Michele Burch

Michele Burch is the Associate Department Chair and Senior Lecturer II in the Operations & Information Management department at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has held this position since 2007 and concurrently serves as Adjunct Professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute since 2000. Her professional background includes roles as a Consultant, Sales Engineer, and Product Engineer at Springfield Wire, Inc.

• Education: PhD (UMass Amherst, 2008), MBA (UMass Amherst, 1996), BSME (University of Notre Dame, 1992)

Her research focuses on Lean Systems, Continuous Improvement, and Organizational Effectiveness, with expertise in Kaizen Events and Employee Involvement strategies. Teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses in Operations Management, Supply Chain Analysis, and Quality Management.

She maintains active academic partnerships through adjunct roles and industry consulting, emphasizing practical applications of operational excellence frameworks.