Smarter Decisions for a Secure World: Opportunities and Challenges for Industrial Engineering

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.

Laura Albert, PhD, is a Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a recognized thought leader in operations research and analytics. She served as the David H. Gustafson Department Chair from 2021-24 and the President of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) in 2023. Dr. Albert’s research focuses on mitigating risks in the public sector through optimization and operations research methodologies, with applications in critical infrastructure protection, public safety, and emergency response. She is a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE). Her work has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the INFORMS Impact Prize, a National Science Foundation CAREER award, and a Fulbright Award. An advocate for public engagement, Dr. Albert has penned several op-eds for national news outlets, and she authors the engineering blogs  “Punk Rock Operations Research” and “Badger Bracketology.”