ECE Discovery Panel: Optimization and Control
2026-03-10 12:20 - 12:50 (America/Chicago) | 1610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53706
Engineering undergraduates! Join us in 1610 Engineering Hall as faculty members explore the technical area of Optimization and Control! All undergraduate students are welcome as Assistant Professor Jeremy Coulson, Associate Professor Line Roald, and Assistant Professor Manish Singh talk about application ideas, advanced course electives, and future job opportunities in this area. It’s a great place to ask your questions about classes and career paths in this exciting ECE field.

Come for the insights, stay for the Jimmy John’s sandwiches!

Jeremy Coulson

Line Roald

Manish Singh

CBE Seminar Series: Alexandra Bayles
2026-03-10 16:00 - 17:00 | WI
Alexandra BaylesChemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of DelewareNewark, Delaware

Advective processing strategies for architecting functional soft materials

Natural and engineered soft materials often derive their functionality from the hierarchical arrangement of chemically distinct building blocks. Self- and directed-assembly strategies that organize nano- and microscale elements into mesoscopic architectures have transformed our ability to realize materials with macroscopic properties superior to those of their individual components. However, challenges associated with adapting these processes across diverse chemistries and production volumes can limit their practical utility and deployment in advanced manufacturing. In this context, our research group leverages principles of chaotic advection to continuously architect functional soft materials.

In this talk, I will describe how we design modular fluidic devices to sculpt the spatial distribution of building blocks along laminar streamlines. Inspired by static mixers optimized to layer polymeric melts, these devices incorporate junctions that split, rotate, and recombine serpentine flows. We demonstrate the ability to assemble an extensive library of geometric patterns by ordering junctions in deliberate sequences. Serial combinations of certain junctions multiply patterns while preserving their relative spacing and orientation. This implementation of the baker’s transformation rapidly thins the characteristic feature size in layered, fibrous, and dendritic architectures. Combining junctions in parallel breaks symmetry, providing access to previously unattainable voxelated structures. Because organization is primarily governed by rheology rather than chemistry, these advective assembly processes provide an adaptable framework for patterning long-range order in extruded materials with rheologically similar precursors. We illustrate this versatility by processing viscoplastic materials to advance emerging applications. For extrusion-based 3D printing, we sculpt multimaterial filaments in advective assembly nozzles prior to deposition. Preassembling lower levels of the hierarchy in flow circumvents challenges of layer-by-layer deposition, including maintaining high throughput while preserving resolution. For soft actuator fabrication, we organize contrasting polymer solutions in flow and secure distributions after extrusion via UV polymerization. Including specific moieties induces swelling in response to light, temperature, and salt stimuli, while the mesoscale arrangement directs motion without delamination. For synthetic tissue engineering, we exploit the gentle laminar flows organize mammalian cells in biomimetic, fine architectures while mitigating shear-induced damage. Overall, the modular extrusion platform expands the assembly toolbox, unlocking new opportunities in designing functional soft and living materials.

MS&E Seminar Series: Professor Michael F. Toney, University of Colorado Boulder
2026-03-12 13:00 - 14:00 | WI
UW-Madison Department of Materials Science and Engineering welcomes Professor Michael F. Toney. His seminar, “Understanding static and dynamic local structure: Metal Halide Perovskites”, will take place on Thursday, March 12 from 1-2 p.m. in MS&E 265.

Bio

Michael Toney is a Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Materials Science Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is a pioneer in the use of X-ray scattering and spectroscopy for the determination of atomic structure in materials for sustainable energy applications, especially inorganic and organic solar cells, interfacial electrochemistry, and electrochemical energy storage. Toney received his B.S. from Caltech and his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Washington. After a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Denmark, he joined the IBM Research Division to focus on the use of X-ray scattering methods for structure determination for polymer thin films and interfaces. He joined the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) in 2003 where he initiated science programs in sustainable energy materials. In 2020, he joined CU Boulder. Toney has reviewed several honors including a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Farrell W Lytle Award and the CU Boulder Deans Performance Award in Research. He is a Thomson Reuters highly cited researchers in Materials Sciences from 2015 – present.

Abstract

Local atomic structure often differs from the global average structure as measured with diffraction and yet the local structure has a profound impact on properties. This structurefunction relationship applies in many materials classes, ranging from organics to Li-ion battery cathodes to oxide and halide perovskites. Accurately characterizing this local structure has proven challenging but recent advances in three-dimensional diffuse scattering (“between” Bragg peaks) has enabled local structure determination. In this talk, I will discuss the importance of local structure and how this can be quantified and will demonstrate this for organicinorganic hybrid halide perovskites [1,2]. These materials are a recently re-invigorated class of semiconductors that have demonstrated very high efficiencies for solar cells after just over a decade of research. While the importance of lattice dynamics and dynamical (dis)order have been recognized in these materials, their nature is only poorly known and understood. We used X-ray and neutron diffuse scattering coupled with molecular dynamics to quantify the nature, size, and time scale associated with dynamical local order in CH NH PbI and CH NH PbBr perovskites. We observe that the nominally cubic perovskite consists of dynamical, twodimensional sheets of lower symmetry tetragonal regions of about 3 nm diameter with several picosecond lifetimes. The implications of the local structure on halide perovskite properties will be discussed.

[1] NJ Weadock et al., Joule 7, 5, 1051-1066 (2023)[2] DM Ladd, unpublished.

ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Harley Johnson
2026-03-12 16:00 - 17:00 | 3M Auditorium, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave, Madison, 53711
The ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture Series features campus and visiting speakers who present on a variety of research topics in the field of mechanical engineering. Professor Harley Johnson is a professor at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign.

Presentation Title: Defects in Quantum Materials and Perspectives on the Future of Quantum Computing

Abstract: Electronic and quantum materials, which are central to the development of devices for future applications in quantum information science, host a variety of crystalline defects that give rise to interesting properties. In order to harness these properties for new applications, it is necessary to understand the mechanics and physics of the defects and their interactions.

In this talk, I will first present results on defects in layered two-dimensional materials, including dislocations either in-plane or out-of-plane with respect to the 2D layered structure. Recently, twisted multilayer 2D material structures have been of interest due to the presence of flat bands and other emergent properties — including unconventional superconductivity — associated with moiré superlattices. Periodic regions of crystalline commensurability making up these superlattices are now understood to be separated by interlayer dislocations, with Burgers vectors and line directions in the plane of the 2D material, and having either edge or screw character. Using density functional theory and quantum Monte Carlo-fitted total energy tight-binding calculations, I show that out-of-plane relaxation of the structures makes possible unique helical dislocations in bilayer graphene, and that the presence of these helical dislocation lines coincides precisely with the so-called magic-angle condition at which unconventional superconductivity is observed. I then describe a different dislocation structure, with line direction oriented out-of-plane, but which also has a helical structure. Such a screw dislocation, which adopts a double-helix dislocation core configuration in bilayer structures, is expected to create conditions for exotic transport properties in certain classes of layered topological insulator materials.

I will then take a broader perspective and briefly describe some major efforts to scale up quantum applications, focusing on an historic new public-private partnership developing in Chicago – the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. This effort will be discussed in the context of university, national lab, and industry partnerships across the region, with a goal of describing opportunities for engagement and targets for the scale-up of quantum computing hardware and algorithms over the next 5-10 years.

Bio: Harley T. Johnson is a Founder Professor in Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he has been a member of the faculty since 2001. He is the Executive Director and CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, a $1B+ public-private partnership dedicated to scale-up of quantum computing, located on 128 acres of the former US Steel Southworks site in Chicago. From 2019-2024 he served as the Associate Dean for Research in The Grainger College of Engineering, a role in which he oversaw and supported the $320M annual research portfolio in Engineering at UIUC. In this position he supported faculty research, led corporate relations, and oversaw all major engineering partnerships with the federal funding agencies.

Johnson’s research focuses on electronic and quantum materials, addressing the role of defects and deformation in their functional properties. He served as PI and Director of the Illinois Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (I-MRSEC), an $18M NSF center (2023-2029) focused on fundamental research in electronic, ionic, and quantum materials. In 2019 he founded the NSF “DIGI-MAT” Center on Materials and Data Science, based in UIUC’s National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). He has received the NSF CAREER Award, the ASME Thomas J. R. Hughes Young Investigator Award, and is a former Fulbright US Scholar. Johnson has received numerous recognitions for his teaching, and campus awards for his leadership in diversity, and for outstanding faculty leadership. In 2021 he received the University of Illinois Presidential Medallion for his leadership efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is a Fellow of ASME and a Fellow of the Society of Engineering Science (SES). He received his graduate degrees from Brown University, and his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech.

ISyE - Welcome Back, Badger!
2026-03-13 09:55 - 10:45 | 1800 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
ISyE’s alumni speaker series continues! Please welcome Jake Birrenkott (BSIE ’18), currently Technical Sales/Automation Solutions Engineer at Isthmus Engineering & Manufacturing Co-Operative.

Jake Birrenkott

Mechanics Seminar: Professor Xiaobo Tan
2026-03-13 12:00 - 13:00 | 1227 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids, fluids, and dynamics). Professor Xiaobo Tan is a professor at Michigan State University.

Presentation Title: Control of Underwater Robots with Localization Constraints

Abstract: A key challenge for underwater robots and vehicles is the difficulty in obtaining location measurements for them or for targets they are tasked to track. In this talk I will share a few examples of our recent work on control of underwater robots with localization constraints. I will first discuss a distributed estimation approach to cooperative localization, where a group of robots need to track a moving target (e.g., an acoustically tagged fish) based on time-difference-of-arrivals (TDOAs) of a signal emitted by the target. Then I will introduce a control barrier function approach to the incorporation of observability constraints and show its application to target tracking with only the range measurement. Finally, I will present the problem of adaptive sampling under localization uncertainties, and discuss how a multi-fidelity Gaussian process model is instrumental for best utilizing the measurement data for the reconstruction of the environmental field being sampled. Experimental results will be shown to illustrate the approaches.

Bio: Dr. Xiaobo Tan is an MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor and the Richard M. Hong Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan State University. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in automatic control from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 1995, 1998, respectively, and his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Maryland in 2002. His research interests include underwater robotics, soft robotics, smart materials, and control systems. He has published over 300 papers and been awarded 7 US patents in these areas. Dr. Tan is a Fellow of IEEE and ASME. He was a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2006), MSU Teacher-Scholar Award (2010), MSU College of Engineering Withrow Distinguished Scholar Award (2018), Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Maryland (2018), MSU William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award, and multiple best paper awards. Dr. Tan is keen to integrate his research with educational and outreach activities, and has served as the PI of an NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program on addressing real-world water problems (2023-2028), Director of an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site program (2009 – 2016), and Curator of a robotic fish exhibit at MSU Museum (2016-2017). He has served the professional community in different capacities, including the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, a member of ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division Executive Committee, and the general chair of 2018 ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference and 2023 American Control Conference.

ECE RISE-AI SEMINAR SERIES: Kunhe Yang
2026-03-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Discovery Building, 330 N. Orchard St., Madison, Wisconsin, 53715
Designing and Evaluating AI Algorithms in Strategic Environments

Kunhe Yang

Abstract: As AI models are increasingly deployed in environments shaped by complex human behaviors, there is a critical need for algorithmic principles that account for human values and strategic incentives. In this talk, I will introduce my research on the theoretical foundations for designing and evaluating AI in human-centered strategic environments. I will focus on two key representative lines of my research: first, I will discuss incentive-aware evaluation, with the goal of designing metrics that remain robust even when they become targets of optimization. I will illustrate this in the context of online probability forecasting and introduce algorithmic principles for designing calibration measures that incentivize truthful predictions. Second, I will discuss AI alignment with heterogeneous human preferences by introducing a framework called the distortion of AI alignment. Within this framework, I will characterize the information-theoretic limits of learning from sparse heterogeneous feedback, and compare the robustness of different alignment approaches including RLHF and NLHF. I conclude by discussing future directions and a broader vision for integrating these algorithmic principles into the design of trustworthy, human-centric AI.

Bio: Kunhe Yang is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, where she is advised by Professor Nika Haghtalab. Her research focuses on the theoretical foundations of AI in human-centered environments by drawing on tools from machine learning theory and algorithmic economics. Her work has been recognized by several awards, including EECS Rising Star, invited speaker at the Cornell Young Researchers workshop, finalist for the Meta Research PhD Fellowship in the Economics and Computation track, and a SIGMETRICS best paper award.

Location details: Discovery Building – Research’s Link, 2nd floor of Discovery Building (access through glass doors behind information desk)

ISyE - Deterministic Benchmarks to Inform Sequential Decisions Using Lookahead
2026-03-13 12:00 - 13:00 | 1163 Mechanical Engineering, 1513 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
UW-ISyE looks forward to welcoming Itai Gurvich from Northwestern University.

Dynamic programming is a canonical tool for solving complex sequential decision problems in operations. Yet, because it suffers from the curse of dimensionality, one often must rely on approximations. Among these, deterministic—or “fluid”—approximations have long served as tractable benchmarks that reveal key structural properties of optimal or near-optimal policies in dynamic resource allocation problems across service operations and revenue management.

While such fluid approximations have been widely—and often ad hoc—applied, this talk presents a systematic framework for leveraging them to design high-quality control policies through what we call fluid lookahead. I will illustrate the approach in a family of finite-horizon revenue management problems, showing how fluid lookahead captures key structural properties of the true optimal policies and, perhaps surprisingly, achieves near-optimal performance with only a few lookahead steps.

This is joint work with Daniel Loredo Duran (PhD student) and Jan A. Van Mieghem.

Bio: Itai Gurvich is a Professor at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business in 2008 and joined Kellogg the same year. From 2016 to 2020, he was on the faculty of Cornell University’s campus in New York City (Cornell Tech) before returning to Kellogg in 2021.

Professor Gurvich’s research focuses on the performance analysis and optimization of processing networks, as well as the theory of stochastic-process approximations. His work has been recognized with the INFORMS Applied Probability Society’s Best Publication Award. He has served as the Stochastic Models Area Editor for Operations Research and as Chair of the INFORMS Applied Probability Society.

ECE QUANTUM ENGINEERING SEMINAR SERIES: Joshua Viszlai
2026-03-16 10:00 - 11:00 | 2534 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States
A Systems Approach to Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing

Joshua Viszlai

Abstract: We are beginning a remarkably exciting time for quantum computing. There is a growing consensus that quantum error correction (QEC) is needed to reach scales necessary for quantum advantage, and recent major demonstrations have led to a new generation of error-corrected quantum computers. These demonstrations transition QEC from a theoretical idea introduced in 1995 to an experimental reality. Underlying this milestone is rapid progress in the scale of quantum hardware, with systems today featuring up to 1,000 qubits and error rates nearing 0.1%. However, looking towards the future, significant work is still needed to organize and scale quantum hardware to create fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQC) capable of practical quantum advantage.While the theory of FTQC is promising, effectively connecting it to real devices poses significant challenges. In this talk I will discuss the role of systems and architecture research in efficiently addressing these challenges, focusing on two examples of my work. First, I will describe the problems involved in large-scale, real-time QEC decoding, and detail a speculative window decoder that reduces decoder reaction time by up to 50%. Second, I will show how insights from decoding lead to a heuristic for compiling QEC codes that reduces logical error rates by 2.5x-4x and helps automate QEC design space exploration. Together, these works fit into a larger vision on a full-stack view of FTQC and highlight opportunities for interdisciplinary, systems-level research to accelerate the realization of large-scale quantum computing.

Bio: Joshua Viszlai is a Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago advised by Fred Chong. His research spans both theory and experiment with a focus on bridging the gap between current quantum devices and fault-tolerant quantum computing. His work has been implemented in quantum hardware and has been published in top-tier conferences in the fields of computer architecture and quantum computing leading to two best paper awards and a best poster honorable mention award. Joshua is also a consultant at Infleqtion, a company developing neutral atom quantum computers, where he helps lead research on quantum error correction.

BME Seminar Series: Wan-Ju Li, PhD, FIOR
2026-03-16 12:00 - 13:00 | 1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
From Development to Repair: Using Skeletal Development Principles to Advance Stem Cell-Mediated Cartilage Regeneration

Wan-Ju Li, PhD, FIORAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Orthopedics and RehabilitationUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Abstract:Why does cartilage regeneration still fall short despite major progress in stem cell engineering? In this seminar, I will argue that one important reason is that cartilage repair strategies are often developed without fully accounting for the developmental programs that shape cartilage formation in vivo. I will present our lab’s recent work showing that developmental origin strongly influences the identity and regenerative potential of human iPSC-derived chondrocytes.

Using isogenic differentiation models, we compared mesoderm-derived and neural crest-derived chondrocytes and found that neural crest-derived chondrocytes more closely resemble native articular chondrocytes and perform better in cartilage repair settings. Building on these findings, I will also discuss our efforts to develop a stepwise induction strategy for generating chondrocytes from human iPSC-derived neural crest cells in a more controlled and efficient manner.

Together, these studies support a broader message that developmental biology is not simply background knowledge for regenerative medicine, but a practical framework for selecting better cell sources, asking more precise biological questions, and overcoming major barriers in the field.

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ISyE - Student volunteering
2026-03-16 16:00 - 18:00 | St. Vincent DePaul, 2033 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, 53711
Join the students of IISE as they volunteer at our local St. Vincent DePaul location. Volunteer work consists of packing boxes of dry food and restocking goods for the boxes. Additionally, it is encouraged to be able to lift up to 20 pounds comfortably, but if you are unable, there are other jobs as well!

Spots are still available, sign up through IISE’s Flare app. Questions? Contact Wesley Norquist at wnorquist@wisc.edu.

UW-IISE Flare

ECE QUANTUM ENGINEERING SEMINAR SERIES: Dr. Shai Tsesses
2026-03-17 10:00 - 11:00 | 2317 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Unlocking New Capabilities for Quantum Computation with Neutral Atom Arrays

Dr. Shai Tsesses

Abstract: Neutral atom arrays have become a frontrunner in the race for utility scale quantum computation [1], building on their reconfigurability [2], scalability [3] and high fidelity for all operations [4] – idling, detection, single- and two-qubit gates. However, they still suffer from key bottlenecks that constrain their operational speed and their implementation of deep quantum circuits. In this talk, I will show how my recent work can bend these constraints and sometimes completely break them. I will present results on accelerated detection of the atoms via high-lying energy states (Rydberg states) [5] and introduce novel protocols for reconfigurable multi-qubit gates [6], promoting improved circuit implementation speed for error correction. I will then update on our current progress in building a continuously operating neutral atom quantum processor, which mitigates the negative influences of atom loss, and present a new scheme we developed to operate atom array systems for this purpose [7]. Lastly, I will touch on the final frontier – how to increase system size to a utility scale number of qubits and provide my own solution to it: free electron quantum interconnects between neutral atom quantum processing modules.

Bio: Dr. Shai Tsesses is a postdoctoral associate at the MIT–Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, working with Prof. Vladan Vuletić. At MIT, he is leading a team developing the next generation of neutral atom quantum processors, able to implement deep and high-fidelity quantum circuits. Dr. Tsesses earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, where he made key experimental contributions to topological and quantum nano-photonics, as well as free-electron–light interactions. His research explores the frontiers of light–matter interaction, bridging atomic physics, electron beam physics, and quantum information science. He has authored more than 30 publications in leading journals such as Science and Nature, and is a recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the Rothschild and Adams Fellowships, as well as the OPTICA Tingye Li Innovation Prize.

Founder's Day Lecture: Nedim Emil Altaras
2026-03-17 16:00 - 17:00 | WI
Room 1610 Engineering Hall

Nedim Emil AltarasSVP Technical Development LeadModerna Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA

Pressure Is a Privilege: Industrializing an mRNA Platform for Speed, Scale, and Reliability

As a chemical engineer, I think of our profession as the discipline of translating fundamentals into working systems: reducing complex problems to first principles, quantifying constraints, and designing processes that perform in the real world. Over the past decade at Moderna, that mindset was tested in the most consequential setting. I built the Technical Development capabilities that supported pandemic readiness and then worked from Day 1 of the Covid-19 pandemic to translate an mRNA vaccine from sequence to reproducible clinical and commercial supply.

This lecture is about industrialization—moving from a working process to a scalable, controlled manufacturing system. It is not simply “making more.” It is establishing a platform that can execute with short cycle times while maintaining process capability and product quality. I will describe what it takes to industrialize an mRNA platform when time becomes the first-class design constraint: parallelizing development, standardizing unit operations/interfaces, and using modular manufacturing approaches so performance can be robustly replicated across equipment, sites, and teams.

The same platform and operational discipline that proved itself under pandemic pressure has continued to translate beyond a single product—supporting additional licensed vaccines and extending into therapeutics, including individualized oncology programs and rare-disease efforts.

I will frame the experience around three engineering priorities: speed, scale, and reliability. Speed comes from clear decision rules under uncertainty, risk-based development plans, and rapid feedback from analytics and manufacturing. Scale is achieved by designing robustness to variability, building standard work for technology transfer, and ensuring consistent execution across the network. Reliability—and the assurance to defend it—is built through characterization, a defined control strategy, comparability to enable lifecycle changes, and documentation discipline that makes data and decisions defendable.

Ultimately, pressure is a privilege because it reflects responsibility: responsibility to solve problems that matter, to build systems that hold up under scrutiny, and to translate engineering work into human impact with life changing mRNA medicines.

ISyE - Welcome Back, Badger!
2026-03-18 09:55 - 10:45 | 1800 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Jeff Roznowski

ISyE’s alumni speaker series continues! Please welcome Jeff Roznowski (BSIE ’80), former President/Co-Founder, Wisconsin Wireless Association (ret) and Alderman for the City of Wauwatosa.

ECE QUANTUM ENGINEERING SEMINAR SERIES: Hezi Zhang
2026-03-18 10:00 - 11:00 | 2534 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States
Quantum Computing Systems: Toward Scalable and Efficient Quantum Computation

Hezi Zhang

Abstract: Quantum computing has emerged as a transformative frontier of computation. In recent years, quantum hardware has scaled at an unprecedented rate. As this momentum continues, the central challenge is shifting upward in the stack—from hardware-level feasibility toward system-level scalability. This talk will focus on quantum computer architecture and compiler systems, introducing the challenges and opportunities to efficiently harness device capabilities and lower the demands on hardware technology, thereby accelerating timelines for practical quantum advantage.

Bio: Hezi Zhang is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). She received her M.S. in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) and her B.S. in Physics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Her current research interests lie in quantum computing architecture and compiler optimization, including supporting scalable quantum computing and exploring different quantum computing paradigms.

Mechanics Seminar: Professor Debanjan Mukherjee
2026-03-20 12:00 - 13:00 | 1227 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids, fluids, and dynamics). Professor Debanjan Mukherjee is a professor at University of Colorado Boulder.

Presentation Title: The Biofluid Dynamics Of Thrombosis: what doors can custom in silico models open for us?

Abstract: Thrombosis, or the pathological clotting of blood in the human body, is the key underlying cause of severe cardiovascular disease like heart attack and stroke; which together comprise major global causes of death and disability. Fluid dynamics plays an intricate underlying role in pathological clot initiation, formation and growth, and subsequent clot deformation and potential fragmentation (or embolization). There exists a significant body of evidence on this underlying role of flow, and flow-mediated transport from in vivo murine models, and microfluidic assays with whole human blood. Yet, the recapitulation of dynamic clot-flow interactions within real human vascular segments continues to remain a major challenge; and there are currently limited avenues to probe and understand these interactions via standard-of-care imaging. Here, we will showcase custom numerical modeling frameworks that we have developed over the years to address the aforementioned challenge; enabling deep quantitative insights on local clot-flow interactions, clot mechanical response to flow-induced loading, and biochemical transport within and around clots. We will specifically illustrate approaches that resolve key features of real human clots, such as heterogeneous structure and micro-composition, and their interplay with locally non-linear fluid flows. We will also illustrate numerical methods that help model and investigate physiologically critical processes such as clot contraction mechanics, which are otherwise challenging to replicate in an in silico setting. We will close by showcasing our efforts on releasing these computational modeling tools to the broader community as open-source tools.

Bio: Debanjan Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also a program faculty for the Biomedical Engineering program, and a faculty council member at the BioFrontiers Institute at CU Boulder. He leads an inter-disciplinary flow physics and biofluids research group named FLOWLab. Prof. Mukherjee completed his undergraduate studies at IIT Madras in India, and subsequently his doctoral and post-doctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley. He has received several awards in recognition of his work: including the National Institutes of Health Trailblazer Award for new and early-career investigators; the ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award; the American Heart Association post-doctoral fellowship award; and has recently been selected as a Research and Innovation Office Faculty Fellow and a Dean’s Excellence Fellow in Generative AI at the University of Colorado Boulder.

ISyE - Modeling to Inform Intervention Planning and Deployment for Infectious Disease Control
2026-03-20 12:00 - 13:00 | 1163 Mechanical Engineering, 1513 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
UW-ISyE looks forward to welcoming Pinar Keskinocak from Georgia Tech.

Infectious diseases continue to impact millions of people every year around the world, despite many advances in medicine and technology. Pharmaceutical interventions such as testing, vaccines, or treatment, may not be available, and when they are, resources for their deployment are often very limited. Other challenges (e.g., logistical, societal) may also hamper deployment. Decisions regarding what, when, and how to deploy need to incorporate various short- and long-term considerations, as well as human behaviors such as following non-pharmaceutical intervention recommendations or uptake of available pharmaceutical interventions. In this presentation, we will illustrate these challenges using a few examples from infectious diseases that are targeted for elimination or eradication, and share results from modeling studies to help inform these complex decisions.

Bio: Pinar Keskinocak is the H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair and Professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) at Georgia Tech. She is the co-founder and Director of the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS). Previously, she served as Associate Chair for Faculty Development in ISyE, College of Engineering ADVANCE Professor, and Interim Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Scholarship. Her research spans supply chain management and applications in health and humanitarian systems, with a multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder perspective. Recent work has focused on disease modeling, evaluating interventions, resource allocation, process improvement for healthcare delivery, and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Her research has appeared in leading journals and has been supported by government agencies, industry, NGOs, and foundations. Her leadership and service within Georgia Tech, professional communities, and nationwide have been extensive, including serving as the President of INFORMS in 2020. Dr. Keskinocak is a Fellow of INFORMS and IISE. She is the recipient of the INFORMS President’s Award (2024), George E. Kimball Medal (2024), and Women in Operations Research and Management Science Award.

ISyE - Corporate site visit to AprilAire
2026-03-20 12:00 - 15:00 | WI
Join the students of IISE for a site visit.

Our first IISE trek of the semester! We will be heading to AprilAire in Poynette, WI for a Q&A, site tour, networking, and more.

Sign up by March 17th!

BME Seminar Series: Christopher Konop, PhD
2026-03-23 12:00 - 13:00 | 1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Christopher Konop, PhDInnovation and Commercialization SpecialistIsthmus ProjectUW Health

Topic TBA

ECE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS SEMINAR SERIES: Dr. Mihir Pendharkar
2026-03-23 15:00 - 16:00 | 2345 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Closing the Loop: Shrinking Materials Discovery Cycles for the Quantum Era

Abstract: As utility-scale quantum computing appears on the horizon, the field faces a scaling challenge comparable in magnitude to the pursuit of artificial general intelligence. Success in this endeavor hinges on reducing decoherence by improving materials systems at the fundamental electronic device scale — the single-qubit level — and, crucially, developing tools that enable rapid experimental feedback. This talk explores two paradigms where shrinking the characterization loop has catalyzed breakthroughs in quantum materials as well as materials for quantum hardware.

The first part focuses on the development of high-mobility III-V semiconductor quantum wells and quantum wires (nanowires). By optimizing the integration of superconductors with these low-dimensional electron systems, we have realized the high-quality hybrid interfaces necessary for topological quantum computing. I will highlight how rapid feedback was the primary driver for achieving proof-of-concept devices.

In the second part, I will address the “imaging bottleneck” in 2D moiré heterostructures. While these systems offer a rich playground for correlated quantum physics, the inability to rapidly visualize moiré superlattices has historically limited materials optimization. I will present the development of Torsional Force Microscopy (TFM), a technique that enables the visualization of moiré landscapes in minutes, bypassing the need for weeks-long cryogenic transport measurements.

Finally, I will put forward a vision for improved materials, device geometries, and rapid feedback techniques that can be ported to superconducting qubit platforms, with the hope of providing a boost to bridge the gap between laboratory prototypes and useful quantum computers.

Dr. Mihir Pendharkar

Bio: Mihir Pendharkar is a researcher at Stanford University, where he works with Prof. David Schuster on advancing materials for superconducting qubit-based quantum computing. As a Q-FARM Bloch Postdoctoral Fellow working with Prof. David Goldhaber-Gordon, Mihir developed Torsional Force Microscopy (TFM) to image moiré superlattices and atomic lattices in 2D materials. This imaging technique has since been adopted by four major AFM manufacturers and dozens of research institutions worldwide. Mihir earned his MS and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of California, Santa Barbara working with Prof. Chris Palmstrom, where his doctoral research specialized in Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) of superconductor-semiconductor hybrid heterostructures for Majorana Zero Mode-based topological quantum computation.

ECE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS SEMINAR SERIES: Dr. Alex Honghyuk Kim
2026-03-24 12:00 - 13:00 | 2345 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Development of Novel III–V Semiconductor Heterostructures: Overcoming Physical Limits

Alex Honghyuk Kim

Abstract: Recent advances in the epitaxial growth of III–V compound semiconductors have enabled high-performance electronic and photonic devices. However, conventional III–V and III–N material systems remain fundamentally limited by intrinsic physical and chemical constraints, including substrate-dependent lattice and bandgap properties. These limitations hinder progress in emerging applications such as neuromorphic photonics, monolithic integration with silicon photonics, and full-color micro-LED arrays. In this talk, strategies to overcome these intrinsic limitations will be discussed, with a focus on the development of novel III–V compound semiconductor material systems enabled by precise control of lattice mismatch, phase stability, and miscibility gaps. The role of metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) in kinetic material design will be highlighted, together with the realization of chemically and physically metastable III–V heterostructures beyond conventional epitaxial limits.

Bio: Alex Honghyuk Kim is an Assistant Professor in the School of Semiconductor Convergence Engineering at Hanyang University, South Korea. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where his research focused on the epitaxial growth of III–V compound semiconductors for advanced optoelectronic applications. His research interests include MOVPE-based epitaxy of III–V compound semiconductor materials, metastable heterostructures, and the design and characterization of advanced optoelectronic devices. Prior to joining Hanyang University, he held research positions at Lumileds LLC, Northwestern University, and the Korea Photonics Technology Institute. He has authored and coauthored over 30 peer-reviewed journal papers and currently serves as a co-principal investigator on multiple nationally funded semiconductor research projects.

ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Laura Grossenbacher
2026-03-26 16:00 - 17:00 | 3M Auditorium, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave, Madison, 53711
The ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture Series features campus and visiting speakers who present on a variety of research topics in the field of mechanical engineering. Professor Laura Grossenbacher is the Director of Technical Communication with the College of Engineering at UW-Madison.

Mechanics Seminar: Professor Xiangru Xu
2026-03-27 12:00 - 13:00 | 1227 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids, fluids, and dynamics). Professor Xiangru Xu is a professor at UW-Madison.

BME Seminar Series: Natasah Seybani, PhD
2026-04-06 12:00 - 13:00 | 1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Topic TBA

ECE Distinguished Speaker Seminar Series: Professor Seth Ariel Tongay
2026-04-07 13:00 - 14:00 | 2317 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Pushing the Limits of 2D Janus Layers

Abstract:Named after the two faced Roman God Janus, 2D Janus layers contain two different atomic types on its top and bottom faces. Previous theoretical studies have shown that broken mirror symmetry together with large change transfer across the top and bottom face opens up completely new quantum properties including Rashba effect, colossal Janus field, dipolar excitons, and Skyrmion formation. Despite the theoretical advances in the field, experimental results are still limited due to limitations in high quality 2D Janus layer synthesis. In this talk, I will introduce recent discoveries made at Arizona State University towards different types of Janus layers. The growth process relies on Plasma enhanced low pressure chemical vapor deposition (PE-LPCVD). With this all room temperature technique, our team can synthesize different Janus layers as well as their vertical / lateral heterojunctions, and Janus nanoscrolls. Further studies from our team will introduce on-demand fabrication of 2D Janus layers with unique in-situ growth capabilities that allows us to collect spectroscopy data during the course of Janus material growth. Results are presented along with microscopy, spectroscopy, high – pressure studies, and electronic transport datasets for complete understanding of these systems.

Professor Seth Ariel Tongay

Bio:Professor Seth Ariel Tongay is an internationally recognized materials scientist and engineer whose research bridges fundamental discoveries and real-world manufacturing of next-generation semiconductors. He serves as one of the research directors of College of Engineering at Arizona State University, home to the largest engineering college in the United States.Prof. Tongay’s research focuses on lab-to-fab integration of emergent semiconductor materials, addressing key challenges in metal interconnects, stress liner technologies, and advanced device architectures such as FinFETs and gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. He is particularly known for his seminal contributions to two dimensional (2D) materials, including Janus semiconductors and the discovery of quasi-one- dimensional (quasi-1D) layered systems.He has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers and holds an h-index of 86, reflecting his high impact across materials science, nanotechnology, and semiconductor physics. His work has been recognized with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), NSF CAREER Award, and fellowships from the American Physical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Institute of Physics.Prof. Tongay is also an associate editor for Applied Physics Reviews (AIP) and npj 2D Materials and Applications (Nature). His research is supported by the CHIPS Act, NSF, DOE, ARO, and industry leaders including Intel and Applied Materials.

ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Riley Barta
2026-04-09 16:00 - 17:00 | 3M Auditorium, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave, Madison, 53711
The ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture Series features campus and visiting speakers who present on a variety of research topics in the field of mechanical engineering. Professor Riley Barta is a professor at Purdue University.

Mechanics Seminar: Professor Ricardo Vinuesa
2026-04-10 12:00 - 13:00 | 1227 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids, fluids, and dynamics). Professor Ricardo Vinuesa is a professor at Michigan University.

ECE Undergraduate Research Symposium
2026-04-14 11:30 - 13:00 | Discovery Building, 330 N. Orchard St., Madison, Wisconsin, 53715
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering invites you to join us for the second annual ECE Undergraduate Research Symposium. The symposium will be an exciting showcase of undergraduate research beyond the classroom. Selected students and teams will present their innovative work during a poster session where all are encouraged to talk with the undergraduate researchers about their discoveries.

This event is open to the public—come support our students and explore their cutting-edge research!

Event schedule:11:30 – 1:00 Poster session with light refreshments – Discovery Building Town CenterAwards to follow

ME 150th Celebration: Distinguished Alumni, Dr. Kelly Senecal
2026-04-16 16:15 - 17:00 | 3M Auditorium, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave, Madison, 53711
To celebrate 150 years of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the Department of Mechanical Engineering will feature distinguished alumni in mechanical engineering and engineering mechanics who have made a lasting impact on the field. Kelly Senecal, who received his master’s (’97) and PhD (’00) in mechanical engineering, is the cofounder of Convergent Science. Kelly also received the 2025 Luminary Award! To learn more about Dr. Kelly Senecal’s experience, please join us for this installment of our ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture series.

Midwest Mechanics Seminar: Professor Laura de Lorenzis
2026-04-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Engineering Research Building, Room 106, 1500 Engineering Dr., Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids, fluids, and dynamics). This specific seminar is hosted in conjunction with the Midwest Mechanics Seminar Series. Professor Laura de Lorenzis is a professor at Institute for Mechanical Systems – Zurich.
