CO-EVOLUTION OF PRODUCT FAMILIES AND ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As I reflect on my studies, there are numerous people who have influenced my journey. I would now like to express my gratitude to them. I thank Prof. Hu and Prof. Koren, my co-advisors. Through the numerous meetings we had together, I learned to defend my intellectual viewpoints. I also thank Prof. Hu for supporting me throughout my time as a student. Through working with him, I have become a stronger academic and person. I am immensely grateful to Prof. Koren for his continuous encouragement, without which I may not have realized this goal. Prof. Koren’s influence extended beyond research, as he continuously advised me on the importance of developing leadership skills and giving back to the community. I thank the other members of my thesis committee. I thank Prof. Papalambros for continuously giving me advice. I thank Jeff Abell from GM for securitizing my research and for providing my work with an industrial perspective. I thank Prof. Judy Jin for serving on my committee on such short notice. I also like to thank my non-committee mentors Dr. Susan Montgomery, Dr