About this Presentation
TOC in Academia Round Table Discussions invites industry and academics to come together to discuss two issues. The first is identifying opportunities and issues experienced by TOC academics within the education space, the second is discussing ideas to assist academia to develop sustainable TOC industry academia collaboration.
What Will You Learn
To help you get the most value from this session, we’ve highlighted a few key points. These takeaways capture the main ideas and practical insights from the presentation, making it easier for you to review, reflect, and apply what you’ve learned.
There is a need to raise awareness and improve the teaching of Theory of Constraints (TOC) in universities.
The lack of a standalone academic textbook on TOC is a challenge in teaching the subject in universities.
Industry courses on TOC could benefit from support from academia, ensuring that graduates are prepared to implement the processes in the real world.
Instructor(s)
Pauline Ross
Dr. Pauline Ross is an academic in the School of Business at Western Sydney University. Pauline's research interests lie in addressing constraints in engagement. Her current research focuses on university-industry engagement system constraints and the factors within the system that contribute to student disengagement. She obtained her doctorate in 2021, which utilized the TOC Thinking Processes to map constraints in university research commercial transfer within Australian universities. Pauline's teaching passion involves collaborating with students and industry partners on practical research projects related to sustainable business practices. Her keen interest in learning more about the Theory of Constraints from other academics and practitioners led her to TOCICO.org, where she currently serves as the Chair of the Bridge to Academia Committee.
Ms Alka Wadhwa
Alka Wadhwa is an experienced consultant and process improvement expert with over 24 years of expertise in the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Six Sigma, and organizational performance optimization. She has successfully led projects in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, driving significant improvements such as a 67% boost in hospital operations and a 140% increase in outpatient visits.
Previously, Alka Wadhwa spent 17+ years at GE Global Research Center, where she led initiatives to enhance various GE businesses through advanced technologies, process redesign, and system optimization. Founder of Better Solutions Consulting, LLC, she specializes in using TOC, Six Sigma, and data analytics to streamline operations and build high-performance teams.
Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Empire State Award of Excellence in healthcare.
Dr Gary Wadhwa
Dr. Gary Wadhwa is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience in the field. He completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training at Montefiore Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and has served as an Attending at prestigious institutions like St. Peters Hospitals, Ellis Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in NY. With a career spanning over two decades, he was the former CEO and President of a group specialty practice in NY from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Wadhwa holds an MBA from UT at Knoxville, TN, and has undergone additional training in System Dynamics at MIT, Health System Management at Harvard Business School, and Entrepreneurship and healthcare innovations at Columbia Business School. Committed to expanding access to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery care, he is currently engaged in a meaningful project to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in inner city and rural areas through non-profit Community Health Centers.