First-Ever Volume on Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering Research
A new book spotlighting the diverse and impactful research conducted by women investigative teams in industrial and systems engineering (ISE) is the first of its kind.
Alice E. Smith, the Joe W. Forehand/Accenture Distinguished Professor of industrial and systems engineering and joint appointment professor of computer science and software engineering at Auburn University, sought out women engineers from across the globe to contribute to the book, "Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering" published by Springer as the newest volume in the Springer series Women in Engineering and Science.
The book presents an opportunity to learn the breadth, depth and importance of the field of ISE research and women's contributions to it. With over 60 authors and collaborators from around the globe, the 25 chapters of the book cover the span of women's impact on this field of engineering.
The volume begins with a foreword written by Margaret L. Brandeau, an eminent female scholar at Stanford University and INFORMS Fellow. Content is divided into sections that address immediately applicable topics, including Analytics, Education, Health, Logistics, and Production. After an insightful biography of founding luminary Lillian Moller Gilbreth, the 24 technical topics covered in the book detail the inventive perspectives these women have taken to develop innovative solutions to the challenges facing the world today.
Between the covers, lie nearly 600 pages of investigation devoted to fleshing out the real influence women have had on the development of the innovative technologies and methods the field has recently produced. The book's sections touch on many areas, from big data analysis, improving cancer treatment, sustainability in product design, to teamwork in engineering education.
In addition to exploring the details of the critical research performed by these women led teams, each chapter delves into the beginnings of the authors' careers and what inspired them to pursue such a traditionally male-dominated path.
"The breadth and depth of the topics demonstrate the widespread impact that women are making on solving the important problems of today. An aspect that is particularly unique is the biography section of each author which gives not only professional background but also why she chose a career in STEM academia. Along with detailing ground breaking and impactful research, we hope this book will be inspirational to girls and young women as they consider their career options," says Smith.
Smith is the Editor in Chief of INFORMS Journal on Computing and was awarded the INFORMS WORMS Award for the Advancement of Women in OR/MS (2009).
Book website
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Alice Smith
Forehand/Accenture Distinguished Professor
Auburn University
Auburn AL
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