Anna Lee
Author: Anna Lee | Major: Industrial Engineering | Semester: Fall 2022
My name is Anna Lee, and I majored in Industrial Engineering within the College of Engineering. My research mentor is Dr. Manuel D. Rossetti from the Department of Industrial Engineering. I have been working on my research project from August 2021 until December 2022, with the Honors College Research Grant funding my research in the past two semesters. After graduating in December of 2022, I will be moving to Ottawa, Kansas, where I will be working at Walmart as an Automation Engineer.
Through my research, I created a simulation model of an emergency evacuation in a large auditorium space and wrote a thesis based on the process and my findings. The purpose of this research was to better understand evacuations and the ability of individuals to safely exit from a high-capacity room during an emergency.
I chose my research topic after completing Simulation, a required course in my major taught by Dr. Rossetti. During the course, my interest was sparked by the large number of possibilities that simulation provides in a variety of fields. I was particularly interested in the simulation of evacuations and their relevance to the world today. Many people will find themselves in high-capacity areas, such as sports stadiums, concerts, or auditoriums at some point in their lives. The ability of all individuals in an area to safely evacuate within a set timeframe is extremely important. I decided to focus on lecture halls, due to their relevance to my life and all college students’ lives. Dr. Rossetti was a natural choice as my advisor, as he taught my Simulation class and is an expert in the software I used to complete my research.
Evacuation plans are extremely important in the ensured safety of public gathering places, so I was unsurprised that the simulation of evacuations is a highly researched topic. Through background research in previous semesters, I found multiple ways an evacuation can be simulated. The two most common were discrete event modeling and agent-based modeling, which is a subset of discrete event. Based on the background research I completed and my previous knowledge, I created a discrete event model using Arena Simulation Software. During the fall of 2022, I used an iterative approach to build a complete evacuation model. Through each iteration, I tested the model for accuracy and added complexity to human movement. As I was building my model, I often faced challenges. Much of the code and modules used in my model I have never used before. I had to use my resources and learn as I went in order to successfully finish. After I completed my model, I ran it several times to evaluate its effectiveness and to produce results. From this model building and testing, I wrote and defended a thesis at the end of the fall semester.
My faculty mentor has been able to provide a large amount of support and guidance due to his expertise within the field of simulation. Through his advisement, I was able to build my model using Arena Simulation Software and use the results to complete my thesis paper. This was my final semester at the University of Arkansas. After graduation, I will begin working in the field where I plan to utilize all of the skills I’ve learned from the University of Arkansas in hopes of having a successful career.