Values

  • Students are our top priority.
  • We are educators first and foremost, committed to developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. We measure our success by the achievements of our students and the impact of our graduates in improving the lives of others.
  • We strive for excellence.
  • We strive to be among the best at what we do and to set high expectations for each of us individually and for our community as a whole. The expectation of excellence, which is instrumental to our ability to have a meaningful impact in the world, extends to our teaching, our research and creative endeavors, our athletic programs, and our operations.
  • We thrive on diversity.
  • We see diversity of backgrounds and perspectives as essential to learning, discovery, and creation. We strive to remove barriers to access and success, and to build an inclusive community where people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to learn and contribute to our mission.
  • We celebrate collaboration.
  • We enable and celebrate collaboration across disciplines and perspectives, between units and departments, and with other organizations at home and around the world. We value the contributions of all members of our community, promote civil and respectful discourse, and help one another succeed.
  • We champion innovation.
  • We inspire, empower, and provide the resources and environment for innovative ideas and solutions to flourish. We welcome new concepts and approaches that lead to creative ideas and solutions.
  • We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
  • We protect the freedom of all members of our community to ask questions, seek truth, and express their views. We cherish diversity of ideas as necessary for learning, discovery, scholarship, and creativity.
  • We nurture the well-being of our community.
  • We strive to build a healthy and vibrant environment that helps our students and every member of our community grow holistically and develop the self-awareness, knowledge, and practices necessary to pursue healthy, purposeful, fulfilling lives.
  • We act ethically.
  • We hold one another to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct. We are transparent and accountable, and strive to earn and maintain the public trust.
  • We are responsible stewards.
  • We are careful stewards of the resources we are entrusted with and strive to be an example of sustainability, efficiency, respect, and responsibility.

Vision

The H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech will be the world’s leader in expanding and communicating engineering knowledge and innovation associated with designing, operating, and improving processes for acquiring, producing, selling, and delivering sustainable products and services, and graduating future global leaders in these areas.

Mission

ISyE’s mission is to create, assimilate, integrate, and disseminate knowledge involving industrial and systems engineering.

Priority Outcomes

Through this strategic plan, we will...

Establish industrial and systems engineering practices as universally fundamental to addressing systemic challenges

Prepare leaders in research, education, and practice who positively impact society

Increase our integration and influence with other disciplines

Lead innovations in curriculum design and delivery

Theme A
Develop ISYE people and community

Objectives

  1. Align hiring with our strategic direction, striving for diverse characteristics and perspectives
  2. Cultivate well-being within the ISyE community of students, faculty, and staff
  3. Build leadership capabilities throughout ISyE

Theme B
Amplify leadership in the field

Objectives

  1. Define fundamental industrial and systems engineering principles and practices and demonstrate their application to systemic challenges 
  2. Expand research and education that improves human and societal conditions

Theme C
Enhance systems for learning

Objectives

  1. Create opportunities for students to develop industrial and system engineering skills regardless of academic discipline or profession 
  2. Continually improve how we teach students key ideas in our evolving field 
  3. Become a leader for lifelong learning in industrial and systems engineering methodology and practices

Theme D
Expand research scope and capabilities

Objectives

  1. Accelerate development of industrial and systems engineering methodologies 
  2. Establish ISyE as a leader and an essential collaborator in research addressing societal challenges and opportunities

Strategic Initiatives

1 Advancing Educational Excellence

ISyE offers top-tier programs across the educational spectrum from K-12 outreach to undergraduate concentrations, master’s and Ph.D. programs, and continuing education. We see tremendous opportunities to grow these programs and foster synergies among them by revisiting the structure, content, and delivery of our academic offerings, so they reflect recent advances in technology, pedagogy, and industry/societal needs and incorporate systems thinking. We are also enhancing our offerings in professional skill development, such as business and technical communication, teamwork, and collaboration. Our goal is to better prepare our students not only for today’s workplace but also for the evolving challenges and opportunities of the future — helping them thrive personally and professionally. Our collaborations with Georgia Tech’s newly established College of Lifetime Learning will further expand ISyE’s reach and impact as a vibrant nexus for supporting ongoing professional development and personal growth.

2 Advancing Research Excellence

ISyE is home to research leaders whose work spans a wide range of methodology and application areas. Building on ISyE’s legacy of research leadership and impact in practice, we are launching new initiatives to help foster synergies and growth across research activities in ISyE, across Georgia Tech, and with external partners. Areas of focus include connections of methodology-focused research and AI as well as applied research initiatives, such as Manufacturing and AI, Healthcare and AI, Supply Chain and Logistics and AI, and emerging frontiers, such as Human-Centered Systems Engineering and Quantum Computing.

3 Enhancing Communication

Clear, consistent, and engaging communication is vital to our success not only in how we share information but also in how we listen, learn, and respond. We are working to improve the ways that we connect within ISyE and with the broader community. We invite all members of our ISyE family — faculty, staff, students, alumni, partners, and friends — to actively participate in these efforts and help us shape and share our collective stories more effectively.

4 Community Building and Engagement

We are launching new initiatives to strengthen belonging and connection within our ISyE family both socially and around shared interests and impact areas. Cross-sectional engagement and collaborations can help everyone feel valued and heard, while creating opportunities to contribute unique perspectives. By cultivating a more connected and inclusive environment, we aim to empower each member to help shape the future of ISyE and our field, and expand our collective impact — academically, professionally, and societally. These efforts will spark new ideas, strengthen partnerships, and ensure our progress reflects the varied strengths and aspirations of our ISyE family.

5 Cultivating Innovation, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship

We are committed to cultivating innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship at every level — from our students to our faculty and staff promoting opportunities for growth, experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaborations, and translational impact across ISyE’s academic and research missions. Our aims include developing leaders who embody Georgia Tech’s spirit of Progress and Service, increasing engagement with industry and innovation ecosystems, driving meaningful change, and positively influencing our community and society at large.