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The 24th Conference of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS) was held in Vienna, Austria on July 12-17, 2026. I attended and enjoyed the conference talks and conversations. Here are a few highlights of the conference. Radhika Kulkarni gave a memorable keynote talk entitled “From Models to Smarter Decisions: Harnessing OR + AI,” where she discussed […]
In honor of America’s 250th birthday, the National Academy of Engineering published a special issue of “The Bridge” entitled “Engineering America: Celebrating 250 Years of Innovation.” It’s an outstanding issue that celebrates more than two centuries of American engineering innovation, and it’s open source (not behind a paywall). My favorite article in the issue is […]
Summer gives me the opportunity to catch up on reading. In this post, I share a few recommendations that span artificial intelligence, manufacturing, ethics, and decision-making. I anticipated reading Inside the Box: How Constraints Make us Better by David Epstein. I read Epstein’s previous books and admire how he connects and synthesizes seemingly disparate concepts […]
I had the pleasure of giving the academic keynote talk at the 2026 IISE Annual Meeting in Arlington, Texas. In preparing for this keynote, I reflected on the paradox that industrial and systems engineering (ISE) faces: we are living in one of the most exciting and consequential moments for the field, and yet ISE remains […]
I am sad to hear about the passing of Al Blumstein. He was a longtime Carnegie Mellon University professor and former dean of the Heinz School who was a brilliant and inspiring trailblazer in operations research. His pioneering work transformed how quantitative modeling is used to understand crime, incarceration, and criminal justice system performance. I’m […]
I had such a blast developing and teaching AI in Systems last year that I decided to adapt my material into two short courses designed specifically for working professionals who want to deepen their expertise in AI: Both courses are two days, offered in a synchronous, hybrid format through UW-Madison’s Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (Interpro). That […]
In the era of Big Data, protecting individual privacy has become incredibly challenging. An intuitive approach to anonymizing data relies on making data more coarse to hide an individual’s contribution. One way to coarsen data is to replace names with a generic ID or replacing birth dates with an age range (e.g., 30–39 years old) […]
In Engineering Economic Analysis (ISYE 313), an undergraduate course that I teach at UW-Madison, I make personal finance a priority. At the start of each semester, I survey students and ask:“What is a specific financial topic you want to learn about this semester? It can be personal or professional.” Their responses guide me. Throughout the course, I […]
As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the highs, the challenges, and the lessons that shaped this year. Several highlights come to mind: This year wasn’t without its challenges. A family issue required my attention and energy. This personal setback gave me the opportunity to reflect on my priorities and values, and […]
In Engineering Economic Analysis (ISYE 313), an undergraduate course that I teach at UW-Madison, I emphasize engineering ethics is as critical to the practice of engineering. To bring this point home, I’ve developed several case studies based on real-world examples: the Ford Pinto, the OceanGate submersible, the Boeing 737 Max, and Theranos. Each case begins […]