News & Events
IME students (Cayla, Nayeli, and Henry), as part of a multidisciplinary capstone team, received the Design Lab Performance Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement for their work on the Eaton Distribution Center Layout Optimization project.
Students present their capstone project, "Distribution Center Layout Optimization," to the RPI community.
The ISE Department hosted a seminar by Dr. Andrew Trapp on April 22, 2026.
In his talk, "From Model-Optimal to Human-Optimal: Human-Centered Optimization for the Common Purposes of Life," Dr. Trapp shared research on how optimization models can better support human-centered decision-making in complex societal systems. Faculty, staff, and students from across departments attended the seminar, contributing to a thoughtful discussion and warmly welcoming Dr. Trapp as a new member of the ISE faculty.
Thank you to all the admitted students and their families who attended this month's Accepted Student Celebration at RPI. Several current Industrial and Management Engineering undergraduate students and faculty were there to answer questions.
Ph.D. Student Xiangnan (Skye) Zhang presented her work at the 2026 INFORMS Optimization Society in Atlanta, GA. Her talk showcased her research with Dr. Diego Moran Ramirez, Dr. Bahar Cavdar, and Dr. James Bailey on "New Approaches for Solving the Close Enough Traveling Salesman Problem". In addition, Dr. Moran Ramirez work was included in 3 other presentations at this conference, for more details see https://ios2026.isye.gatech.edu/ .
What does it mean, in the 21st century, to answer Rensselaer's founding directive of applying science to the common purposes of life through rigorous mathematics and algorithms? Historically, mathematical optimization has focused on minimizing costs, reducing time, or maximizing profits. Yet, as sociological patterns evolve and our communities grow ever more complex, leaders across the public and social sectors face increasing challenges that exceed traditional capabilities.
Timothy Wise, known as Tim, is an alumnus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute whose path through engineering reflects both persistence and a strong sense of purpose. Initially drawn to RPI for its rigorous engineering curriculum, Tim entered without a fixed discipline but with a clear goal of becoming an engineer. The opportunity to pursue a master’s degree through the Co-Term program, along with the ability to remain close to home and continue his career in track and field, made RPI a natural choice.
Thank you to all the admitted students and their families who attended last Saturday’s Accepted Student Celebration at RPI. Several current Industrial and Management Engineering undergraduate students were on hand to answer questions. Pictured here from left to right is Miranda Pena and Jayden Goodbee. Our next and final one will be on April 11.
In February two RPI undergraduate students, Nyati Misra '27 (BMED) and John Weller '27 (AERO), placed in the Top 4 out of 72 schools nationwide! They represented RPI with exceptional analytical rigor, professionalism, and ethical depth. Throughout the competition, they demonstrated remarkable composure, clarity of thought, and principled decision-making, serving as outstanding ambassadors for RPI. Dr. Azita Hirsa served as their faculty advisor for this competition. To learn more about the event, please reach out to Dr.
Please join ISE on Tuesday, March 17 at 4:00 PM in CII3206 for a colloquium featuring Dr. Emily Tucker's research on A Non-Variational Quantum Approach to Solving Combinatorial Optimization Problems: Iterative-QAOA!
