Adam Lynch Ph.D., M.B.A., Dr.

Overview

Adam Lynch is an entrepreneurial and data-driven executive with global experience in manufacturing operations in domestic and international companies. He has launched start-ups and expanded operations for both private equity and publicly traded firms, and has decisive leadership skills that have lead turnarounds of under-performing companies, particularly aerospace, including FAA Repair Stations and Nadcap Special Processing (Anodizing, Heat Treating, and NDT Inspection).  

Academic Interests and Expertise

Wichita State University Undergraduate Courses

• ENGT 312, Mechanics – Statics, Face to Face & Hybrid
• ENGT 313, Mechanics – Dynamics, Face to Face & Hybrid
• ENGT 323, Mechanics – Fluids, Face to Face & Hybrid
• ENGT 334, Mechanics – Materials (Strength of Materials), Face to Face & Hybrid
• ENGT 348, Mechanics – Machine Elements, Face to Face & Hybrid

Graduate Degree Courses

• IME 764, Systems Engineering, Face to Face & Hybrid
• IME 767, Lean Manufacturing, Face to Face & Hybrid

WSU Tech (formerly Wichita Area Technical College) Associate Degree Courses

• LEN 100, Lean for Operations, Face to Face, Hybrid, & On-line
• OPM 105, Operations Management, On-line
• OPM 110, Supply Chain Management, On-line

Areas of Research Interest

• Continuous Improvement – Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and, Theory of Constraints
• Manufacturing and Assembly – Aerospace, Automotive and consumer durable goods
• Metal forming and Testing (forging, machining, thermal and chemical processing, surface enhancement, NDT)
• Operational Transformations – Manual, Mechanization, Automation and Robotics
• Engineering Education – Hands-on projects and Active learning methods
• Leadership Development – Coaching and Mentoring techniques

Areas of Teaching Interest

• Leadership Vision
• Building Tactical Marketing Plans
• Revenue, GP and EBITDA Growth
• ISO 9000, AS 9100, NADCAP
• Program and Project Management
• Lean and Six Sigma
• Capital Equipment investment
• Aerospace – Nadcap and FAA
• Sustainable Operations

Publications

1. Improving Production Efficiency with Lean Tools & Active Learning in Circuit Build Cell. (Date Submitted: November 2024)
2. Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems for Bicycles. (Date Submitted: November 2024)
3. Case Studies in Systems Engineering: Cultivating Curiosity and Competence. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
4. Comprehensive Case Study of Project Based Learning in Engineering. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
5. Crafting Clever Choices: Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
6. Meta Systems Engineering Management Plan for a Digital Startup Manufacturing Facility. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
7. Model Based Systems Engineering Approach of Integrated Systems Engineering Management Plan. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
8. Modeling of an Integrated Systems Engineering Management Plan within MCSE. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
9. Synthesized Systems Engineering Solutions: Streamlining Digitization Strategies for Superior Success. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
10. Systems Engineering Integrated Digital Transformation: Enhancing Financial Efficiency in Electronics Manufacturing Startup. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
11. Systems Engineering Management Plan Synthesis Infused with Digital Transformation for Manufacturing Startups. (Date Submitted: September 2024)
12. Building Connections: Discovering the Entrepreneurial Mindset by Creating a Three Statement Financial Model. (Date Submitted: March 2024)
13. Integrating Disparate Data Sources using IIOT 4.0 Technologies to Enhance Operational Performance of Dynamic Value Stream Maps. (Date Submitted: March 2024)
14. Strengthening the Connections: The Impact of Monte Carlo Simulation on the Entrepreneurial Mindset of Engineering Undergraduates. (Date Submitted: March 2024)

Professional Experience

CURRENT

• Professor (Professor of Practice) Wichita State University – 8/2021 to present

DEGREES

•  B.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1992
• MBA in International Management from theThunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University in 1995.
• Ph.D. in Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering from Wichita State University in 2018.                                                   

PAST

• Director of Operations Premier Processing, LLC a division of Cadence Aerospace- 12/2020 to 11/2021

• Professor (Adjunct Faculty) Wichita State University Department of Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering- 8/2016- 8/2021

• Director of Administration Premier Processing, LLC a division of Cadence Aerospace- 2/2020- 11/2020

• President Premier Processing, LLC- 8/2009- 2/2020

• President & CEO Coast Plating, Inc. (The 180 Group)- 8/2007- 7/2009

• President & CEO Coast Thermal Processing, LLC (The 180 Group)- 7/2008- 7/2009

• Vice President of Quality Forged Metals Inc. (a division of The Carlyle Group)- 8/2002-10/2003

• Master Black Belt / Lean MANUFACTURING Manager Forged Metals Inc. (a division of The Carlyle Group)- 1/2001- 7/2002

Awards and Honors

STUDENT ADVISEMENT

• 1st Place
  WSU Shocker New Venture Competition (SNVC)
  Astra System, LLC – Terminal Blocks
  Students: Sivaganesh Subramaniam and Pedro C. P. Cupertino
  Faculty Advisor: Adam Carlton Lynch, PhD
• 1st Place
  2024 IEEE Wichita Section Undergraduate Student Poster Competition
  Finite Element Analysis of Stress and Strain in High-Precision CNC Machine Tooling
  Students: Oliver Harrison, Lauren Bulcroft, Clayton Short, and Shyanne Edwards
  Faculty Advisor: Adam Carlton Lynch, PhD
• 2nd Place
  2025 WSU Undergraduate Creative Activity Forum (URCAF)
  Modular STOL UAV Design for Rapid Mission Deployment
  Students: Pedro Cupertino, Kubeshavarsha Kalithasan, Anubhav Pant, Ami Goto, and Yuto Minami
  Faculty Advisor: Adam Carlton Lynch, PhD
• 3rd Place
  2024 IEEE Wichita Section Undergraduate Student Poster Competition
  Preliminary Systems Engineering Analysis of Energy Harvesting Methods for Forklifts
  Students: Vicknesh Prasad and Pedro Cordeiro Povoa Cupertino
  Faculty Advisor: Adam Carlton Lynch, PhD

WORLD-CLASS TRAINING

• Six Sigma Black Belt – GE Capital, Fontana, California – 2000
• Certified Facilitator, Lean Manufacturing – Teleflex Incorporated, Nottingham, England – 1999
• Supplier Six Sigma Black Belt – GE Aircraft Engines, Cincinnati, Ohio – 1999
• Global Leadership Program (Teleflex, Inc.) – Thunderbird Executive Education Program, Glendale, Arizona – 1995

CERTIFICATIONS

• Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) – American Society for Quality
• Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) – American Society for Quality
• Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) – American Society for Quality
• Lean Bronze Knowledge Certificate – Society for Manufacturing Engineers – 2016

IME 764, SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Achieved INCOSE Academic Equivalency – Summer 2024

Areas of Service

BOARDS

• International Council of Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Corporate Advisory Board (CAB)
  University Representative (Most representatives are from industry.)
  International Board
  Since AUG 2024
• American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) College-Industry Partnership Division (CIPD)
  National Board
  Since FEB 2025

ADVISORY COUNCIL

• University of Kentucky College of Engineering, Engineering Technology Department
  External Advisory Board Member
  Regional Board
  Since MAR 2025

• Judge, WISE Competition. (2024 – Present).
• College of Engineering Representative, Budget Advisory Committee. (2023 – Present).
• College of Engineering Representative, Planning and Budget. (2022 – Present).
• College of Engineering Representative, Program Review. (2024 – 2025).
• Search Committee, Search Committee – VP of Finance & Operations. (2024 – August 2024).
• Faculty Fellow, Recruitment Faculty Fellow. (2023 – 2024).

• Faculty Advisor, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, Wichita, KS. (August 2021 – Present).
• Faculty Advisor, International Council of Systems Engineers, Wichita, KS. (August 2021 – Present).
• Faculty Advisor, Project Management Institute, Wichita. (August 2021 – Present).

OTHER

• Mitigated revenues in the face of Boeing 737 Max and Covid-19 pressures