Dr. Jose L. Zayas-Castro is Professor of Industrial Engineering (IMSE) at the University of South Florida (USF). He joined USF in 2002 as Chair of the Department of IMSE. In 2011 he was appointed Associate for Research, and in 2014 Executive Associate Dean and Associate for International Affairs of the College of Engineering at USF. Between August 2021 and August 2024 he was Division Director for the Division of Engineering Education and Centers, in the Directorate of Engineering at the National Science Foundation. Prior to joining USF, he was Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia. From 1983 to 1999, he was professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagez. During that time, he was department Head, and Associate Dean of Engineering. Currently he directs the University Center for Exemplary Mentoring sponsored by the Sloan Foundation and is a member of the USF I-CORPS. Throughout his career, he has mentored more than 50 graduate students and various dozens of undergraduates doing research. His work focuses on healthcare systems engineering and improving the delivery of care, engineering entrepreneurship and innovation, economic and cost analysis, and in improving engineering education. He is a member of IISE, INFORMS, IEEE, NSBE, SHPE, and Tau Beta PI.