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Item Open Access From vision to action: The equity-operational systems (OPS) framework for transforming schools through social justice and culturally responsive leadership(Association for Industry, Engineering and Management Systems (AIEMS), 2026-06)This project investigated the impact of Total ProSchools continue to reproduce structural inequities that disproportionately affect historically marginalized students. Although social justice leadership (SJL) and culturally responsive leadership (CRL) frameworks have advanced equity-focused practice, they primarily address individual dimensions of equity rather than providing a unified operational system. This article presents Equity-Operational Systems (Equity-OPS) as a conceptual framework which positions equity as the central operating principle of school leadership rather than an add-on or a one-off initiative. By drawing on the synthesis of SJL, CRL, systems thinking, and transformative leadership, Equity-OPS comprises five interconnected components: Visionary Leadership, Systemic Transformation, Culturally Responsive Leadership Immersion (CRLI), Stakeholder Co-Leadership Networks (SCLN), and Equity-Based Accountability Contracts (EBAC). The primary contribution of this framework is the integration of these five components into a self-reinforcing cycle that institutionalizes equity across organizational systems. Although conceptual in nature, it has significant implications for educational practice, leadership preparation programs, and future research on equity-centered leadership.ductive Maintenance (TPM) on a Bavius 5-axis CNC machine used in aircraft floor beam production. In Fall 2024, students partnered with Spirit AeroSystems to assess and improve maintenance using 5S, OEE, and value stream mapping. This study identifies inefficiencies, evaluates process effectiveness, and offers recommendations. Early results show mixed outcomes, providing key insights into TPM’s role in boosting operational efficiency.Item Open Access Multi-dimensional framework for industry 5.0: Integrating human-centric, sustainability, and operational resilience(Association for Industry, Engineering and Management Systems (AIEMS), 2026-06)Industry 5.0 reframes digital transformation as a socio-technical endeavor in which automation serves human capabilities, environmental limits, and operational continuity. Yet, much of the current discourse remains either conceptual—lacking implementable metrics—or technologycentric— treating humans and sustainability as constraints instead of design objectives. This paper develops a multi-dimensional implementation framework that operationalizes the three pillars of Industry 5.0: human-centricity, sustainability, and operational resilience. We synthesize recent advances in collaborative robotics and safety-aware human–robot collaboration, digital twins (including human and supply-chain twins), and AI-driven decision support—augmented by emerging 6G ultra-reliable low-latency networking capabilities such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, terahertz communications, multi-access edge computing, and semantic communication. The proposed framework introduces a closed-loop “sense–simulate–decide–act–learn” operating logic that links real-time shop-floor data, what-if simulation, and multi-objective optimization across the three pillars. Beyond architecture, the paper contributes an evaluation protocol and a roadmap that translate high-level principles into measurable indicators suitable for managerial governance and engineering deployment. The study concludes with adoption barriers and research directions focused on trustworthy AI, human digital twins, and sustainable edge intelligence for the next generation factory.Item Open Access Increasing ethical awareness among civil engineering students: A pilot study(Association for Industry, Engineering and Management Systems (AIEMS), 2026-06)Engineers must frequently make decisions during their careers without fully understanding all the consequences, which can lead to unintended or harmful outcomes. Therefore, engineers must consider the ethical dimensions of their decisions while working to satisfy their employer’s interests, even if these decisions conflict with their organization’s objectives or their own career aspirations. Engineers also have a responsibility to uphold ethical standards that build trust not only in themselves and their organization, but also in their profession. Students entering the workforce must uphold the same ethical standards expected of their profession. Therefore, it is crucial to educate students on the importance of ethics and its impact on their future careers. The current study examined the impact of an ethics module in an upper-level civil engineering course on students' ethical decision-making processes. The module consisted of a pre-survey administered at the start of the semester, a lecture on the principles of ethical decision-making and ethical considerations in the engineering workplace, and a post-lecture survey. In the surveys, students were presented with several scenarios that required them to make ethical judgments as engineers. Both surveys were designed to evaluate students’ ethical behavior. The responses were analyzed using the Chi-square test of independence to determine whether ethics training had a significant impact on engineering students' ethical perspectives.Item Open Access Surveying barriers to stem higher education for low-income high school students(Association for Industry, Engineering and Management Systems (AIEMS), 2026-06)This study examines how limited STEM resources in underfunded northern Ohio high schools restrict low-income students’ access to laboratories, hands-on learning, and advanced coursework. Using survey data collected from high school students, the findings show that opportunity gaps, rather than ability, drive disparities in STEM preparedness. While a large majority of students express strong interest in STEM, only a small percentage report consistent access to hands-on and lab-based learning. These gaps hinder skill development and create systemic barriers to pursuing STEM degrees and higher-education opportunities. This paper also identifies strategies to increase high school students’ interest and engagement in STEM.Item Open Access Engineering and management integration in the classroom: Using frameworks to develop systems thinking and more comprehensive solution-finding(Association for Industry, Engineering and Management Systems (AIEMS), 2026-06)Engineering education has historically emphasized technical problem-solving, often at the expense of broader contextual understanding. However, contemporary engineering challenges, particularly in energy systems, are inherently complex socio-technical problems that require integrating social, political, economic, environmental, and technological considerations. This study introduced a modified form of PESTLE analysis as a structured pedagogical tool to promote systems level thinking in undergraduate engineering education. A classroom intervention incorporating this framework alongside complementary constructs – Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG); and the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) – was implemented through energy-focused case studies. Pre- and post-assessments were analyzed using qualitative thematic coding to evaluate shifts in student reasoning. The results indicated a clear transition from simplified, moralistic explanations to more integrated, constraint-aware, and implementation focused analyses. Students demonstrated improved recognition of policy, economic, and infrastructural constraints as well as enhanced systems-oriented reasoning. These findings suggest that integrating framework-based approaches with systems thinking strengthens interdisciplinary competence and supports more effective decision-making in complex engineering contexts.