SCEDC: Wisconsin IoT board of advisors gains two board members

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WI — The Wisconsin Internet of Things (WIoT) Council Board of Advisors recently gained Dr. Wilkistar Otieno of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Dr. Philip Parker of University of Wisconsin–Platteville. The WIoT Council Board of Advisors now has 11 board members.

Dr. Wilkistar Otieno is an Associate Professor and Chair of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at UW-Milwaukee. She serves as Special Assistant to the Chancellor and the Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer for 2030 DEI Issues. 

She graduated from the University of South Florida with a doctoral degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in statistics. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and production engineering from Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya.

Dr. Otieno’s research interests include data analytics and IoT application to manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing particularly remanufacturing, reliability engineering and systems optimization. She is a co-PI of the US Department of Energy-funded Industry Assessment Center (IAC) at UWM. She is passionate about (STEM) Science Technology Engineering and Math education, particularly for female and underrepresented minority students.

Dr. Philip Parker currently serves as Acting Dean for the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science at UW-Platteville. He holds a faculty appointment in the civil and environmental engineering program. Dr. Parker earned his PhD and Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY.

He has served UW-Platteville in several leadership capacities, including program coordinator for environmental engineering, program coordinator for the online Master of Engineering program, Assistant Dean for New Initiatives, and Associate Dean.

Dr. Parker’s research interests lie in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL), infrastructure education, diversity, equity, and inclusion in Civil and Environmental Engineering, urban stormwater management, and agricultural runoff monitoring. 

The WIoT Council is thrilled to have both Dr. Wilkistar Otieno and Dr. Philip Parker join the Board of Advisors and be a part of the Council’s continual alignment with various universities and research centers around the state.

“The inclusion of Dr. Otieno and Dr. Parker is timely as the council expands into the Industrial IoT conversations and the fact that properly trained talent acquisition continues to be a major challenge. Our members will benefit from their expertise and experiences,” said WIoT Council Chairman Jeremy Udovich.

To learn more about or to join the WIoT Council, visit the WIoT website or contact WIoT Project Coordinator Sala Sander at sala@wisconsiniot.org