Parker Shectman

Parker Shectman, Ph.D., serves as an Assistant Professor of Engineering Management in the Department of Engineering Education at St. Mary's University, San Antonio. With over 30 years of academic and professional experience, he previously lectured at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Texas at San Antonio. His international consulting career spans Bulk Materials Handling, Mineral and Agricultural Processing, Industrial Simulation, and Risk Assessment across 48 facilities in 24 countries, including recent projects in Brazil (2013).

His academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1999)
• M.S. in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1995)
• B.S. in Engineering Science, Trinity University, San Antonio (1992)

Dr. Shectman's research bridges industrial, mechanical, and financial engineering through computational methods for real-world applications. His primary focus areas include discrete-event simulations of bulk import/export terminals, discrete element modeling of bulk flow, economic assessment of engineering projects, and recreational mathematics. He applies advanced techniques in statistics, design of experiments, mathematical programming, facility layout, queuing processes, and discrete-event simulation to solve complex problems in ports, mining, agribusiness, and finance.

Analysis of his publication history reveals a consistent interdisciplinary trajectory: early work (1990s-2000s) centered on mathematical programming and portfolio optimization, while recent publications (2011-2021) address critical port capacity issues in South American agribulk export systems. His research demonstrates seamless integration of operations research methodologies across engineering and financial domains.

No scientific awards are documented in available sources.

Dr. Shectman teaches Engineering Economy, Python Programming for Engineering, Industrial Statistics, and Engineering Project Management. While specific graduate student advising details are unavailable, his three decades of applied industry experience—including international project leadership—demonstrate significant professional engagement beyond traditional academia.

His professional activities include participation in project teams at 48 industrial facilities across 24 countries, with expertise applied in ports & terminals, mining, and agribusiness sectors. Beyond engineering, he performs with the St. Mary’s SET Players and contributes to the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, reflecting his dual passion for music and recreational mathematics.