Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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,...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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 t...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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 o...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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 volunteer...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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 tech...

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 crit...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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...

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 upcomiong episode of Problem Solved , we sit down with Ramya Gowda, Managing...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum From the Floor of Applied Ergo 2026 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. In this special episode of Problem Solved , we take you onto the floor of the conference through conversations with attendee...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 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 imp...

Have you streamed this episode yet? In this special keynote spotlight episode of Problem Solved , IISE’s Frank Reddy sits down with Dr. Mark Benden, researcher, inventor of nearly 30 patents, and longtime leader in ergonomics innovation. With more than four decades of experience across military service, industry, and academia, Dr. Benden has helped generate over $2.5 billion in economic impact thr...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum In this special keynote spotlight episode of Problem Solved , IISE’s Frank Reddy sits down with Dr. Mark Benden, researcher, inventor of nearly 30 patents, and longtime leader in ergonomics innovation. With more than four decades of experience across military service, industry, and academia, Dr. Benden has helped generate over $2.5 billion in econo...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum HSPI QuickTakes Sessions This episode of Problem Solved was recorded live at the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement (HSPI) Conference, straight from the Problem Solved LIVE booth! Throughout the week, we spoke with healthcare engineers, executives, students, researchers, exhibitors, and improvement leaders about what’s shaping the future of hea...

If you haven't streamed the full episode yet, make sure you don't miss it. Optimizing for Meaning: What Industrial Engineering Teaches Us About Balance and Burnout In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, Aly Kamel, an industrial and management engineering student at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, explores how core industrial engineering principles like input-process-...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Optimizing for Meaning: What Industrial Engineering Teaches Us About Balance and Burnout We talk a lot on Problem Solved about optimizing systems, improving processes, and designing better organizations. But what happens when the system you’re trying to design… is your own life? In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, Aly Kamel, an...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum This week’s episode is a special bonus preview of what’s coming next on Problem Solved . We’re heading to the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference with Problem Solved LIVE, where we'll have an onsite booth. We'll be capturing real-time insights from attendees, speakers, and leaders across healthcare systems engineering. Hear what’s com...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum HSPI Keynote Spotlight: Inside conversations with Dr. Patterson and Lennox Wildman" In this special HSPI Keynote Spotlight episode of Problem Solved , listeners are invited inside conversations with Dr. Emily Patterson and Lennox Wildman, two leaders shaping the future of healthcare systems improvement. The episode explores how technology, workflow...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Elections are one of the most complex systems we rely on. They're decentralized, human-driven, time-critical, and under constant scrutiny. And while hundreds of decisions are made under the surface, most of us only see the final result. In this episode of Problem Solved , IISE’s Keith Albertson sits down with Dr. Natalie Scala of Towson University...

Elections are one of the most complex systems we rely on. They're decentralized, human-driven, time-critical, and under constant scrutiny. And while hundreds of decisions are made under the surface, most of us only see the final result. In this upcoming episode of Problem Solved , IISE’s Keith Albertson sits down with Dr. Natalie Scala of Towson University to explore the systems behind the ballot...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum From Classroom to Career: Young Professional Lessons from the First Five Years The first five years of your career can feel like a crash course in the real world. One moment you’re confident in your coursework, and the next you’re navigating ambiguity, imposter syndrome, and expectations no syllabus ever prepared you for. In this episode of Problem...

The first five years of your career can feel confusing, unstructured, and overwhelming — even for high-performing industrial and systems engineers. In this trailer for an upcoming episode of Problem Solved , IISE Young Professionals Jess Aujla, Helen Siegrist, and Gordon Quach share candid reflections on what it really feels like to move from the classroom into the workforce — from losing the stru...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 🎅✨ Here’s the problem: Santa’s operation defies all logic. One night. Billions of deliveries. Zero defects. A global supply chain that never misses a deadline. So…what if Santa is an industrial and systems engineer? In this festive special of Problem Solved , IISE members and volunteers share short, creative voice memos imagining how Santa’s Nort...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Across industries, teams are solving massive, complex challenges — but too often, those breakthroughs stay hidden inside their organizations. The IISE Innovation Cup, sponsored by the University of Tennessee Knoxville, changes that. It gives teams a global stage to showcase measurable results, real-world impact, and the power of industrial and syst...