The Future of Quality Technology: From a Manufacturing to a Knowledge Economy & From Defects to Innovations

BIOGRAPHY Dr. Søren Bisgaard (1951–2009) was an international expert on quality improvement. He was the Eugene M. Isenberg Professor of Technology Management at University of Massachusetts Amherst and Professor of Business and Industrial Statistics at University of Amsterdam. Originally trained as a machinist/toolmaker, he held degrees in industrial and manufacturing engineering from Denmark and MS and Ph.D. degrees in statistics from University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Bisgaard worked as a full time management consultant, held previous positions as Professor and a Director in the Institute for Technology Management at University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and as Professor of Industrial Engineering and Director of the Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement at University–Madison. Soren was a Fellow of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the American Statistical Association, an Academician of the International Academy for Quality, and the author of more than 100 publications. He received numerous awards in his lifetime including the Shewhart Medal (2002), the William G. Hunter Award (2002), the Ellis R. Ott Award (1990), the Wilcoxon Prize (1998), the Shewell Award (1981, 1987, 1995), the Brumbaugh Award (1988, 1996, 2008), the Cecil C. Craig Award (2006 Bisgaard , S. , De Mast , J. ( 2006 ). After Six Sigma–What's next? Quality Progress , 39 ( 1 ): 30 – 36 . [Google Scholar]) and the George Box Award (2004 Bisgaard , S. , Freiesleben , J. ( 2004 ). “Six Sigma and the bottom line.” Quality Progress , 37 ( 9 ): 57 – 62 . [Google Scholar]). He served on the editorial board of Journal of Quality Technology, Quality Engineering, the management board of Technometrics, and on the Publications Management Board of the American Society for Quality. Dr. Bisgaard was a beloved and highly respected member of the quality community. His absence is felt by all who knew him and his work.