GARY S. PALMER II
(803) 348-3363 | gpalmer@clemson.edu
EDUCATION
Clemson University: Clemson, SC
Ph.D. Industrial Engineering
Dissertation: Predicting Team and Individual Surgical Flow Disruption Recovery in Cardiovascular
Operating Rooms
Expected Graduation: December 2013
Clemson University: Clemson, SC
M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Thesis: The Characterization of Leadership within Engineering Design Teams through Case Study
Analysis
2010-Present
2008-2010
University of Maryland: College Park, MD
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
2002-2007
Citations: College Park Scholars – Environmental Studies, Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, & QUEST Program
SKILLS
Excellent in:
 Microsoft Word, Project, Excel, Visio, and Powerpoint
 SPSS, Minitab, and ARENA Simulation
 Six Sigma and Total Quality Management Tools
 Solidworks and MATLAB
Proficient in:
 Microsoft Access and OneNote
 AutoCAD and ANSYS
RELEVANT COURSES
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ME 870 – Advanced Design Methods
ME 871 – Engineering Design Optimization
IE 682 – Systems Modeling with ARENA
IE 800 – Introduction to Human Factors Engineering
IE 802 – Human-Computer Systems
IE 803 – Engineering Optimization and Applications
IE 805 – Foundations in Quality Engineering
IE 809 – Modeling Systems Under Risk
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE
Clemson University: Clemson, SC
Graduate Research Assistant – Medical University of South Carolina
 Observed cardiothoracic surgical teams to determine flow disruptions
 Developed RIPCHORD taxonomy for flow disruptions experienced during observations
 Predicted flow disruption recovery through hierarchical and multiple logistic regression
Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams (QUEST): University of Maryland, College Park
BMGT 487: Six Sigma Strategy and Methods
 Used Six Sigma and Total Quality Management tools to address documentation problems at UMUH
 Built a program which tracks the statistics of errors committed by doctors on recording x-rays
2010-Present
Spring 2007
GARY S. PALMER II
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ENES 490H: QUEST Consulting and Innovation Practicum
 Worked with ExxonMobil to improve On-The-Run to target the 18-24 year-old demographic
 Implemented Six Sigma throughout one semester to assess On-The-Run’s current and future states
 Utilized Total Quality Tools to offer 8 recommendations to improve On-The-Run Stores
Fall 2006
GENERAL WORK EXPERIENCE
Clemson University: Clemson, SC
Graduate Teaching Assistant – Design and Analysis of Work Systems
 Led 8 lab groups to design and analyze industrial engineering (IE) work systems
 Presented and educated 24 students for 10 weeks on IE work systems
 Guest lectured over 100 students on computer workstation design and research topics
2011-Present
Graduate Teaching Assistant – Industrial Safety and Risk
Developed and proctored the Industrial Safety and Risk curriculum
 Managed Blackboard and administrated the online course for 4 semesters
2010-Present
Advisory Committee Member – Senior Design Capstone Course
 Mentored 2 senior design teams which successfully redesigned products for BMW and Bosch
 Advised 4 senior design teams to design a rubber stripping device for Goodyear
2008-2010
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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE
Clemson University: Clemson, SC
Graduate Research Assistant – NASA and Michelin USA
 Constructed an endurance testing device (apparatus and powertrain) for lunar wheels
 Practiced engineering design methods and tools to improve the design of the device
 Supervised 5 undergraduate students which worked on different aspects of the apparatus
Graduate Research Assistant – BMW
 Decomposed BMW X5 and Chevrolet Suburban center consoles to assess the design complexity
 Improved the development of lightweight indicators which decreased the weight of parts by 15%
Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky, Inc.: Georgetown, KY
2nd Term Co-op
 Reduced the amount of water used to test the automatic windshield wipers
 Lead Engineer for the I/P Kit Sequencing Area Project which lowered takt time by 2 seconds
 Created the 1st Assembly Production Engineering Co-op Manual for 1st Term Co-ops
1st Term Co-op
 Reduced the amount of electricity used within Assembly Plants 1 & 2 by reporting bus usage
 Investigated countermeasures for front bumper covers to prevent melting on headlights
 Enhanced the rocker molding covers by adding several major components to prevent
slipping
2008-2010
Fall 2009
Spring 2005
Summer 2004
AWARDS
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Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Fellowship, Clemson University
Present
Graduate Scholars Award, Clemson University
Present
Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Scholar, Univ. of Maryland – College Park
January 2007
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Scholarship, Univ. of Maryland – College Park
January 2006
BRIDGE Student of the Year, Univ. of Maryland – College Park
January 2004
January 2010 –
January 2010 –
January 2006 –
January 2003 –
January 2003 –
GARY S. PALMER II
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Sikorsky Aircraft – UTC Book Award, Univ. of Maryland – College Park
January 2004
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January 2003 –
GARY S. PALMER II
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LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Region II Vice Chair – Clemson University
2009-2010
 Managed a 17-member Executive Board over the Mid-Atlantic Region with 33 active chapters
 Led the Membership Zone which included the International and Membership Chairs and 5 Geographic
Zone Coordinators
 Helped organized and run the Fall Regional Conference which gathered over 900 members
Chapter President – University of Maryland, College Park
 Led the chapter to become the Region II Large Chapter of the Year
 Overseen a 14-member Executive Board and a $10,000 budget
 Hosted the Northern Zone Conference for Region II of NSBE at the University of Maryland
2005-2006
Finance Chair – University of Maryland, College Park
 Generated the Solicitation Packet for potential sponsors of the chapter
 Raised $7000 through corporate sponsorship
 Created the Business Etiquette Dinner for NSBE and SHPE sponsored by Lockheed Martin
Fall 2004
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Palmer II, G., Rivera-Rodriguez, A. Joy. Predicting Team v. Individual Surgical Flow Disruption Recovery
in Cardiothoracic Operating Rooms. Poster session presented at: Clemson Graduate Research and
Discovery Symposium; 2013 April 8; Clemson, SC.
PUBLICATIONS
Palmer II, G., Abernathy, J.H., Swinton, G., et al. (2013) “Realizing Improved Patient Care through
Human-centered Operating Room Design (RIPCHORD): A Human Factors Methodology for Observing
Flow Disruptions in the Cardiothoracic Operating Room,” Journal of Anesthesiology.
Palmer, G., and Summers, J., (2011) “Characterization of Leadership within Undergraduate Engineering
Design Teams through Case Study Analysis,” International Conference on Engineering Design,
Technical University of Denmark, August 2011.
Palmer, G., Morkos, B., Summers, J., (2010) “Investigation of Design Tools as Complexity Management
Techniques,” ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, DAC, Montreal, Canada,
August 2010, DETC2010-28554.
Morkos, B., and Palmer, G. (2010) “A Study Of Designer Familiarity With Product And User During
Requirement Elicitation.” Eighth International Symposium on Tools and Methods of Competitive
Engineering. Ancona, Italy.
Bhargav, A., Pearlman, J.B., Shields, E.B., Palmer, G.S., Reihani, S.-A.S., Jackson, G.S., Hearn, P., (2006)
“PEM Fuel Cell System Modeling with Liquid Fuel Processing and Hydrogen Membranes," ECS
Transactions - Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Vol. 3, No. 6.
MEMBERSHIPS
National Society of Black Engineers
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Institute of Industrial Engineers