Lehigh University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) is launching two new courses focused on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Industrial Engineering (IE) and Operations Research (OR), reinforcing the department’s leadership in preparing students and professionals for a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Together, these offerings put practical skills into action with guidance from proven methods, emphasizing impactful and ethical use of AI in complex service and industrial systems. By embedding AI directly into the core of ISE and OR education, Lehigh ISE continues to shape forward-looking curricula aligned with industry needs and societal impact.
The first offering, Embedding AI in Service Systems and Intelligent Operations, is a non-credit, university-wide hybrid summer intensive course taught by Assistant Professor Meng Zhao. Designed to close the gap between academic preparation and industry expectations, the program provides hands-on experience with generative AI, optimization engines, and analytics tools in realistic service-system contexts. Through a series of modular Saturday sessions and a culminating industry-focused workshop, students work on projects centered on healthcare and transportation. The course emphasizes ethical AI use, decision support, and automation, equipping participants with practical skills applicable to internships, co-ops, and early professional roles.
Complementing this program is a new summer for-credit course Artificial Intelligence for Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (ISE 366/466), taught by Associate Teaching Professor Charalambos Marangos. This course focuses on the strategic application of modern machine learning AI techniques to complex ISE and OR problems across manufacturing, logistics, and energy systems. Rather than emphasizing foundational algorithms alone, students critically evaluate models, interpret results, and assess ethical implications while working with real-world case studies. Using contemporary software tools and current research literature, the course prepares students to integrate AI responsibly into system design, analysis, and decision-making.
Meng Zhao is a tenure-track faculty member in Lehigh’s ISE department whose work centers on high-dimensional analytics, focusing on the development of novel methodology and its application to health and transportation systems. She brings experience in applying analytics and AI tools to real-world service environments and is deeply committed to experiential, interdisciplinary education.
Charalambos Marangos, teaching faculty in Lehigh ISE, specializes in industrial and systems engineering projects. His teaching and scholarship emphasize rigorous modeling, critical evaluation of intelligent systems, and the responsible deployment of AI in complex operational settings.
With these two new offerings, Lehigh ISE affirms its position at the forefront of AI-enabled industrial and systems engineering education. By proactively integrating AI into both professional training and core academic coursework, the department is equipping students with the skills, judgment, and adaptability needed to lead in data-driven industries. As AI continues to reshape how systems are designed and operated, Lehigh ISE remains ahead of the curve—setting standards rather than reacting to them.
