From the Chair

It is with great excitement and deep gratitude that I write to you as the new school chair of Georgia Tech’s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE). Since stepping into this role on January 1, 2025, I continue to be inspired and energized by the passion, talent, and commitment that define our ISyE family.

We are in an era with the potential to positively transform ISyE and the field of industrial and systems engineering. The increasing availability of data and computing power is reshaping the landscape of science, engineering, business, and society. At ISyE, we are uniquely positioned to play a lead role in this transformation, building on our legacy in educational and research excellence. Our foundational methodologies — including statistics, optimization, simulation, and stochastics — have long been at the heart of what we now broadly refer to as artificial intelligence (AI). Our faculty and students are making academically rigorous and impactful contributions in many application areas, such as supply chains, healthcare systems, energy, financial engineering, and advanced manufacturing.

At this remarkable moment in time, the complex challenges facing society call for the systems thinking and analytical approaches that define our discipline, and ISyE and our field are poised to make truly transformative contributions.

As we look ahead, I am excited to share several strategic initiatives that will shape our path forward; these are outlined below.

In this issue, you can also read about the future home of ISyE: George Tower. Currently under construction in Tech Square, this new facility will serve as a vibrant space for learning, research, and collaboration, supporting our aspirations for continued growth and positive impact. It will place us at the heart of Atlanta’s innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship ecosystem — an ideal setting to catalyze new partnerships and collaborations both within and beyond Georgia Tech. We are deeply grateful to Bill and Penny George whose generous support and visionary leadership helped make this possible.

To our alumni and supporters: Thank you for your unwavering commitment to ISyE! Your generosity and support have been essential to our success. We look forward to continuing and deepening our connections and collaborations with you.

I would also like to express my appreciation to former ISyE school chairs for their leadership and service as well as leadership at Georgia Tech and all members of our ISyE family — faculty, staff, students, alumni, partners, and friends — for their many contributions and continued support.

This is both an exciting and challenging time for ISyE and our field as we navigate rapid technological changes and evolving societal and business needs. ISyE has long been recognized as the nation’s top-ranked program in industrial and systems engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels, a testament to the exceptional quality of our education, research, and community. I am honored to serve as the ninth permanent school chair of ISyE and follow in the footsteps of distinguished leaders who have established our legacy.

I look forward to working with all of you to advance ISyE’s excellence in research and education; strengthen our leadership in the field; expand our impact across academia, industry, and society; and shape the future of our school and discipline.

In Progress and Service,

Pinar Keskinocak
H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair

ISyE’s 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.