From the Floor of Applied Ergo 2026

At the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2026, engineers, safety professionals, students, and leaders from across industries came together around one shared goal: improving the way people work.

In this special episode of Problem Solved, we take you onto the floor of the conference through conversations with attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and Ergo Cup teams. Along the way, you’ll hear why ergonomics matters, what this community looks like, what people are learning, and how the field is evolving through new tools, AI, wearables, and worker-centered design.

Great solutions don’t just come from data or technology. They come from listening to the people doing the work.

And that leads us to the Ergo Cup, where real-world problems meet practical and inspiring solutions.

And if you were at Applied Ergo, you might just hear yourself!

Thank you to those who contributed on this episode, in order: Justin Kimel, Joe Michels, Abby McCoy, Nolan Audette, Maya Peleg, Madeline Shoot, Jena Peterson, Kristine Dungo, Julia Abate, Rachel Zoky, Kristianne Egbert, Lisa Brooks, Virgil Watson, David Clardy, Rose Figueroa
Applied Ergonomics Conference sponsored by Applied Ergonomics Society
Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Right after his keynote at the Applied Ergonomics Conference, we had a chance to sit down with Cassini Nazir, an interaction designer and professor at the University of North Texas. In his talk, Cassini encouraged ergonomics professionals to think more intentionally about curiosity and how asking better questions and designing with empathy can improve the systems and experiences people rely on every day.

And as it happened, his friend Mike Courtney was there too. Mike is a futurist who actually delivered the keynote at last year’s conference, so we talked with him about something many professionals are dealing with right now - the rapid pace of technological change and how to make decisions when things are evolving so quickly.

Two quick conversations, both recorded at the Applied Ergonomics Conference, about curiosity, design, and navigating a changing world.

This bonus episode was recorded live at the Applied Ergonomics Conference as part of Problem Solved LIVE.

Every great solution is a story worth telling.

Applied Ergonomics Conference sponsored by Applied Ergonomics Society
Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

Have you streamed this episode yet?
In this special keynote spotlight episode of Problem Solved, IISE’s Frank Reddy sits down with Dr. Mark Benden, researcher, inventor of nearly 30 patents, and longtime leader in ergonomics innovation. With more than four decades of experience across military service, industry, and academia, Dr. Benden has helped generate over $2.5 billion in economic impact through human-centered design and workplace innovation.

In this conversation, he shares:

Join us for this inside look at one of AEC’s keynote voices. And don’t miss Problem Solved LIVE on-site at AEC, where we’ll be capturing insights from innovators shaping the future of ergonomics.

Applied Ergonomics Conference sponsored by Applied Ergonomics Society
Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

In this special keynote spotlight episode of Problem Solved, IISE’s Frank Reddy sits down with Dr. Mark Benden, researcher, inventor of nearly 30 patents, and longtime leader in ergonomics innovation. With more than four decades of experience across military service, industry, and academia, Dr. Benden has helped generate over $2.5 billion in economic impact through human-centered design and workplace innovation.

In this conversation, he shares:

• How everyday frustration becomes invention
• Why “nuisance is the father of invention”
• How AI, motion capture, and wearables are transforming worker health
• The shift from injury response to real-time prevention
• And how to take ergonomic improvements from idea, to protection, to commercialization

Join us for this inside look at one of AEC’s keynote voices. And don’t miss Problem Solved LIVE on-site at AEC, where we’ll be capturing insights from innovators shaping the future of ergonomics.

Applied Ergonomics Conference sponsored by Applied Ergonomics Society
Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

HSPI QuickTakes Sessions

This episode of Problem Solved was recorded live at the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement (HSPI) Conference, straight from the Problem Solved LIVE booth!

Throughout the week, we spoke with healthcare engineers, executives, students, researchers, exhibitors, and improvement leaders about what’s shaping the future of healthcare systems.

You’ll hear:

· Why AI dominated this year’s conversations

· How improvement professionals are bridging technology and human factors

· Why mentorship and student engagement matter more than ever

· How cross-industry thinking (manufacturing, energy, data science) is influencing healthcare

· What attendees are taking back to their organizations immediately

· And what’s already in motion for HSPI next year

One theme was clear:
Technology is accelerating. But people - leadership, trust, change management, human-centered design - remain at the core.

If you couldn’t attend HSPI this year, this episode brings the conference floor to you.
If you were there, you might just hear your own voice!

Subscribe so you never miss what’s next.

Every great solution is a story worth telling.

HSPI Conference sponsored by Society for Health Systems

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

If you haven't streamed the full episode yet, make sure you don't miss it.

Optimizing for Meaning: What Industrial Engineering Teaches Us About Balance and Burnout

In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, Aly Kamel, an industrial and management engineering student at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, explores how core industrial engineering principles like input-process-output, value-added analysis, and constraint management can be applied to something far more personal: balance, burnout, and sustainable ambition.

Aly challenges the idea that success means maximizing output at all costs. Instead, he reframes burnout not as a personal failure, but as a predictable system outcome, and one that can be redesigned.

Industrial engineering isn’t just about factories and supply chains. It’s a mindset for designing systems that last.

And the most important system you’ll ever design… might be yourself.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Optimizing for Meaning: What Industrial Engineering Teaches Us About Balance and Burnout

We talk a lot on Problem Solved about optimizing systems, improving processes, and designing better organizations.

But what happens when the system you’re trying to design… is your own life?

In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, Aly Kamel, an industrial and management engineering student at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, explores how core industrial engineering principles like input-process-output, value-added analysis, and constraint management can be applied to something far more personal: balance, burnout, and sustainable ambition.

Aly challenges the idea that success means maximizing output at all costs. Instead, he reframes burnout not as a personal failure, but as a predictable system outcome, and one that can be redesigned.

Together, we discuss:

• Why high achievers are especially prone to burnout
• How “value-added” thinking applies to your daily life
• The difference between intensity and sustainability
• Why constraints should be treated as design inputs, not weaknesses
• And how to optimize for meaning — not just productivity

Industrial engineering isn’t just about factories and supply chains. It’s a mindset for designing systems that last.

And the most important system you’ll ever design… might be yourself.

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
Problem Solved on LinkedIn
Problem Solved on YouTube
Problem Solved on Instagram
Problem Solved on TikTok

Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org

This week’s episode is a special bonus preview of what’s coming next on Problem Solved.

We’re heading to the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference with Problem Solved LIVE, where we'll have an onsite booth. We'll be capturing real-time insights from attendees, speakers, and leaders across healthcare systems engineering.

Hear what’s coming up at HSPI, how you can get involved, and details about our live interviews and social media giveaway.

If you’re attending HSPI, stop by the Problem Solved LIVE booth and be part of the conversation. If you’re not, follow along as we bring the conference experience directly to you. Follow Problem Solved on Instagram and YouTube now!

📍 Feb 11–13 | Atlanta, GA
🎙️ Problem Solved LIVE

Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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