Foreword by Guest Editor COL Paul F. Evangelista, PhD

FOREWORD This issue of ISER contains timely and relevant research and analysis related to the global pandemic. It is unsurprising that the industrial and systems engineering community, especially professionals affiliated with SISE and ISER, rose to the challenge and applied their expertise to improve understanding and support decisions related to a wide variety of COVID-19 related problems. Here is a brief glimpse of the contributions in this issue: Evangelista, Clark, Dabkowski, and Kloo detail a wide variety of analytical and modeling methods used to provide situational awareness and modeling in support of the unstructured decisions faced by the United States Military Academy. Krishnan and Maru use simulation and machine learning methods to explore the sensitivities of various supply chains affected by COVID-19. Khaswaneh and Nagarur examined health supply chains during demand surges and offer linear optimization methods designed to minimize costs across the full spectrum of supply chain operations. Desai and Ball provide an invaluable review of literature that examines stress created by workplace assigned mobile communication devices, a timely examination given the growth of remote work during the global pandemic. Choi and Staley discuss the delicate relationships between the construction industry and national emergencies, primarily by exploring the literature and research related to the interconnections between COVID-19 and the construction industry. Lastly, Santos discusses a linear optimization approach focused on scheduling and assignment of a workforce when variable demand and availability constraints apply. The breadth and impact of industrial and systems engineering applied to problems related to COVID-19, a global pandemic without comparison, reinforces the reach and world-changing significance of our discipline. This issue provides a small sample from the vast number of problems and decisions resolved with ideas and methods that we practice and research as industrial and systems engineers. COL Paul F. Evangelista Chief Data Officer United States Military Academy Taylor Hall, 5th Floor 845-857-8204 (cell) paul.evangelista@westpoint.edu