Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast

Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
  • 4.9 (14)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. Sep 14

    Systems & Spaceflight with NASA Astronaut Shane Kimbrough

    Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://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 binghamton.edu/ssie Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)Problem Solved on LinkedInProblem Solved on YouTubeProblem Solved on InstagramProblem Solved on TikTok Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth GrimesInterested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://iise.org/trainingcenter/

    Systems & Spaceflight with NASA Astronaut Shane Kimbrough

  2. Season 7 Trailer

    Trailer | Astronaut Shane Kimbrough Recounts a Beautiful Moment in Space

    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.

    Trailer | Astronaut Shane Kimbrough Recounts a Beautiful Moment in Space

  3. Sep 1

    Guy Primus: Doing What's Never Been Done Before | Season 7 Premiere

    Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://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 LinkedInProblem Solved on YouTubeProblem Solved on InstagramProblem Solved on TikTok Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth GrimesInterested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://iise.org/trainingcenter/

    Guy Primus: Doing What's Never Been Done Before | Season 7 Premiere

  4. Aug 18

    From the Archives | To boldly go: NASA's new frontiers in space

    Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://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)Problem Solved on LinkedInProblem Solved on YouTubeProblem Solved on InstagramProblem Solved on TikTok Original episode produced and edited by David Brandt Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth GrimesInterested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://iise.org/trainingcenter/

    From the Archives | To boldly go: NASA's new frontiers in space

  5. Season 7 Trailer

    Season 7 Premiere Trailer | Guy Primus: Doing What's Never Been Done Before

    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 LinkedInProblem Solved on YouTubeProblem Solved on InstagramProblem Solved on TikTok Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth GrimesInterested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

    Season 7 Premiere Trailer | Guy Primus: Doing What's Never Been Done Before

  6. Aug 4

    From the Archives | The Election Process: Fast, Accurate, or Cheap - Pick Two

    Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://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 LinkedInProblem Solved on YouTubeProblem Solved on InstagramProblem Solved on TikTok Original episode produced and edited by David Brandt Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth GrimesInterested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://iise.org/trainingcenter/

    From the Archives | The Election Process: Fast, Accurate, or Cheap - Pick Two

  7. Jul 21

    From the Archives | Professor Shaul Ladany Reflects on a Life of Problem Solving

    Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://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 LinkedInProblem Solved on YouTubeProblem Solved on InstagramProblem Solved on TikTok Original episode produced and edited by David Brandt Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth GrimesInterested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://iise.org/trainingcenter/

    From the Archives | Professor Shaul Ladany Reflects on a Life of Problem Solving

  8. Jul 7

    From the Archives | Industrial Engineering and Essentialism with Kevin McManus

    Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://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 LinkedInProblem Solved on YouTubeProblem Solved on InstagramProblem Solved on TikTok Original episode produced and edited by David Brandt Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth GrimesInterested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org Achieve Excellence with the Experts at IISEhttps://iise.org/trainingcenter/

    From the Archives | Industrial Engineering and Essentialism with Kevin McManus
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    271
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 IISE
  • Show Website
    Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast

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