Title:

Smarter decisions for a secure world: opportunities and challenges for industrial engineering

Abstract:

Our nation has undergone substantial transformation in the quarter century since the events of September 11, 2001, an era characterized by the need for security and resilience. During this time, the industrial engineering and operations research (IE/OR) community rose to this challenge, making remarkable advances by addressing these vital needs. This seminar will explore these critical topics. Advancing IE/OR through societally relevant applications has been a central theme of Dr. Laura Albert’s academic research career. In this talk, she will discuss recent advances from her research group in the areas of cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection. The talk will end with an outline of some of the “grand challenges” in IE/OR. Prof. Albert will introduce a roadmap for advancing IE/OR by addressing these challenges and ensuring that IE/OR remains at the forefront of solving global problems.

Bio:

Laura Albert is a Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she was also the 2023 President of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). Professor Albert’s research interests are in the field of operations research and analytics with application to homeland security, emergency response, and public sector problems. She has been recognized with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow Award, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Fellow Award, the INFORMS Impact Prize, a National Science Foundation CAREER award, and a Fulbright Award. She is also an engineering ambassador who regularly promotes operations research locally and nationally through media appearances and on her blog entitled “Punk Rock Operations Research.”