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 outc...

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...

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 balanci...

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 In...

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...

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...

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 earl...

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 extraordina...

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 earl...

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...

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 t...

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...