Johann G. (Hans) Demmel, Ph.D.

Sr. Manager Systems Engineering
Raytheon Missile Systems

As I began to think about college and career choices while in high school, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in an Explorer's program that introduced careers to high school students. One of the careers that I was introduced to was Industrial Engineering (IE). What inspired me about IE during this experience was the breadth of choices available to IE's. I can still recollect covering the planning and scheduling involved in analyzing optimum strategies for emergency response vehicles, the concept of computer simulation modeling to analyze complex engineering and business systems, and optimization of manufacturing production processes.

Looking into universities that offered an IE program, I stumbled onto one that was right in my back yard, RIT. Not only did they offer an IE program, it was a co-operative education program. What better opportunity than to obtain a college education along with practical work experience. What this combination offered me was the ability to build a solid educational foundation, augmented with practical experience. The IE curriculum allowed me to develop an interest in computers, computer modeling, and software development.

The technical and practical foundation I achieved at RIT enabled me to pursue a successful graduate school experience, and enter the work force in computer integrated manufacturing. Over time I was able to leverage this experience into software development in the defense industry, and ultimately into computer modeling. Due to the breadth of the IE profession, I was able to continue to build upon these opportunities, and today I have the privilege of leading a multi-disciplined team in Systems Engineering.

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