Athens State University
Kim Roberts is an Associate Professor of Operations Management at Athens State University. Kim has over 20 years of experience in the field, having worked their way up from Manufacturing Engineer to Business Unit Leader.
Kim began their career at Ascend Performance Materials in 1998 as a Process Engineer. In this role, they implemented Multivariable Predictive Control strategies in refining train and hydrogen plants, which resulted in significant savings for the company. Kim was promoted to Senior Process Engineer in 2000 and then to Manufacturing Engineer in 2001. In this role, they were responsible for the conversion of the Catalyst Regeneration System into Provox.
In 2003, Kim was promoted to Distillation Operations Supervisor, where they oversaw a team of 30 operators. Kim successfully implemented a project to burn waste fuels on-site in a boiler, resulting in significant cost savings. In 2004, they were promoted to Engineering Supervisor, where they oversaw a team of 5 engineers.
In 2005, Kim was promoted to Nylon Business Unit Leader. In this role, they were responsible for overall safety, quality, production, reliability, cost control, and people development for the Nylon manufacturing area. Kim directed 4 operations supervisors with over 55 chemical operators and 3 engineers. Under their leadership, the team achieved numerous production records.
Kim has been an Associate Professor of Operations Management at Athens State University since 2012.