Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast
Conversations with industrial and systems engineers about their work, ideas and solutions. This podcast will feature both IISE members and non-members who come from diverse backgrounds in both academia and industry to discuss a wide range of topics as it relates to their work as well as some off-beat topics that we think you, our audience, will find fascinating.
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2026 Gilbreth Award Winner Dr. Michael Carter: "I wanted to solve real problems"
<p>Dr. Michael Carter didn’t originally plan to become a professor or even an industrial engineer.</p><p>But after discovering operations research and eventually finding his way into industrial engineering, his career became focused on one of the most complex systems imaginable: healthcare.</p><p>In this episode of Problem Solved, we speak with the recipient of the 2026 Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Award, IISE’s highest honor. Dr. Carter reflects on his decades-long career in healthcare systems engineering, how inefficiencies he observed inside hospitals sparked a lifelong passion for improvement, and why he dedicated his career to building what...
Annual 2026: The Future of ISE is Bright
<p>In this special episode of Problem Solved LIVE from the IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2026, students, researchers, and industry professionals share their perspectives on the evolving future of industrial and systems engineering. Conversations explore artificial intelligence, healthcare systems, sustainability, automation, and the growing role of human-centered problem solving across industries. The episode also features highlights from the IISE Innovation Cup competition, where teams showcased innovative solutions with measurable real-world impact. From first-time conference attendees to experienced professionals leading organizational change, the episode captures the energy, optimism, and innovation shaping the next generation of ISE.<br>Thanks to all our guests...
Live From Annual: From First Steps to Legacy Careers
<p>At the IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2026, the future of industrial and systems engineering is on full display, from students attending their very first conference to longtime leaders who have spent decades shaping the profession.</p><p>In this special episode of Problem Solved LIVE from Annual, we hear from two recent graduates and student volunteers from Arizona State University as they reflect on networking, personal growth, and discovering the broader impact of industrial engineering beyond the classroom.</p><p>We also speak with IISE Medallion Award winner Jaime Rogers, whose nearly 50-year journey with IISE offers perspective on leadership...
Your 2026 IISE Annual Conference Preview: 3 Voices to Know Before You Go
<p>Your 2026 IISE Annual Conference Preview: 3 Voices to Know Before You Go</p><p>What makes this year’s IISE Annual Conference and Expo a must-attend event?</p><p>In this special preview episode of Problem Solved, we bring you insights from three featured voices who are shaping conversations across industrial and systems engineering:</p>Laura Albert (University of Wisconsin–Madison) on why this is a consequential moment for ISE and why it’s time to stop being a “well-kept secret” Jennifer Van Buskirk (AT&T) on leading transformation inside one of the world’s most complex systems and how ISEs are uniq...
Inside Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital: Designing a Hospital for the Future
<p>How do you design a hospital that feels warm, human, and even joyful while balancing the complex systems that keep it running?</p><p>In this episode of Problem Solved, we take you inside one of the most advanced pediatric hospitals in the country, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital.</p><p>From simulation labs that test systems, to technology that connects families in critical moments, to robots that deliver supplies, this facility is redefining what healthcare can look like.</p><p><br>Walk through the hospital with our group and sit in on conversations with leaders...
Trailer | Inside Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital: Designing a Hospital for the Future
<p>Coming soon:</p><p>How do you design a hospital that feels warm, human, and even joyful while balancing the complex systems that keep it running?</p><p>In this episode of Problem Solved, we take you inside one of the most advanced pediatric hospitals in the country, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital.</p><p>From simulation labs that test systems, to technology that connects families in critical moments, to robots that deliver supplies, this facility is redefining what healthcare can look like.</p><p><br>Walk through the hospital with our group and sit in...
Decision Science: The Systems Behind Billion-Dollar Site Selection with Ramya Gowda
<p>Decision Science: The Systems Behind Billion-Dollar Site Selection with Ramya Gowda</p><p>When companies decide where to build, expand, or relocate, that single decision shapes everything that follows - hiring, productivity, supply chains, cost, and long-term risk.</p><p>But how do organizations actually make those decisions?</p><p>In this episode of Problem Solved, we sit down with Ramya Gowda, Managing Director at Newmark, where she leads strategic consulting in site selection, location strategy, and labor analytics. Ramya helps global corporations evaluate potential locations and make some of the most consequential decisions in their organizations.</p><p>...
Trailer | Decisions Science: The Systems Behind Billion-Dollar Site Selection with Ramya Gowda
<p>Decision Science: The Systems Behind Billion-Dollar Site Selection with Ramya Gowda</p><p>When companies decide where to build, expand, or relocate, that single decision shapes everything that follows - hiring, productivity, supply chains, cost, and long-term risk.</p><p>But how do organizations actually make those decisions?</p><p>In this upcomiong episode of Problem Solved, we sit down with Ramya Gowda, Managing Director at Newmark, where she leads strategic consulting in site selection, location strategy, and labor analytics. Ramya helps global corporations evaluate potential locations and make some of the most consequential decisions in their organizations.</p><...
From the Floor of Applied Ergo 2026
<p>From the Floor of Applied Ergo 2026</p><p>At the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2026, engineers, safety professionals, students, and leaders from across industries came together around one shared goal: improving the way people work.</p><p>In this special episode of Problem Solved, we take you onto the floor of the conference through conversations with attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and Ergo Cup teams. Along the way, you’ll hear why ergonomics matters, what this community looks like, what people are learning, and how the field is evolving through new tools, AI, wearables, and worker-centered design.</p><p>Great solutions don’t ju...
AEC Keynote Bonus: Curiosity and the Future of Design with Cassini Nazir and Mike Courtney
<p><br></p><p>Right after his keynote at the Applied Ergonomics Conference, we had a chance to sit down with Cassini Nazir, an interaction designer and professor at the University of North Texas. In his talk, Cassini encouraged ergonomics professionals to think more intentionally about curiosity and how asking better questions and designing with empathy can improve the systems and experiences people rely on every day.</p><p>And as it happened, his friend Mike Courtney was there too. Mike is a futurist who actually delivered the keynote at last year’s conference, so we talked with him about so...
