Karen M. Bursic

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Karen M. Bursic

Lecturer Master of Engineering Management Program University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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Email
kbursic2@unl.edu
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Karen M. Bursic is a lecturer in the Master of Engineering Management program.  She is also Professor Emeritus of Industrial Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and recently retired after also serving as the Undergraduate Program Director.  She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.  She has experience as a Senior Consultant for Ernst and Young and as an Industrial Engineer for General Motors Corporation. Dr. Bursic has over 30 years of teaching experience in engineering economics and engineering management.  

Her research has focused on improving Engineering Education and she has numerous related publications. She has also done research and published work in the areas of Engineering and Project Management.  Her work includes “An engineering economy concept inventory”, The Engineering Economist, 65:3, 179-194, which was awarded the Eugene L. Grant Award from the Engineering Economy Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) for best paper in the journal in 2020. She is a Fellow of both the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (2026) and ASEE (2023). 

She has held leadership positions at the division level in both organizations. Dr. Bursic serves as Area Editor, Case Studies for The Engineering Economist and Associate Editor, Economics of Engineering for the Engineering Management Journal. In 2024, she was awarded the Wellington Award from the Engineering Economy Division of IISE in recognition of outstanding long-term contributions and service in the field of engineering economy.  

She is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Pennsylvania.

Education

University of Pittsburgh

Doctorate of Philosophy, Industrial Engineering, April 1990 

Master of Science, Engineering Management, December 1987 

Bachelor of Science, Industrial Engineering, April 1984

AWARDS AND HONORS 

  • Donald G. Newnan National Engineering Economy Teaching Excellence Award, Engineering Economy Division of ASEE, June 2026
  • https://news.engineering.pitt.edu/award-winning-end-to-an-amazing-career/
  • Elected a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers 2026
  • Wellington Award from the Engineering Economy Division of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers 2024
  • Distinguished Service Award from the Industrial Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 2024
  • Elected a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education 2023
  • Grant Award from the Engineering Economy Division of ASEE for Best Paper in 2020 in The Engineering Economist
  • Best Paper Award, ASEE Annual Conference; Engineering Economy Division; June 2017
  • Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, Engineering Economy Division Outstanding Teaching Award, 2015
  • University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Outstanding Educator Award, 2014
  • Registered Professional Engineer (Pennsylvania), 1995-Present

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

  • Area Editor for Case Studies, The Engineering Economist, 2017 – present
  • Associate Editor for Economics of Engineering, Engineering Management Journal, 2023 – present
  • Editorial Board for The Engineering Economist, 2010-2016
  • Selection committee for the Editor position of The Engineering Economist, 2013
  • Served on 3 National Science Foundation Proposal Review Panels since 2004
  • Senior Member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, Annual Conference Host Committee 2017; Scholarship Fund Trustee Board Member (National) 2014-2018; Board of Directors, Pittsburgh Chapter 2005-2007, Programs Committee Chair Pittsburgh Chapter 2004;  Academic Affairs Chair Pittsburgh Chapter 2007-2017
  • Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education, Grant Award Committee 2022-present; Delegate to the Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, 2018 - 2024; Engineering Economy Division: 2014-2016 Division Chair, 2013-2014 Program Chair, 2012-2013 Secretary/Treasurer; 2011-2012 Newsletter Editor

PUBLICATIONS

Journal Papers

  • Bursic, K.M.  (2020) An engineering economy concept inventory, The Engineering Economist, 65:3, 179-194, DOI: 10.1080/0013791X.2020.1777360(Best Paper Winner).
  • Scala, N.M., Tomasi, S., Goncher, A., & Bursic, K.M. (2017).  Motivation and Analytics:  Comparing Business and Engineering Students. INFORMS Transactions on Education, Articles in Advance, https://doi.org/10.1287/ited.2017.0187. 
  • Clark, R.M., Besterfield-Sacre, M., Budny, D., Bursic, K.M., Clark, W.W., Norman, B.A., Parker, R.S., Patzer, J.F., & Slaughter, W.S. (2016). Flipping engineering courses: A school wide initiative. Advances in Engineering Education, 5(3).
  • Atman, C.J., Chimka, J.R., Bursic, K.M., & Nachtmann, H.L. (1999). A Comparison of Freshmen and Senior Engineering Design Processes. Design Studies, 20(2), 131-152.
  • Atman, C.J. & Bursic, K.M. (1998). Verbal Protocol Analysis as a Method to Document Engineering Student Design Processes. Journal of Engineering Education, 87(2), 121-132.
  • Bursic, K.M. & Atman, C.J. (1997). Information Gathering:  A Critical Step for Quality in the Design Process. Quality Management Journal, 4(4), 60-75.
  • Atman, C.J. & Bursic, K.M. (1996). Teaching Engineering Design:  Can Reading a Textbook Make a Difference. Research in Engineering Design, 8(4), 240-250.
  • Bursic, K.M. (1992). Strategies and Benefits of the Successful Use of Teams in Manufacturing Organizations. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 39(3), 277-289.
  • Bursic, K.M. & Cleland, D.I. (1991). Strategic Technology Management. Engineering Management Journal, 3(2), 21-29.

Books

  • Cleland, D.I., Bursic, K.M., Puerzer, R. & Vlasak, A.Y. (Editors) (1998 and 1993). Project Management Casebook and Instructor’s Manual, Sylva, NC: Project Management Institute.
  • Cleland, D.I. & Bursic, K.M. (1992). Strategic Technology Management: Systems for Products and Processes American Management Association.

Edited Books and Chapters

  • Haight, J.M. & Bursic, K.M. (2023) Management of Safety Engineering Work. The Safety Professionals Handbook (Edited by J.M. Haight), 3rd edition, Park Ridge, IL:  American Society of Safety Professionals.
  • Needy, K.L. & Bursic, K.M.  (Editors) (2022)  Engineering Economics section of Maynard’s Industrial Engineering Handbook, New York: McGraw-Hill.
  • Bursic, K.M. (2004). Self-Managed Production Teams. Field Guide to Project Management (Edited by D.I. Cleland), 2nd edition, Hoboken, NJ:  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Bursic, K.M. (1990). Production Teams in Manufacturing. The Automated Factory Handbook (Edited by Cleland, D.I. and Bidanda, B.), Blue Ridge Summit, PA: TAB Books.

Conference Proceedings

  • Bursic, K.M. (2021). Course Strategy:  A Little Bit of Everything is Probably Too Much, 2021 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Virtual.
  • Bursic, K.M. (2017). Work in Progress – An Engineering Economy Concept Inventory.  2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio.  https://peer.asee.org/29138  (Best Division Paper winner).
  • Lynch, P.C., Kimple, J.F., & Bursic, K.M. (2016). Developing Essential Business and Engineering Skills through Case Competitions.  Proceedings of the 2016 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.
  • Clark, R.M., Budny, D., Bursic, K.M., & Besterfield-Sacre, M. (2014). Preliminary Experiences with “Flipping” a Freshman Engineering Program Course. Proceedings of the 6th First Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference, College Station TX.
  • Streiner, S.C., Besterfield-Sacre, M., Shuman, L.J., & Bursic, K.M.  (2014). An Approach to Evaluate Engineering Global Preparedness in Industrial Engineering Curricula. Proceedings of the 2014 Industrial Engineering Research Conference, Montreal, QC.
  • Bursic, K.M. (2012). “Does the Use of Clickers Increase Conceptual Understanding in the Engineering Economy Classroom,” Proceedings of the 2012 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, San Antonio Texas.
  • Shuman, L.J., Besterfield-Sacre, M.E., Siewiorek, N.., Bursic, K.M., & Vidic, N. (2012).  CCLI:  Model Eliciting Activities:  Experiments and Mixed Methods to Assess Student Learning III.  Proceedings of the 2012 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, San Antonio Texas.
  • Siewiorek, N., Shuman, L.J., Besterfield-Sacre, M.E., Vidic, N., Bursic, K.M., Streiner, S., Coull, J. (2012). Students’ Confidence Levels in Technical Concept Knowledge with Model-Eliciting Activities. Proceedings of the 2012 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, San Antonio Texas.
  • Bursic, K.M., Shuman, L.J., & Besterfield-Sacre, M. (2011). Improving Student Attainment of ABET Outcomes Using Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs). Proceedings of the 2011 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC.
  • Shuman, L.J., Besterfield-Sacre, M.E., Yildirim, T.P., Bursic, K.M., & Vidic, N. (2011) CCLI:  Model Eliciting Activities:  Experiments and Mixed Methods to Assess Student Learning – Part II. Proceedings of the 2011 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC.
  • Vidic, N., Shuman, L., Besterfield-Sacre, M., Bursic, K.M., Yildirim, T.P., & Siewiorek, N. (2011) Learning Impacts Gained from Introducing Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs) in an Introductory Statistics Course.  Proceedings of the 2011 Industrial Engineering Research Conference, Reno, NV.
  • Bursic, K.M., Shuman, L., Besterfield-Sacre, M., Yildirim, T.P., & Siewiorek, N. (2010). Improving Conceptual Learning in Engineering Economy using Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs). Proceedings of the 2010 Industrial Engineering Research Conference, Cancun, Mexico.
  • Budny, D., Lund, L., Bursic, K.M., & Vidic, N. (2010). Reviewing the Success of a Freshman Programming Course. 2010 ASEE North Central Section Regional Conference Proceedings, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Shuman, L., Besterfield-Sacre, M., Clark, R., Yildirim, T.P., & Bursic, K.M. (2009). E-MEAs: Introducing an Ethical Component to Model Eliciting Activities. Proceedings of the 2009 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, Austin, TX.
  • Bursic, K.M. & Needy, K.L. (2008). Implementing International Requirements in Undergraduate Industrial Engineering Programs Proceedings of the 2008 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference Proceedings, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Bursic, K.M., Needy, K.L., Norman, B.A., & Hunsaker, B. (2007). The Challenges of Undergraduate Industrial Engineering Curriculum Reform at the University of Pittsburgh. 2007 Industrial Engineering Research Conference Proceedings, Nashville, TN.
  • Bursic, K.M. (2006). Applying Engineering Economic Analysis to Contemporary Problems with Global and Societal Implications. Proceedings of the 2006 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Columbus, OH.
  • Wilson, J.P., Needy, K.L., & Bursic, K.M. (2003). Integrating Engineering Economic Analysis across the Engineering Curriculum. Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Nashville, TN.
  • Chimka, J.R., Atman, C.J., & Bursic, K.M. (1997). Describing Student Design Behavior. Proceedings of the 1997 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
  • Atman, C.J., Bursic, K.M., & Lozito, S.L. (1996). An Application of Protocol Analysis to the Engineering Design Process. Proceedings of the 1996 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Washington DC.
  • Moore, P.L., Atman, C.J., Bursic, K.M., Shuman, L.J., & Gottfried, B.S. (1995). Do Freshmen Design Texts Adequately Define the Engineering Design Process? Proceedings of the 1995 American Society for Engineering Education Conference, Anaheim, CA.
  • Atman, C.J., Bursic, K.M., & Lozito, S.L. (1995). Gathering Information:  What Do Students Do? Proceedings of the 1995 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA.