Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast

What can sports teach us about making better decisions? On this episode of Problem Solved, University of Arizona professor and author Ricardo Valerdi joins IISE's Keith Albertson to explore how lessons from the playing field translate to business, engineering and everyday life. Drawing from his new book, The Five-Tool Team, Valerdi discusses why good decisions may not always lead to winning outcomes, but how individuals, teams, and organizations can make smarter choices they feel confident in and why human judgment and sound systems still matters in the age of AI. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Get The Five Tool Team wherever books are sold.
Learn more about Science of Sport.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Can artificial intelligence make workplaces safer? And what happens when the technology gets it wrong?

In recognition of National Ergonomics Month, Problem Solved welcomes Kristianne Egbert, a certified professional ergonomist with 25 years of experience helping organizations design safer, more effective workplaces.

From motion capture and computer vision to AI-powered risk assessments, technology is transforming how ergonomists identify workplace hazards. Kristianne explains how tools that once required painstaking manual measurements can now analyze movements in seconds and why human expertise remains essential.

In this episode:

• How motion capture and AI are changing ergonomic risk assessments
• Why even sophisticated AI tools can make costly mistakes
• The importance of human judgment and professional expertise
• Designing equipment and workstations with ergonomics in mind
• Why involving employees leads to better workplace solutions
• Career pathways and professional development in ergonomics

Whether you're an industrial engineer, safety professional, ergonomist, or simply curious about the future of work, this episode offers a look at the intersection of technology, engineering, and human-centered design.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

What does it take to turn an engineering mindset into an entrepreneurial advantage?

In this episode of Problem Solved, guest host Cassandra Sotos, CEO of AmpRx, sits down with Domonique Townsend, CEO and Managing Partner of We Optimize Work, and Brock Anderson, founder of Ergo-ology, to explore the intersection of industrial engineering and entrepreneurship.

From taking calculated risks to balancing big-picture vision with day-to-day operations, the panel shares how their engineering backgrounds have shaped their approaches to building businesses. They discuss the challenges of making decisions with incomplete information, identifying the right problems to solve and learning when persistence pays off—and when it doesn't.

Whether you're considering starting your own business or looking to develop your leadership skills, this conversation offers practical insights into applying an industrial engineering mindset beyond traditional engineering roles.

AmpRX
We Optimize Work
Ergo-ology

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Streaming October 6...
What does it take to turn an engineering mindset into an entrepreneurial advantage?

Get a sneak peek at our conversation with guest host Cassandra Sotos and entrepreneurs Domonique Townsend and Brock Anderson as they explore risk-taking, leadership, and the challenges of building a business.

Hear the full conversation on Problem Solved, brought to you by the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

What does industrial and systems engineering look like when the system you’re working in is 250 miles above Earth?

In this special ISE Day episode of Problem Solved, retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Colonel Shane Kimbrough joins us to explore the systems, people and decisions behind human spaceflight.

Across three missions, Kimbrough spent nearly 400 days in space, commanded the International Space Station and completed nine spacewalks. He also flew aboard three very different generations of spacecraft: the Space Shuttle, Russian Soyuz and SpaceX Crew Dragon. With a master’s degree in operations research from Georgia Tech, Kimbrough brings an industrial and systems engineering perspective to environments where efficiency matters and failure can have extraordinary consequences.

Kimbrough shares what happens when an astronaut sees a better way to do something aboard the ISS, how experiments and limited resources are managed in orbit, and why even highly automated spacecraft still need human judgment.

The conversation also explores NASA’s approach to failure and safety, building trust within high-performing teams, preparing for the first critical minutes of a spacewalk, and a leadership philosophy Kimbrough carried from the Army into space: invest in people.

Plus, he reflects on one unforgettable final night aboard the ISS, what leaving Earth taught him about our planet, the future of human exploration, and the advice he hopes the next generation of engineers will take with them: do hard things.

Happy ISE Day 2026!

This special episode of Problem Solved was brought to you by Binghamton University. Learn more at https://www.binghamton.edu/ssie/

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

After nearly 200 days in space, this is one of the moments Shane Kimbrough remembers most.

Near the end of his final stay aboard the International Space Station, all seven crew members somehow crowded into the Cupola. Outside: stars, Earth, and a magnificent aurora.

Normally, someone would grab a camera.

This time, nobody did.

They just stayed there together and took it in.

In our special ISE Day episode of Problem Solved, retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Colonel Shane Kimbrough shares this story, and many others, from a career spent working, leading and solving problems in one of the most extraordinary environments imaginable.

🎙️ Full episode coming Sept. 14.

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

Season 7 of Problem Solved kicks off with Guy Primus, an industrial engineer whose career has taken him from technology and business to Hollywood, virtual reality, entrepreneurship and AI.

Primus joins Problem Solved to talk about the systems-thinking mindset that has connected his unconventional career and why defining the right problem may be more important than solving it. He shares how an early lesson from Georgia Tech professor Don Ratliff helped him understand the possibilities of industrial engineering, and how those same skills later influenced his work at companies including Microsoft, Starbucks and in the entertainment industry.

The conversation explores the intersection of creativity and engineering, using AI to accelerate innovation, understanding the human side of technology, and finding opportunities to apply analytical thinking in unexpected places. Primus also reflects on entrepreneurship, leadership and the importance of combining what you're good at with what genuinely interests you.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

Revisit a special behind-the-scenes journey to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where IISE's Keith Albertson and David Brandt explore the industrial and systems engineering behind human spaceflight. From growing food and preparing cargo for astronauts to maintaining massive launch equipment and planning the systems that support missions to the moon and beyond, this 2022 episode reveals the extraordinary engineering, logistics and problem-solving happening behind every launch.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Original episode produced and edited by David Brandt

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Season 7 of Problem Solved kicks off with Guy Primus, an industrial engineer whose career has taken him from technology and business to Hollywood, virtual reality, entrepreneurship and AI.

Primus joins Problem Solved to talk about the systems-thinking mindset that has connected his unconventional career and why defining the right problem may be more important than solving it. He shares how an early lesson from Georgia Tech professor Don Ratliff helped him understand the possibilities of industrial engineering, and how those same skills later influenced his work at companies including Microsoft, Starbucks and in the entertainment industry.

The conversation explores the intersection of creativity and engineering, using AI to accelerate innovation, understanding the human side of technology, and finding opportunities to apply analytical thinking in unexpected places. Primus also reflects on entrepreneurship, leadership and the importance of combining what you're good at with what genuinely interests you.

Don't miss the Season 7 Premiere of Problem Solved, September 1.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

In this special From the Archives edition of Problem Solved -

What does industrial and systems engineering have to do with elections? More than you might think. In this October 2024 conversation, Dr. Gretchen Macht of the University of Rhode Island's Engineering for Democracy Institute reveals the complex systems behind the voting process, from managing voter flow and mail-in ballots to simulation, facility planning, staffing and optimization. Revisit a fascinating look at how engineers help election officials navigate limited resources, complex constraints and one nonnegotiable priority: accuracy.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
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Original episode produced and edited by David Brandt

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

In this special From the Archives edition of Problem Solved, IISE's Keith Albertson revisits one of the most unforgettable conversations in the podcast's history with Professor Shaul Ladany.

An industrial engineer, professor emeritus at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, world-record race walker, and two-time Olympian, Professor Ladany has lived a life unlike any other. As a child, he survived the Holocaust and Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Decades later, he escaped the terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Throughout it all, he built a distinguished career in industrial engineering while inspiring generations of students through his resilience, discipline, and unwavering determination.

Before the episode begins, Keith shares why this conversation has remained one of his personal favorites and why he believes it's still worth hearing today.

Discover this remarkable conversation for the the first time, or enjoy revisiting it with us!

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
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Original episode produced and edited by David Brandt

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

In this special "From the Archives" episode of Problem Solved, IISE's David Brandt revisits one of his favorite conversations with IISE Fellow and ISE magazine columnist Kevin McManus.
In this episode from 2019, they explore the parallels between industrial engineering principles and everyday life, discussing topics such as continuous improvement, essentialism, leadership, workplace culture, and lifelong learning. Their thoughtful conversation offers a unique perspective on how industrial and systems engineering can help individuals and organizations focus on what matters most while eliminating waste and creating meaning.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Original episode produced and edited by David Brandt

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

Within the profession of industrial and systems engineering, the names Frank and Lillian Gilbreth are everywhere - appearing on awards, scholarships, professorships, and libraries. But who were the people behind those names, and how did their work help shape the profession we know today?

In this episode of Problem Solved, historian Mike Farrelly of the Montclair History Center and Township Historian takes us on a journey through the lives of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, the pioneering husband-and-wife team whose innovations laid the foundation for modern industrial and systems engineering.

Hear how Frank began his career by revolutionized bricklaying, how the Gilbreths pioneered motion studies using photography and film, and how their work influenced fields ranging from construction and manufacturing to surgery and workplace design. The episode also explores Lillian's groundbreaking contributions as a psychologist, educator, inventor, and one of the most influential women in engineering history.

Along the way, Mike shares fascinating stories about the real-life family behind Cheaper by the Dozen, including how the Gilbreths applied their principles at home while raising 12 children.

Whether you're an industrial engineer, a student of history, or simply curious about the people whose ideas continue to shape the way we work and live, this episode offers a fascinating look at two remarkable innovators whose legacy can still be felt more than a century later.

A huge thank you to our guest, Mike Farrelly, for sharing this thorough look at this remarkable family.

• Learn more about the Montclair History Center
• Watch Mike Farrelly's presentation featuring historical photographs of the Gilbreth family and their work:
https://youtu.be/5N6RR0XD5Tk?si=LW9ixkOys1MqGZTL
• Read Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
• Read Belles on Their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
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Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

Dr. Michael Carter didn’t originally plan to become a professor or even an industrial engineer.

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.

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 he calls “an army of engineers” working in healthcare.

We also discuss the future of healthcare systems, the growing role of AI and data in medicine, mentorship, and the ripple effect of influencing generations of students and practitioners.

Dr. Carter is Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto and Founding Director of the Centre for Healthcare Engineering. Over the course of his career, he has helped shape healthcare engineering in Canada and beyond through research, education, and real-world implementation.

And at the end of this episode, stay tuned for a preview of our upcoming special episode exploring the real lives and legacy of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

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.
Thanks to all our guests who contributed in this episode!

Thank you to our sponsor,Cullen College of Engineering Lean Six Sigma program.
Learn more at https://www.ie.uh.edu/

IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2026
May 16–19 | Arlington, Texas

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

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.

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.

We also speak with IISE Medallion Award winner Jaime Rogers, whose nearly 50-year journey with IISE offers perspective on leadership, opportunity, and why the future of ISE has never been brighter.

From first steps to legacy careers, this episode highlights the people, connections, and shared purpose that continue to drive the industrial and systems engineering profession forward.

Follow Problem Solved for more conversations from the people shaping the future of industrial and systems engineering.

IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2026
May 16–19 | Arlington, Texas

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

Your 2026 IISE Annual Conference Preview: 3 Voices to Know Before You Go

What makes this year’s IISE Annual Conference and Expo a must-attend event?

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:

• 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 uniquely built for it
• Doug Melton (Pre-Conference Workshop, Engineering Unleashed) on developing an entrepreneurial mindset and creating value in any context

From the future of the field, to industry impact, to putting the mindset into action, get your first look at the ideas waiting for you in Arlington.

IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2026
May 16–19 | Arlington, Texas

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

How do you design a hospital that feels warm, human, and even joyful while balancing the complex systems that keep it running?

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.

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.

Walk through the hospital with our group and sit in on conversations with leaders Michelle Tillis (CNIO & VP, IS&T) and Jason Skelley (Director Information Systems Business Partnership) as we explore how teams are balancing standardization and customization, and how new opportunities for improvement are emerging.

Thank you to the entire team at Children's and to our guides Kristen Bowman, Felicia Reynders, and Megan Difiore.

Learn more about the HSPI Conference sponsored by Society for Health Systems
Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

Coming soon:

How do you design a hospital that feels warm, human, and even joyful while balancing the complex systems that keep it running?

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.

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.

Walk through the hospital with our group and sit in on conversations with leaders Michelle Tillis (CNIO & VP, IS&T) and Jason Skelley (Director Information Systems Business Partnership) as we explore how teams are balancing standardization and customization, and how new opportunities for improvement are emerging.

Thank you to the entire team at Children's and to our guides Kristen Bowman, Felicia Reynders, and Megan Difiore.

Learn more about the HSPI Conference sponsored by Society for Health Systems
Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/

The IISE Training Center is unsurpassed in meeting the educational goals of professionals in myriad industries. IISE is an IACET Authorized Provider and “has complied with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.” Our instructors are experts in essential topics including Lean and Six Sigma, concepts based on long-standing industrial engineering principles. We ensure that our students attain in-depth levels of understanding and practical knowledge of how to apply strategies to achieve business and professional excellence. Students earn digital badges and certificates to share on social media, email signatures, certificates, wherever employers are looking. The world is online - that's where your credentials should reside.

Decision Science: The Systems Behind Billion-Dollar Site Selection with Ramya Gowda

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.

But how do organizations actually make those decisions?

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.

Using industrial and systems engineering principles, Ramya and her team apply decision science, data modeling, and systems thinking to compare locations across hundreds of factors, from workforce availability and infrastructure to logistics networks, environments, and long-term resilience.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• How companies evaluate potential locations for manufacturing plants, offices, and data centers
• Why site selection is really an upstream systems decision that affects everything downstream
• How decision models translate complex data into board-ready recommendations
• Why relationships with communities and economic development organizations matter
• The skills industrial engineers need to work in location strategy and consulting

Ramya also shares how industrial and systems engineering prepares professionals to solve complex problems across industries—not just in manufacturing.

Read some of Ramay's articles:
https://www.areadevelopment.com/corporate-site-selection-factors/q1-2026/the-geography-of-packaging-why-location-strategy-matters-more-than-ever.shtml

https://www.areadevelopment.com/corporate-site-selection-factors/q3-2025/the-site-selection-corporate-checklist.shtml

https://www.areadevelopment.com/manufacturing-industrial/q2-2025/get-your-mega-site-project-ready.shtml

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISE
https://iise.org/trainingcenter/