Susan Ellspermann, PhD
Director of the USI Center for Applied Research
Sue is the founding director of the Center for Applied Research for the University of Southern Indiana. She brings 20 years consulting experience in identifying and facilitating complex problem solving within businesses and organizations in the region.
Sue holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue and M.S. and PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Louisville. She has published research articles in Omega: The International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management Journal.
Sue worked in engineering, management, and corporate positions with General Motors, Michelin, and Frito-Lay. At Frito-Lay, Sue became a trainer and facilitator of Simplex, a method of creative problem solving that supported a process improvement initiative, which saved $500MM in less than 5 years. Sue later became the first colleague of Dr. Min Basadur, principal of Basadur Applied Creativity and founder of Simplex, as this process was introduced to companies across North America.
In 1986, she returned to southwestern Indiana to raise a family. Based in Evansville, her independently-owned Basadur Applied Creativity consultancy became very successful, working with both local and national clients. Utilizing Simplex as the underlying methodology, Sue and her colleagues designed processes and facilitated groups to deliver high quality outcomes for businesses and non-profits alike. They also trained individual contributors, facilitators, managers, and executives in Simplex and other skills to become highly proficient in problem solving, innovation, and teaming.
Her master's thesis and doctoral dissertation focused on the implementation of creative problem solving skills in the workplace and the impact of problem formulation heuristics on unstructured problems. Her research interests include unstructured problem solving, innovation, team effectiveness, and strategic planning.
In addition to directing the Center for Applied Research, Sue is a part-time faculty member in the Pott College of Science and Engineering, teaching in the Masters of Science in Industrial Management program.
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