Professional Edge Seminar Series
Practical, Timely, Tailored, Free
Free one-hour professional development seminars
Professional Edge offers complimentary one-hour professional development sessions that allow participants to glean relevant and actionable insight from KU’s graduate faculty. Based on their extensive experience in a variety of fields, the faculty present engaging content on pertinent and on-point topics.
The program aims to support local, state, and global businesses by providing virtual development opportunities that are open for anyone to register, including both individuals and employee groups.
Companies have the option to schedule a private event for their employees. Choose from a variety of available topics or request your own. The Professional Edge sessions are generally delivered virtually, but in-person sessions are also available for corporate events.
To schedule a corporate event, contact Julie Myer, Ph.D., at proedge@ku.edu.
Professional Edge seminars are available in these areas
- Cybersecurity, information technology, and software engineering and management
- Professional management and communication
- Project management
- Engineering management and technical leadership
- Environment, soils, and climate
- Geology and hydrogeology
Upcoming webinars
_____________________________________________________________________
Four Questions to Advance Organizational Effectiveness | November 10, 2025 | 11:00 am
Dr. Marilu Goodyear and Alex Terwilliger will share insight and practical steps for managing organizational change. In this presentation, participants will learn how to use the Human Organization Performance Effectiveness (HOPE) model to address misalignment in change initiatives. Through a case study, we will demonstrate how these questions can help you move a project forward with success and be assured you are focused on the right problem in the right way.
_____________________________________________________________________
Introduction to Lean Six Sigma | December 11, 2025 | 11:00 am
Dr. Heather McCain will provide a clear and practical overview of Lean Six Sigma (LSS), a powerful methodology that combines the principles of Lean and Six Sigma to drive significant improvements. You will learn how LSS utilizes a structured project management approach, often following the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) model, to enhance the efficiency and quality of products, processes, and services. The session is a high-level review of the core concepts, tools, and the practical application of LSS, empowering you to identify opportunities for improvement within your own work and organization.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Define and differentiate the core concepts of Lean (focused on waste reduction) and Six Sigma (focused on variation reduction) and explain how their integration creates the LSS methodology.
- Identify how LSS can be applied to solve real-world problems and contribute to personal and organizational goals, such as increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving customer satisfaction.
- Describe the fundamental steps of the LSS process, including the DMAIC model, and discuss the basic tools and techniques used at each stage.
_____________________________________________________________________
Stream Setbacks | January 23, 2026 | 11:00 am
Dr. Scott Schulte, M.U.P., ENV SP, Associate Professor of the Practice for the KU Edwards Campus Environmental Assessment Professional Science Master's (PSM), will provide a presentation he is giving at two professional conferences this fall.