Welcome to Service Systems Engineering at Penn State

We encompass the study, design, and implementation of new systems that improve the processes and efficiencies of the service sector. With origins dating back to 2003, our mission is to contribute to engineering the 21st century economy. As 80% of our country’s economy falls in the service sector, it is vital to expose students to the abundance of engineering opportunities in these labor-intensive industries.

We work to develop teaching resources such as textbooks and case studies containing applications of engineering techniques geared toward solving problems in service industries. For practical experience, we have partnered with businesses to allow our students to develop engineering solutions for their problems and to optimize their services. This includes partnerships with huge, on campus services such as Physical Plant, Beaver Stadium and Berkey Creamery.

In 2018, our service enterprise engineering minor was created to provide students the ability to utilize their industrial engineering knowledge and techniques to optimize processes in hospitals, retailers, financial institutions, banks, nonprofit organizations, airlines and more. Students that complete this minor graduate with the skills needed to enhance the efficiency of any service enterprise.

We invite you to learn more about our mission, research, and opportunities. We hope you will consider visiting us in person or partnering with us and our researchers. We are committed to the future advancement of the service systems that drive our economy.

Thank you,

Dr. Vittaldas Prabhu
Professor and Charles and Enid Schneider Faculty Chair in Service Systems Engineering