Our Greater Houston Member Spotlight shines on Dr. Jamison (Jami) Kovach, Assistance Professor at the University of Houston. Dr. Kovach has been in the quality profession for thirteen (13) years. Her educational background includes the following: a B.S. in Textile Engineering from North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC, an M.S. in Textile Technology from the Institute of Textile Technology, Charlottesville VA, and an M.S./P.h.D. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, Clemson SC. Dr. Kovach is also certified in Six Sigma Black Belt Training by North Carolina State University and am certified as a Six Sigma Instructor for North Carolina State University’s Six Sigma Program. Her current position is Assistant Professor of Organizational Leadership & Supervision and Project Management Programs in the Department of Information and Logistics Technology, College of Technology, University of Houston. We asked Dr. Kovach, "How as ASQ benefitted her career?" Dr. Kovach's Reply: "My tenure with ASQ has been invaluable in terms of the people I’ve meet and resources available to me as a member. Through local sections meetings I’ve been able to meet practitioners in my own community who are excited about quality improvement. These people often volunteer to serve as guest speakers for my classes or participate in research projects that I’m working on. At ASQ conferences, I’ve met both practitioners and academicians working in quality. These individuals have provided me with support that extends beyond my local community, which is invaluable to my career growth. For example, members of ASQ’s education division sponsored by presentation at the 2009 WCQI and will be nominating me for the Fiegenbaum Medal awarded by ASQ this fall. Throughout my years as a member I’ve also used ASQ resources, such as books and journal articles, to keep my skills current and to develop new and interesting research projects that will propel the quality movement forward. It’s been an enjoyable journey so far and I’m excited to see what’s next!" Favorite quality tool: Affinity Diagram Most Recent Experience related to Quality: One of my graduate students at the University of Houston just completed a Design for Six Sigma project to create a change management system for the IT Department in which she currently works. It was an amazing journey in terms of mentoring and coaching her in the application of the tools to create a system that addresses the needs of her work environment. The involvement of her co-workers in the project and their buy-in for the new system that has been implemented that she was able to achieve is, in my opinion, a credit to both the use of structured problem solving methodologies such as Design for Six Sigma and the hard work and dedication to see the project through by all involved. Advice to future Quality Professionals: Use all the resources available to you to always continue learning. While you’re new to the field of quality improvement, you may be excited to learn about all the management systems, methods, and tools involved in the quality field. As you grow in your career, try to maintain this excitement and continue learning about all the new tools and methods that are constantly being developed as our field matures. ASQ’s network of people and resources provide many opportunities to keep you excited about quality improvement – from local meetings to world conferences and broad range of publications and articles that are only a click away. Other interests/hobbies: Entertainment (TV & Movies), Photography, and Aerobics Will pursue a nomination for the Fiegenbaum Medal awarded by ASQ this fall. Favorite quote: “Tell me, and I will forget; Teach me, and I may remember; Involve me, and I learn”. - Benjamin Franklin

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