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

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

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