May 05, 2008 — Epstein ISE seniors and roommates Stacey Schwartz and Stephanie Herzog share more than an apartment. They now share recognition as the Epstein Industrial and Systems Engineering Department’s Outstanding Student(s) of Year for 2007-08. Both were recognized at the Epstein Department’s annual spring banquet on April 9th, and again at the Viterbi School Undergraduate Awards on May 5th.

The Epstein Department Outstanding Student Award is issued no more than annually on the basis of several criteria, including scholarship, leadership, and service to the Epstein ISE Department, the Viterbi School of Engineering, the University of Southern California, or the community. Only undergraduates are eligible. The Epstein ISE faculty chose Stacey and Stephanie for joint recognition because both have exemplary undergraduate academic careers and have left their mark on the Epstein Department and the Viterbi School in many ways.

Stacey Schwartz is employed by The Aerospace Corporation in the Human Systems Integration department. She is minoring in Kinesiology, and served this past year as Chair of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Student Council. She served as Co-Chair of the USC Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), as President of Omega Rho (the Operations Research honorary society), and is active in other honorary and service societies, including the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE). In additional to her departmental award, Stacey was also recognized by the Viterbi School with the Viterbi Award for Outstanding Achievement in Leadership on the basis of her outstanding leadership and participation in school, department, and society functions.

Stephanie Herzog is an internationalist with work experience in a variety of industrial engineering positions in Germany, the Hong Kong, and the US, most recently for Goldman, Sachs & Co. She is fluent in German, and served as President of the USC Chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, substantially strengthening the chapter’s ties to IIE. Despite her leadership roll, she too is active with multiple other organizations, serving most recently as Corporate Affairs Chair for the Society of Women Engineers, and was previously recognized her with SWE’s Most Involved Member Award.

According to Epstein ISE Department Chair Prof. Jim Moore, “These young women are ideal examples of what we value most in our undergraduates: a capacity for growth and adventure, dedication to highest quality work, and unswerving commitment to the USC community of scholars. They are patient, focused islands of performance and calm, who consistently find time to invest in the growth and welfare of their peers and the institution. They lead by example, and the Epstein faculty knows it.”

Epstein ISE seniors and Outstanding Students of the Year Stacey Schwartz (left) and Stephanie Herzog (right) with Epstein ISE Department Chair Prof. Jim Moore.