Our Department & Community

About the Department

ETM is globally recognized for its role in defining the field of Engineering and Technology Management. We trace our roots to 1987, when a leader in the field, Dr. Dundar Kocaoglu, started a small academic program in what is now known as the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science with just 13 part-time Master’s students. Under his leadership, the program evolved into today’s department. To date, ETM has granted over 1200 Master’s and over 60 Ph.D. degrees to students from more than 40 countries.

The ETM Community

Our small and entrepreneurial beginnings still shape our culture: we are student-centered, flexible, and students characterize us as a ”family”. More than half stay in touch decades after graduation. Classes are small and designed to facilitate networking with peers, faculty, and professional communities. Our weekly seminar, which features talks by researchers and industry professionals, is open to the public. ETM maintains a Meetup group with over 1,700 members.

International Leadership

ETM is involved in journals, collaborative research, and conferences, which provides students with unique opportunities to experience an international network of researchers.

ETM is the editorial home of leading academic journals, namely the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management from 1986-2002 (Dr. Kocaoglu) and since 2018 (Dr. Daim), as well as the International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management 2008-2018 (Dr. Daim). 

ETM has hosted over 100 visiting scholars from 14 countries in Asia and Europe.

ETM faculty and student volunteers organize PICMET - Portland International Center for the Management of Engineering and Technology. PICMET is a leading conference that typically draws about 500 attendees and publishes refereed and indexed proceedings. The first PICMET conference was held in 1991, when Dr. Kocaoglu organized it to connect ETM experts across the globe. Initially intended to be a one-time event, PICMET is now held annually. The conference alternates between Portland and international locations, such as Japan, Turkey, and South Africa. PICMET awards are prestigious and have been accepted by distinguished industry and thought leaders, including Andy Grove (Intel), Jack Welsh (GE), and Takeshi Uchiyamada (Toyota), Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Eric von Hippel (MIT), Kathleen Eisenhardt (Stanford), and Henry Chesbrough (UC Berkley).

Omega Rho Honor Society

The Omega Rho International Honor Society recognizes excellence in Operations Research, Management Science and related disciplines, such as Analytics. Portland State University’s local chapter was established in 1995 due to the initiative and leadership of ETM students. To date, ETM is actively involved in the chapter, which has inducted more than 400 members. Membership in Omega Rho is by invitation only and something many ETM students aspire to.