Bala Ram

Professor and
Graduate Program Coordinator

Research

Education:

•  B.S., Mech. Engineering. Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, 1975

•  M.S., IE, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, 1977

•  Ph.D., IE, SUNY-Buffalo, 1983

Specialization:  

•  Manufacturing Engineering

•  Materials Handling

•  Industrial Simulation 

•  Applied Operations Research and Information Systems  

Has served as a consultant to several corporations and small businesses: 

•  IBM (Simulation)
•  Westinghouse (Manufacturing Cycle Efficiency)
•  Douglas Battery (Time Standards)
•  Garner Foods (Productivity Improvement)
•  Ilco-Unican (Information Systems)
•  Alphabet Inc. (Cost Estimation)
•  QMF (Cost Estimation)
•  Stratford Metal (Methods Documentation and Facilities Layout)
•  Oakwood Homes (Packing and Quality Assurance)
•  Regent Lighting (Warehouse Location)
•  Hafele Inc. (Time Standards)

Faculty Profile:

Dr. Bala Ram worked for three years in the field of information systems in India after getting his MSIE degree. 

He joined the department in 1983. Dr. Ram has completed several funded research projects in the areas of Applied Operations Research and Materials Handling. 

He directed a project in Materials Handling sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
He is involved with courseware and laboratory development to support student projects in product realization. 

He is currently working on research in the areas of 

•  specification framework for material handling 

•  adaptable simulation models

•  intelligent agent applications

Dr. Ram is a member and a former Chairman of the Inter-disciplinary Manufacturing Committee in the College of Engineering.  

He is associated with the Integrated Manufacturing Lab, Programmable Controller Lab, and the Design Studio Lab in the college.  

He is a founding member of the Board of Directors of PTCAM Inc. located in Greensboro, NC.  

Professional Membership Affiliation:  

•  a registered Professional Engineer in the State of North Carolina

•  a member of IIE, ASEE and SME

He is actively involved with the local chapter of SME and has served the chapter in various capacities including President .  

•  Productivity Improvement
•  Time Standards
•  Facilities Layout
•  Information Systems
•  Cost Estimation

Contact Information:

•  426B McNair 

•  Phone: (336)-334-7780 ext. 16  

•  Fax: (336)-334-7729  

•  E-mail: ram@ncat.edu