BIOGRAPHY OF DR. DAN FIELDS

2009-2012 Director

Dr. Dan Fields is Director of Eastern Michigan University's Center for Product Research and Development and EMU’s FEF Key Foundry Professor.  He has been with EMU since 1986.  He is a tenured Full Professor in the School of Engineering Technology and has worked in various capacities within the department.  He led the development and implementation of the Master's degree in Quality during his early years at EMU.  From its approval in 1991 to 1995 he was instrumental in making the program accessible to a wide variety of locations.  The program is now available world-wide through web delivery.  Dr. Fields was appointed the Industrial Technology Department Head in 1995 through 2001; a period of rapid program expansion, including the launch of the first Engineering Technology programs at EMU.  Desiring to return to a stronger research agenda, he returned to faculty in 2001.  Based on his success at attracting research grants from industrial sponsors, he developed the Center for Product R & D, which provides assistance to companies and inventors in the development of ideas into products.  The CPRD filed its first patent application in March 2004, with Dr. Fields being the Inventor.  The patent was issued in October 2008.

Prior to joining EMU, Dr. Fields was employed by CWC Castings Division of Textron for a total of 13 years.  At Textron he held a variety of positions, including Quality Engineer, Pattern Superintendent, Inspection Superintendent, Quality Manager and Director of Training and Development.  He was an Army officer; serving on active duty in the Military Police in the 101st Airborne Division, and as the Executive Officer for an Army Reserve Engineering Company, and an Infantry Company Commander in the Michigan National Guard.

His educational background includes an Associate Degree from Muskegon Community College, a Bachelors Degree with teaching certification (Science) and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University.  He received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Adult and Continuing Education (Industrial Training) with a cognate in Quality.  His Ph.D. Dissertation is: "A Study of Work Environment Factors Associated With the Transfer of Statistical Process Control Training to Shop-Floor Applications" conducted at Ford Motor Company.