Ken Macro
Professor
Contact Information
- Office: 26-216
- Phone: 805-756-2257
- Email: kmacro@calpoly.edu
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Website: kenmacro.weebly.com
Office Hours
- In person bldg 26 rm 216 Tuesday 12:00pm-1:00pm
- In person bldg 26 rm 116 (SPM) Wednesday 10:00am-12:00pm
- In person bldg 26 rm 216 Friday 11:00am-12:00pm
- Also by appointment (please schedule through Calendly)
Education
- Ph.D., Education, Knowledge Management, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
- M.A., English, Composition, University of Akron, OH
- B.A., General Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
Courses
- GRC 204 - Introduction to Contemporary Print Mgmt and Manufacturing
- GRC 361 - Marketing and Sales Management for Print and Digital Media
- GRC 402 - Digital Printing and Emerging Technologies in GrC
- GRC 421 - Production Management for Print and Digital Media
- GRC 461, 462 - Senior Project
- GRC 485, 495 - Cooperative Education Experience
Teaching and Research Interests
- Graphic Communication Production Methodologies and Quality Control
- Marketing and Sales Initiatives in Graphic Communication
- Lean Manufacturing Practices for Print Production
- Knowledge Management and Intellectual Asset Codification
- Training Program Development and e-Learning
- Sustainability and Environmentally-Friendly Production Processes
- Generational Inertia and Communication Enhancement
- Printing History and Book Preservation
- Digital Asset Management
- Content Management
- Knowledge Repository Development
- Wiki Cultures and Social Media
Biography
Ken Macro began teaching at Cal Poly in 2002. His favorite part about teaching is physically running across the front of the room during a lecture, talking loudly and watching everyone’s heads follow in shock. Ken earned a Bachelor of Arts in General Arts and Sciences from Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Arts in English, Composition from University of Akron, and a Ph.D. in Education, knowledge Management from Walden University.
Public Work
Ken assisted in writing a series of Canadian federal and provincial grants with a colleague from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that addressed the development and creation of Lean implementation planning and execution for the printing industry. They were then given an opportunity to conduct "Lean-n-Learn" one-day seminars across cities throughout Western Canada that were presented to printing and packaging manufacturers. As a result, they were given additional funding to conduct several three-day on-site training consultations at respective small and medium-sized printing and packaging manufacturing plants. They developed a concept known as a Contracted Lean Implementation Plan (CLIP) which proved to be extremely successful. Consequently, there were subsequent speaking engagements and publishing opportunities for both him and his colleague at industry conferences and events.
Ken was also contacted by the authors of The Routledge Companion to Lean Management to author a chapter on Lean Printing and he cited a case that included the CLIP component of our consulting program. Macro, K. (2016). Lean Printing. In Netland, T. & Powell, D. The Routledge Companion to Lean Management. New York, NY: Routledge. Ch. 35.
Specialty and Passion
He owned and operated copying, printing, and design businesses in the past. Therefore, he has a passion for entrepreneurialism, management, production management, human resources management, and sales and marketing. And, Ken teaches these subjects in the program as well. Additionally, he has an affinity for printing history--most specifically--incunabula (early printed books prior to 1501). Ken is currently scheduled for a sabbatical in Fall 2020 where he will research the history and works of an early English printer Wynkyn De Worde and publish a book on the findings and content (possibly 2021).
Highlight of Career
The highlight of his career was serving as Chair of the department for six years and hosting the first International conference in the US for academic institutions in graphic communication, technology and management in 2015.
Areas of Interest
Ken’s areas of interest are in identifying and launching initiatives pertaining to printing production management, operations management, and efficacy through Lean manufacturing, knowledge management, and sustainability. Secondly, in researching new methods in which to create, design, and launch new products applicable to the graphic communication industry through innovative marketing and sales initiatives. He also has great interest in the areas of generational inertia (understanding how Boomers, GenXers, GenYers, and Millennials communicate); and, printed incunabula and ephemera.