LSU Math Alumnus Receives National TRIO Achiever's Award

 

Erica Klampfl, LSU mathematics graduate and manager of global data insights and analytics at Ford Motor Company, was selected as one of the 2019 National TRIO Achievers. This award is presented to TRIO program alumni whose participation in the program has made a significant impact on their higher education goals and professional success. Past National TRIO Achievers include actress Viola Davis, first Hispanic astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz and U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

Klampfl received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in psychology from LSU in 1994. She also attended Rice University where she earned a PhD in computational and applied mathematics in 2001.

Klampfl was among the first class of students to participate in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at LSU, a federally-funded TRIO program that prepares students who are first-generation, low-income, and ethnically underrepresented in graduate education to pursue PhD degrees. Her participation in the program helped pave the way for her to earn a PhD and prepare for prominent roles at Ford Motor Company.

“Being accepted into the McNair Program was a pivotal moment in my education. It set me up for the career that I have now,” Klampfl said. “Graduate school was not on my radar before I was in the McNair Program.”

Klampfl credits her mentors at LSU and the McNair program for helping guide her through the graduate school process and preparation; mentors like former LSU math professor Gisèle Goldstein, Math Professor Emeritus Carruth McGehee, and former McNair program director Connie Stelly were instrumental.

Today, Klampfl manages an analytics team at Ford responsible for looking into the company's material planning and logistics, product complexity reduction, and global vehicle order to delivery.

"When considering all of the material that flows into the plants, there's a lot of analytics and modeling that goes into making that happen," Klampfl said.

Her team also works to reduce the vehicle complexity, to get the right products scheduled in the plant, and to improve the delivery time and efficiency to get the cars out of the plants and to the car dealers.

"LSU set the foundation for how I go about solving problems and being in the McNair Program taught me about life and the importance of having a network," Klampfl said. "Now that I am in a position to give back to the community that benefited me so much, it is important for me to do the same for others. I am proud to be an example for younger people so that they see what hard work and success could look like."

The National TRIO Achievers award is presented by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE). Klampfl received the award during the COE Educational Opportunity Dinner, September 10 at the organization’s annual conference in Chicago. Klampfl is also a recipient of the 2015 Women in M2M award, which honors top influencers in the technology sector. She has served on advisory boards at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, the Board of Governors for the Institute of Mathematics and is active in INFORMS, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. She has had numerous publications, patents, awards, media and public speaking engagements across analytics, technology, human centered design and mobility.

About TRIO

TRIO is a set of federally-funded college opportunity programs that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of a college degree. More than 800,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities — from sixth grade through college graduation — are served by over 3,100 programs nationally. TRIO programs provide academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance, and other supports necessary for educational access and retention. TRIO programs provide direct support services for students, and relevant training for directors and staff.

http://www.coenet.org/annual_conference.shtml

Dr. Klampfl's National TRIO Achievers award speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoI4BfFBbPA