Sharmine Akther Liza wins a 3-minute thesis pitch at the IISE Annual Conference, while Dr. Man Yiu (Tim) Tsang secures a 3rd place at the prestigious Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award

We are extremely pleased to report that Lehigh ISE Ph.D. student Sharmine Akther Liza won track 3 of the "3-Minute Thesis Pitch" Competition, held at the 24th Annual IISE Doctoral Colloquium, Saturday, May 16, 2026, IISE Annual Conference, Arlington, TX.  Sharmine's thesis is titled “Optimizing Inventories in a Multi-echelon Inventory System”, and it is being developed under the supervision of Dr. Lawrence V. Snyder, Harvey E. Wagner Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Lehigh.

The competition rewards doctoral students who demonstrate exceptional ability to communicate the significance and impact of their research in a clear, concise, and engaging three-minute presentation. Participation in this prestigious event provided doctoral students with national visibility and opportunities to engage with leading researchers, faculty members, and industry professionals in the industrial and systems engineering community.

 

 
We are also very pleased to report that Lehigh ISE Ph.D. alumnus Man Yiu (Tim) Tsang won a 3rd place at the 2026 Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers. Tim's thesis was titled “Optimization under Uncertainty: Methodologies and Applications”, and it was developed under the supervision of Dr. Karmel S. Shehadeh, WiSE Gabilan Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
 
Tim is now an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering (IMSE) at Texas Tech University. 
 
The Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award, presented by the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, recognizes exceptional PhD research in industrial and systems engineering. Named after Alan Pritsker, the award honors dissertations with significant academic and practical impact. Candidates are evaluated based on the originality, quality, and contribution of their research. Winners are recognized at the annual IISE conference and gain strong visibility within the research community. The award is considered one of the most prestigious distinctions for doctoral students in the field.