I enjoy teaching at WPI because students bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to their learning; I am also inspired by their optimism. My teaching also reflects topics that motivate me:  detailed process design in our Industrial Engineering program, exploring the implications of operational excellence in our graduate programs, and advancing health care systems. 

My research explores the impact of lean improvement methods in healthcare settings, as well as applying work systems and modeling approaches to design more effective healthcare delivery processes. I am also interested in the opportunities that information technologies create for operational decision making and continuous improvement. Recent projects include evaluating lean as an implementation strategy for a suicide safety planning intervention, examining innovation and logistics models for mobile integrated health systems, and the effects of implementing organization-wide electronic health record systems on primary care delivery.

I am a founding member of the Healthcare Delivery Institute (HDI), and currently serve on the Faculty Steering Committee.  My research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the New England Veterans Engineering Resource Center.

Visit Digital WPI to view student projects and research advised by Professor Johnson.