Babski-Reeves named Bagley interim associate dean
Kari Babski-Reeves
A Mississippi State alumna with 15 years of faculty experience has been named interim associate dean for research and graduate studies of the Bagley College of Engineering.
Kari Babski-Reeves, an associate professor of industrial and systems engineering, officially began her new role on Aug. 16.
“Dr. Babski-Reeves has demonstrated a strong balance between all areas of her work at Mississippi State University,” dean Jason Keith said. “She has been an outstanding teacher, performed world-class research with her graduate students, and provided a high level of service to the university and her profession.”
As an experienced researcher, educator and leader, Babski-Reeves recognizes the importance of a quality graduate program and individualized research experiences for engineering students. She also said she believes that a university’s faculty play a role in the success of graduate students’ work.
“I think the faculty’s flexibility in supporting and working with our students makes our graduate program special,” Babski-Reeves said. “Students come to MSU with research goals, and I see the faculty working hard to ensure that those goals are met.”
During her time at MSU, Babski-Reeves has mentored and advised students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She worked as the graduate coordinator for the industrial and systems engineering department for the past three years, and in 2014 she served as a Mississippi State Graduate Symposium judge and micro-teaching evaluator. Most recently, she was elected to serve as a director to the Board of Certified Professional Ergonomics.
As she prepares to transition from a faculty to an administrative position, Babski-Reeves says she is excited about her new role as interim assistant dean for research and graduate studies.
“The transition will certainly have its challenges, but being able to view the college through a broader lens and see how the pieces of the college work together is very exciting,” she said. “I’m looking forward to learning more about my colleagues’ research and helping facilitate the goals of each department.”
With research focused on human factors and ergonomics, Babski-Reeves’s scholarship directly affects how work and work areas can be designed to minimize injuries, illness, stress and fatigue. Her projects have received more than $11 million in research funding from organizations such as FedEx, the U.S. Army, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. She has served on several academic and professional committees and has authored 80 refereed publications, 24 journal articles and 66 conference papers or abstracts.
Babski-Reeves holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in industrial and systems engineering from Mississippi State University. After graduating in 2000, she worked as an assistant professor at Virginia Tech before rejoining the Bulldog family as an assistant professor in 2006. In 2009, she became a certified professional ergonomist. She is active in several professional societies, including the American Society of Engineering Education, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research.
With nearly 600 students in its 22 degree programs, the Bagley College of Engineering’s graduate school is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report. The Bagley College distance education program, which offers 10 degree options, is ranked 20th by the same publication.
Composed of eight academic departments and more than 20 research centers, the Bagley College of Engineering rates as the second largest college at Mississippi State University. It ranks highly among all engineering colleges nationally in research and development expenditures according to the National Science Foundation.
Erin Boozer Zimmer | Bagley College of Engineering
