As The Shah Family Endowed Chair in Innovativeness and a professor teaching manufacturing at Chapman University along with my consulting/serving on advisory boards of firms, I saw a need for me to stay current with new developments in the manufacturing field. To achieve this goal, beyond an MBA from USC and a Ph.D. from UCLA, I received C.P.I.M. Certification from APICS, Association of Supply Chain Management.

Attending MD&M for the past several years has helped me to learn of the latest developments in technology and managerial practice in manufacturing along with consideration of the impact of governmental and economic shifts. The educational sessions, with specific industry experts, keynote addresses that are of interest across different manufacturing industries, and exhibitors who showcase the newest technologies and software all are vital to stay current. My students, consulting clients, and advisory boards that I sit on all benefit from the insights I gain from attending MD&M.

Despite the large number of MD&M West conference attendees (over 13,500) from 52 countries, there are opportunities for one-on-one introductions, meetings, and identification of collaboration possibilities. At the Day 2 Wednesday morning keynote address by Dr. Shawn DuBravac on "AI and the Future of Manufacturing: Envisioning What's Next," I was able to ask a question with a microphone on the fear my students have that AI will lead them to face rising unemployment and received a response from Dr. DuBravac on stage that AI will also create new job opportunities and will not lead to massive unemployment.