Author and manufacturing improvement expert Gary Conner was recognized with Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award for his book, “Lean Epiphanies: Catapult the Cow and Other Inspirational Continuous Improvement Stories,” which was published by SME. In said book, Conner relates inspirational stories from his 20 years of experience. Short stories offer transformative insights as well as encouragement for students and experienced practitioners of lean manufacturing techniques.