, inspiring me to develop my own thoughts and helping me not to worry too much about the stresses of completing my research.
As I am in my last semester as an undergraduate, I plan to complete my research and write my thesis within the next few months. There is still lots of work to do, and I am excited to finish this process and contribute knowledge that I hope will help make the world a better place, even if in a small way. I am very grateful to my mentor, my department, and the Honors College for guiding and encouraging me throughout this research experience.