Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
News

From Rocket Engines To Restaurant Kitchens: Jose Hernandez’s Relentless Pursuit of Better

May 06, 2026CLASS OF 2026 - Graduating USC Viterbi master's student Jose Hernandez applies a systems mindset and tenacity to everything he does-with results.

Built Different: How a Lima Factory Girl Earned Her Viterbi Degree

May 05, 2026CLASS OF 2026 - Having earned her Bachelor's in Industrial & Systems Engineering in December 2025, this USC Viterbi graduate is now crossing the finish line of her Master's in Engineering Management - and she's just getting started.

USC Viterbi’s Karmel S. Shehadeh Lands Prestigious AFOSR Grant

Apr 29, 2026Her research aims to advance the state-of-the-art contextual stochastic optimization methodologies, providing tools for making smarter decisions when the future is uncertain.

From First-Gen Engineer to PwC: A Four-Year Yes Strategy

Apr 29, 2026CLASS OF 2026 - The first engineer in her family, this Industrial & Systems Engineering graduate from USC Viterbi's Daniel J. Epstein Department is heading to PwC this fall - with two degrees, a passport full of band trips, and a philosophy she learned the hard way.

Graduating Engineer, Boston Marathon Qualifier: She Turned Running into a System for Success

Apr 27, 2026CLASS OF 2026 - For graduating USC Viterbi senior Avery Gonzales, engineering and running follow the same logic: break the system down, find inefficiencies and keep improving. That mindset has taken her from a struggling 8th grader to a Boston Marathon qualifier, and from ISE student to a future full-time role at United Airlines.

When “Probably” Isn’t Enough: USC Researchers Find AI and Humans Speak Different Languages of Uncertainty

Apr 22, 2026A new study from USC Viterbi shows how small differences in words like "likely" can quietly reshape real-world decisions

Older Americans and Veterans Wait Longer for Financial Justice

Apr 16, 2026A new study by USC Viterbi examining over 1.27 million federal complaints finds that older Americans and veterans are consistently receiving slower responses from financial companies, and the gap is getting worse right as the watchdog agency meant to protect them faces uncertainty.

USC Researchers Presented Ways to use AI for Social Good at ShowCAIS 2026

Apr 15, 2026USC Center for AI in Society Celebrated 10th Anniversary and Hosted Annual Symposium Featuring AI Research Across the University

Google Awards $450,000 to ISE Epstein Department researchers

Apr 09, 2026ISE faculty wins five competitive awards for work in AI, transportation, public health, mathematics and education

Your Company Could be Buying the Wrong Information

Mar 18, 2026A new award-winning paper argues that a decades-old standard for measuring the value of information yields inconsistent results and that companies, hospitals, and government agencies may be systematically misprioritizing how they gather data.

Inge Marcus Survived World War II and an Orphaned Childhood. Her North Star: Education.

Mar 17, 2026Inge and her late husband, Hal Marcus (M.S. ’59) have given back to higher ed across many decades, including USC.

USC Engineers Offer Solutions to Stop Unsafe AI Behaviors

Mar 03, 2026USC Viterbi Researchers Plan to Develop Mathematical Guardrails for AI Safety in Upcoming Study With Philanthropic Funding

USC Professor Elected to Prestigious Academies for AI and Systems Engineering Work

Feb 18, 2026Neil Siegel elected to prestigious academies for research on when artificial intelligence is ready for critical systems.

Quantum Without the Physics

Feb 11, 2026USC Viterbi Professor Giacomo Nannicini makes quantum optimization accessible in new book

The End of Academic Writer’s Block? This Tool by USC Scientists Writes Research Papers in Under an Hour

Feb 05, 2026USC researcher launches GRAIL just one day after OpenAI's competing platform, promising to turn rough notes into submission-ready papers in under an hour

AI System Built at USC Helps Investigators Track Down and Convict Sex Traffickers

Feb 05, 2026Mayank Kejriwal's research on fighting sex trafficking with artificial intelligence has earned a spot in Science, one of the world's most prestigious scientific journals.

How to ‘Fight On,’ But More Efficiently

Jan 29, 2026USC Viterbi alumnus Joseph Erwin developed an algorithm to perfect his own trombone playing - starting with the USC fight song.

USC Students Lead Global Innovation at GSSC 2026

Dec 10, 2025Bringing global student opportunities to life through external funding and international partnerships

World-First ORAI Program Shows Early Success in First Semester

Dec 02, 2025The graduate program, supported by a $2.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation, is the first of its kind to offer dedicated interdisciplinary training in AI and Operations Research

A State-of-the-Art New Home for Industrial and Systems Engineering at USC

Dec 02, 2025The rapidly growing USC Viterbi department will move into modernized facilities in the transformed Salvatori Computer Science Center, thanks to a $25 million cumulative investment by Daniel J. Epstein.

Three ISE Faculty Honored with Major Awards at INFORMS Annual Meeting

Nov 19, 2025The event honored Epstein Department faculty Andrés Gómez with the prestigious ICS Prize, while Karmel S. Shehadeh received the Chuck ReVelle Rising Star Award and Shengbo Wang won a Best Paper prize.

When Self-Driving Trucks Don’t Know What They Don’t Know

Nov 11, 2025At the USC Center for Autonomy and AI's fall workshop, participants grappled with a critical question: Can foundation models power the next generation of autonomous systems?

New ISE Faculty Bring Expertise in Analytics, Optimization, Healthcare and Applied Probability

Oct 30, 2025USC Viterbi welcomes new ISE faculty members Karthyek Murthy, Karmel S. Shehadeh, Alfredo Torrico and Shengbo Wang.

Creating A Future of Convenient AI Systems

Oct 09, 2025USC students collaborated with the artificial intelligence startup Aurite to develop solutions for job searching, travel planning, and more.

Harnessing Data to End Hospital Gridlock and Streamline Surgery

Sep 11, 2025New data-driven models developed by a USC and Carnegie Mellon-led team could reduce surgery delays, cut hospital costs by up to 60% and improve access to surgery.

SprintRay, a USC Viterbi-Born Business, Wins Prestigious E&Y 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Aug 27, 2025Two USC alumni co-founded the 3D printing company for dentists, which has become an industry leader.

USC IISE Chapter Wins National Gold Award

Aug 22, 2025The student organization was recognized by their national body for outstanding chapter performance.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the USC School of Advanced Computing Launch an Undergraduate Degree in Artificial Intelligence

Aug 14, 2025First cohort to start on campus in Fall 2026

ISE Ph.D. Student Honored by Society for Medical Decision Making for Disease Modeling Research

Jul 28, 2025Citina Liang won the Milt Weinstein Award for her work modeling syphilis and HIV interventions in LA County.

ISE Spring Banquet Celebrates Excellence

Jun 03, 2025Students, faculty and staff gathered at USC’s Town and Gown to honor the achievements of the past year.

Where Doctors Go: Using Data to Map Where Physicians Start Their Careers

May 28, 2025New ISI study finds top medical school graduates are less likely to practice in underserved areas.

Excellence, Curiosity, Character: The Graduates of the USC Viterbi Class of 2025

May 19, 2025At the USC Viterbi undergraduate commencement ceremony, the next generation of engineers are encouraged to advance technology that solves the world's grand challenges.

“You Are Agents of Change”: The USC Viterbi Master’s Class of 2025

May 19, 2025At the USC Viterbi master's commencement ceremonies, Dean Yannis C. Yortsos praised graduates on the "singular achievement" of earning their master's degree.

“Building A Better World:” Dean Yannis C. Yortsos Tells Graduates They Will Make A Difference

May 15, 2025The 2025 Ph.D. Hooding and Awards Ceremony honors 150 new graduates and Haotian Hang, winner of this year's best Ph.D. thesis

Sisters In Sync

May 07, 2025How Identical Twins Took on USC Together

USC Viterbi’s CURVE Program Hosts Annual Student Research Showcase

Apr 29, 2025135 student presentations address health, security, sustainability and how to enrich life

USC at ICLR 2025

Apr 25, 2025USC researchers present cutting-edge advances in AI and machine learning at ICLR 2025, highlighting breakthroughs in 3D vision, decision-making, and deep learning

Epstein Department Ranked in Top 10 for Industrial Engineering Programs

Apr 16, 2025The Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering is 10th in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 rankings.

USC Hosts 2025 IISE Western Regional Conference

Apr 02, 2025The USC student chapter of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) coordinated the organization's annual regional gathering.

USC ISE Alumni Mixer Celebrates Distinguished Alum Zohreh Khademi

Apr 02, 2025The 2025 Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering honored the Corporate Vice President at Microsoft.

Ali Abbas Honored as IEEE Systems Council Distinguished Lecturer 

Feb 07, 2025Abbas is a leading expert in the field of decision analysis.

Building A More Resilient City of Angels, Part 2

Feb 03, 2025From fire response robots to retardant firing artillery, USC Viterbi engineers offer potential solutions for the future.

Building A More Resilient City of Angels, Part 1

Jan 29, 2025As Angelenos brace for "fire years" rather than "fire seasons," USC Viterbi engineers offer potential solutions for the future.

Mapping Diet Decisions: How Environment Impacts Food Choices in America

Jan 22, 2025Research project "Smart and Connected Communities Food Environment Dynamics," led by Abigail Horn, uses AI and mobility data to improve the American diet

Industry Leaders-Turned-Professor-Philanthropists Engineer a Novel Pipeline

Dec 11, 2024A gift from USC Viterbi professor Neil Siegel and his wife, Robyn Friend, creates an eponymous endowed professorship in systems engineering.

USC Launches First-of-its-Kind Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Artificial Intelligence and Operations Research

Dec 04, 2024The launch of the new ORAI PhD certificate program is supported by a $2.9 million National Research Traineeship (NRT) grant from the National Science Foundation, putting USC at the forefront of AI for decision-making.

How a Ham Sandwich Can Solve Our Package Delivery Problems

Dec 04, 2024Award-winning USC Viterbi research develops streamlined last-mile delivery solutions, improving delivery times and easing workloads for busy drivers.

Jong-Shi Pang to lead AFOSR Project on Finding Solutions to Challenging Optimization Problems

Dec 03, 2024The Air Force Office of Sponsored Research has supported the latest work with $650,000 over three years.

Victoria Stodden Receives Prestigious International Awards, Including the Humboldt Prize

Dec 03, 2024The USC Viterbi data science expert has been recognized with top Australian and German research prizes, enabling her work as a visiting scholar at the Karlsruhe of Technology, the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, the University of Heidelberg, and the University of Melbourne.

ISE Ph.D. Candidate Honored by INFORMS for Making 3D Printing Smarter

Nov 13, 2024Weizhi Lin's research in automating 3D printing qualification improves shape accuracy verification in 3D printing.

How Do We Protect Our Future Robot-Driven Systems from Attackers?

Nov 05, 2024A new $2.1 million project supported by the Office of Naval Research will provide invaluable intelligence for the robot systems that will be essential to our future lives.

New ISE Professor Harnesses Mathematical Insights to Solve Financial Problems

Oct 02, 2024Camilo Hernández joins the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering as an assistant professor bringing expertise in stochastic control and behavioral economics.

New ISE Lecturer Brings Expertise in Transportation Systems and Data Analytics to USC Viterbi

Sep 30, 2024Tao Ma joins the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering as a lecturer in transportation systems engineering, data analytics and machine learning.

Neil Siegel Awarded Professor of Engineering Practice with Distinction Honor

Sep 19, 2024The University of Southern California bestowed the new title on Siegel, who has had an illustrious career spanning aerospace, defense and innovation.

A Healthier Menu

Sep 03, 2024For USC's Abigail Horn, helping people make healthier choices starts with using AI to evaluate their menus.

How Data Could Help Us Take Gymnastics Gold

Jul 24, 2024Shilong Ren shows how sports analytics could increase the chance of victory for the United States.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? To Evaluate Your LLM

Jul 01, 2024A USC ISI researcher and his collaborators propose separating the AI makers from the AI testers to create more robust systems.

A Passion for Research that Impacts Human Lives

Jun 06, 2024Kuofu Liu has been honored with the 2024 USC Viterbi Undergraduate Research Award for his work modeling infectious diseases.

Renyuan Xu Honored with Prestigious NSF CAREER Award

Jun 03, 2024An expert in harnessing probability for decision-making, Xu was selected for the National Science Foundation’s leading award for junior faculty.

Making a Splash: Meet the Trojan Engineer Chasing Her Olympic Dreams

May 30, 2024ISE alum Aëla Janvier's swim career has taken her from Montreal to USC and now the French Olympic squad.

From Dreams to Degrees: USC Viterbi Class of 2024 Graduates Shape Tomorrow, Today

May 11, 2024At the forefront of engineering and technology, graduates like Christian Bryan redefine potential with degrees in cutting-edge fields and a commitment to lifelong exploration.

Master’s Class of 2024: “The Best So Far”

May 11, 2024At the USC Viterbi master’s commencement ceremonies, Dean Yannis C. Yortsos praised graduates’ resilience, ingenuity and integrity

A Q&A With Shelby Wu: The Triple President

May 09, 2024The 2024 graduate of the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering led three major student organizations simultaneously.

A Passion for Outreach and Mentorship

May 09, 2024Cinthia Sanchez Alvarado (B.S. ISE' 24) wants to inspire the next generation of problem solvers, thinkers and dreamers.

The USC Viterbi ISE Graduate Weaving Words and Limbs

May 08, 2024A poet who recently published her first two collections, Class of 2024 graduate Meredith Lapidas also has a background as a contortion artist.

Najmedin Meshkati Testifies Before Senate Committee on Boeing

May 03, 2024International expert in safety culture and human factors, Meshkati spoke before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as part of the FAA independent expert panel reviewing Boeing's safety processes.

A Life of Productivity and Purpose

Apr 24, 2024Through a newly established scholarship, alumnus Augustine Esogbue is helping Trojan engineers change the world.

Andrés Gómez Receives AFOSR Young Investigator Award

Apr 18, 2024The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) will support Gómez’s research into mixed-integer nonlinear programming problems.

A Spotlight on Engineering Excellence

Apr 18, 2024The 45th annual Viterbi Awards celebrated major USC Viterbi anniversaries and milestones

Sophomores Outshine Global Competitors in Adobe Analytics Challenge

Apr 12, 2024USC undergraduates competed against teams of graduate students to become the youngest team ever to make the finals of this prestigious competition.

AI Helps Truckers and Manufacturers Come Together

Apr 11, 2024Loop, a Chicago-based startup co-founded by USC Viterbi alumnus Matt McKinney, leverages AI to digitize shipment data, for the benefit of manufacturers and freight companies

Unlocking the Road Ahead: Exploring the Challenges and Visions of Autonomous Vehicles

Apr 10, 2024A Glimpse into the USC Center for Autonomy and AI's Efforts

Bill Jia Honored with 2024 ISE Alumni of the Year Award

Apr 09, 2024The USC Viterbi alumnus is the VP of Engineering at Google, Core Machine Learning and AI.

ISI Researchers Pioneer Developments In Protein Data Bank

Apr 08, 2024ISI researchers are part of a core team developing the PDB-Dev repository, initiated by the Protein Data Bank, a foundational repository for macromolecular structures

ISE Alum Wins Fulbright to Pursue Entrepreneurship Studies

Apr 04, 2024Patricia Garcia, a 2022 USC graduate with an MS in Product Development Engineering recently won a Fulbright to University College London for her postgraduate studies.

Sheldon Ross Wins 2024 TAA Textbook Award

Mar 29, 2024Introduction to Probability Models was honored with the McGuffey Longevity Award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association.

USC CREATE, Established in the Wake of 9/11, Announces its 20th Anniversary Symposium

Mar 21, 2024The symposium, headlined by Michael Chertoff, former U.S. secretary of homeland security, highlights two decades of work in security, risk and economic analysis.

Could Algorithms Help Us Make Better Choices in Uncertain Times?

Mar 08, 2024Johannes Royset joins USC Viterbi, bringing expertise in operations and optimization and a background in naval applications.

Safety First for Autonomous Vehicles

Dec 11, 2023USC Viterbi ISE students recently presented their research at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, advocating for stricter autonomous vehicle safety regulations and comprehensive testing procedures.

Are You at Risk for Diet-Related Disease? Where You Spend Your Day Plays a Role

Nov 27, 2023A USC and MIT led research team finds smartphone mobility data to be a good predictor of diet and diet-related disease.

Gratitude, Family and Legacy Celebrated in Sheryl and Yannis C. Yortsos Endowed Scholarship

Nov 22, 2023USC Viterbi alum parent Tina Isaris-Nauman recently surprised Dean Yannis C. Yortsos and Sheryl Yortsos with a new scholarship created in their names.

Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Receives $700,000 Air Force Grant for GPU Cluster

Nov 13, 2023New GPU cluster will allow the next generation of students and researchers to investigate the world of AI and machine learning as part of USC Frontiers of Computing initiative.

Neil Siegel Receives National Medal of Technology and Innovation

Oct 24, 2023ISE Professor and Alumnus recognized at the White House with the highest honor for technological innovation

Maged Dessouky Named as a 2023 INFORMS Fellow

Oct 12, 2023Dessouky has been honored by the Institute of Operations Research and Management Science for his outstanding contributions to the field.

Ali Ghafelebashi awarded ITS California and California Transportation Foundation Scholarship

Oct 05, 2023Ghafelebashi is a Ph.D. student in the Optimization for Data-Driven Science Research Group.

USC at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)

Oct 03, 2023USC researchers present 14 papers at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), showcasing leading-edge research in robotics.

Faculty and Students Pay Tribute to Software Engineering Pioneer Barry Boehm

Sep 28, 2023Boehm is remembered as a dedicated researcher and a “wonderful advisor”, who greatly shaped the life of his students and colleagues.

USC Viterbi-Led Startup Science of Sport Connects Kids to STEM

Sep 01, 2023USC Viterbi alumnus Ricardo Valerdi teaches students STEM through the joy of sports, including partnerships with MLB and the NBA

Epstein Department Hosts 20th Mixed Integer Programming Workshop

Aug 31, 2023The workshop is a leading international event in the field of integer programming and discrete optimization.

Phebe Vayanos Named Co-Director of USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society

Aug 22, 2023Vayanos leverages operations research and artificial intelligence to help underserved and marginalized communities.

Computer Science Student Wins Award for Diabetic Eating Disorder Research

Aug 01, 2023Natalie Humber created the first scoping review for diabulimia, a potentially fatal disorder that occurs when people with Type 1 diabetes stop taking insulin to lose weight

Six USC Viterbi Faculty Honored with NSF CAREER Awards

Jul 25, 2023The NSF’s most prestigious award for junior faculty will boost USC research in disease modeling, groundwater systems, machine learning and robotics.

Don’t Feel Like Waiting 5+ Hours at the ER? Meet Your New Allies.

Jun 06, 2023USC Viterbi students in health systems management engineering have developed strategies to reduce hospital wait times and increase overall efficiencies.

Putting the Rational Thinking Skills of Language Models to the Test

May 25, 2023Can language models be trusted to reason like humans do? Are they good at making decisions? These researchers set off to find out.

Are You More Vaccine Hesitant Than A 57-Year-Old?

May 24, 2023Researchers at USC Information Sciences Institute used machine learning and deep statistical analysis to look for answers about vaccine hesitancy.

Carl Kesselman Honored with 2023 IEEE Internet Award

May 15, 2023The Information Sciences Institute Fellow will receive the prestigious award.

Wide Awake and Dreaming: USC Viterbi’s 2023 Master’s Commencement Ceremonies

May 13, 2023The class of 2023 is "the best educated, the most representative in our history."

“At Heart, We’re Problem Solvers:” USC Viterbi Undergraduate Commencement 2023

May 13, 2023This year’s ceremony at Alumni Park was headlined by alumnus and venture capitalist, Mark Stevens, who praised the power and versatility of an engineering degree

“Attention is All You Need”: New Ph.D.s Urged to Attend to “Challenges of Earth’s Eight Billion People.”

May 12, 2023The 2023 Ph.D. Hooding and Awards Ceremony honors 133 new graduates and Jiaoyang Li, winner of this year's best Ph.D. thesis.

The Trojan Empowering Student Entrepreneurs

May 10, 2023Sarah Hakim, '23, helped create Trojan Marketplace, a student-run market featuring exclusively Trojan-owned small businesses.

Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering News

Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
News