Charles Sandiford

I was looking to progress my career and learn more about the business/operations side of manufacturing as I was already heavily involved on the engineering and design. I first searched the type of education I thought would benefit me the most narrowing it down to an MBA, Master of Engineering Management, and finally a Masters of Operations Management. After doing a lot of research, I concluded that the MSOM would help me develop the most in the direction I wanted to go. The University of Arkansas seemed like a natural fit with its strong Industrial Engineering program along with the world-famous Walton School of Business.  I really enjoyed the leadership courses where they challenged my thought on how leaders should act and guide others. I have taken this approach to how I handle everyday situations at work along with making large decisions with confidence. The financial classes helped me understand the business side of manufacturing and why corporations and leaders make the choices they do when it may not be as obvious to the rest of the employees and taught me to communicate it better to others as well. The Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Graduate Certificate along with the Project Management Graduate Certificate through the program was a tremendous bundle that I was able to incorporate into my studies with only a single additional class. This was another selling point for this program over other schools.   Being married, having 3 daughters (one of whom is special needs – Pitt Hopkins Syndrome), along with a full-time job, my time is valuable so being able to get as much out of the program with fewer classes was beyond helpful. The professors and classes were all done on my schedule which allowed for minimal disruption of my home life which I could not afford to sacrifice.   I hope that I can further utilize the skills, tools, and creative thought processes that this program has taught me to further my career and help me be a better leader. As I continue to grow, I am understanding how more and more of what I was taught can be helpful to my advancement and my current performance in my position.