ISyE - Online Fault Detection for High-dimensional Data Streams under Resource Constraints
2026-02-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | 1163 Mechanical Engineering, 1513 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
With the rapid advances in sensing and communication technologies, most complex systems are continuously monitored by sensors that provide a variety of streaming data with rich information about the system’s performance. Monitoring such high-dimensional streaming data in real-time is critical to detect anomalies and system failures. Nonetheless, resource constraints on sensing, computation, and communication make traditional monitoring and anomaly detection methods impractical. This talk introduces a family of adaptive and active learning strategies for online fault detection that explicitly account for the limitations associated with resource constraints. By dynamically selecting which data to sample, process, or transmit, these methods achieve efficient monitoring without sacrificing statistical reliability. I will discuss applications in networked and partially observed systems, real-time anomaly detection with mobile sensors, and online batch fault diagnosis. The unifying theme is the integration of statistical learning, sequential decision-making, and uncertainty quantification to enable scalable, data-efficient online monitoring under resource constraints.

Bio: Ana Maria Estrada Gomez is an assistant professor at the Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. She received a B.Sc. in industrial engineering and a B.Sc. in mathematics from la Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, in 2013 and 2015, respectively. She also holds a M.Sc. in industrial engineering from la Universidad de los Andes (2015), and a M.Sc. in statistics from Georgia Tech (2018). In 2021, she received her PhD in industrial engineering with a specialization in statistics from Georgia Tech. Her research interests lie in developing efficient methodologies and algorithms for modeling, monitoring, and diagnosing complex systems that collect high-dimensional data, using statistics and machine learning tools. She is the recipient of the SPES + Q&P Best Student Paper Award from ASA, the QSR Best Poster Award from INFORMS, and the IISE Doctoral Colloquium Best Poster Award. She has also been appointed as a Latina Trailblazer in Engineering Fellow by Purdue’s College of Engineering.

ISyE - Game night!
2026-02-13 15:00 - 17:00 | 3127 Mechanical Engineering, Madison, 53717
3127 Mechanical Engineering

Join IISE for their first freshman event of the spring semester! This is a great opportunity to meet other freshmen in industrial engineering as well as IISE board members! They’ll have hot chocolate and games. We hope to see you there!!

BME Seminar Series: Wally Block, PhD
2026-02-16 12:00 - 13:00 | 1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
*Speaker Change

Gene Therapy for Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases: RARE will get us there

Wally Block, PhDProfessorDepartment of Biomedical EngineeringUW-Madison

Rare monogenic neurological diseases affect about 0.5% of Americans at birth and are estimated to account for up to 40% of the workload in hospital pediatric practice. Current drug delivery methods struggle to overcome the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB), with 98% of small molecule drugs and 99% of monoclonal antibody therapies failing to cross the BBB. This barrier, while protecting the brain, creates significant challenges for drug delivery and patient treatment.

Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) is emerging as a promising solution, circumventing the BBB with direct, minimally invasive catheter-based infusion. Current CED surgical protocols distribute gene therapies are transforming the outlook for Huntington’s disease where only perhaps 1% of the brain needs to be altered genetically. In most rare neurodegenerative diseases however, much larger volumes of the brain require will require treatment.

New government initiatives like ARPA-H THRIVE are making a 9-figure investment in genetic correction, many of which will be focused on genetic correction for rare brain disorders. This talk will provide an overview of the biophysics technology being developed across a consortium centered at UW-Madison to get from 1% to 100% of brain coverage. The talk will present an argument why solving rare diseases will accelerate efforts to treat genetic approaches to much higher prevalence diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimers.

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ISyE - An evening with industry
2026-02-18 18:00 - 19:00
Help us welcome three distinguished UW-ISyE alumni to our annual virtual panel. Atul Khosla, TJ Dodson, and Michelle Ranavat will join students for an informative, interactive hour to discuss their careers in the fields of professional sports management, manufacturing, and high-end beauty products. Don’t miss this special opportunity!

Pre-registration is not required, just join using the link below.

UW-ISyE Alumni Panel

Atul Khosla – COO/CCO, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TJ Dodson – COO, Wiese USA

MIchelle Ranavat – CEO/Founder, RANAVAT

Ask an expert: Clean Energy
2026-02-19 12:00 - 13:00
Interested in a career in clean energy? Come learn about current clean energy initiatives and diverse career paths in the energy industry from our expert panel of College of Engineering alumni. In this hybrid panel, students will join in person at EH 1610, and our three alumni will join virtually. The panel will be moderated by ECE Professor Daniel Ludois, with time reserved at the end of the event for students to ask questions. Meet our panelists below!

Event DetailsThursday, February 19 @ 12:00pm1610 Engineering HallJimmy John’s sandwiches will be provided!

Suminder SinghBSEE ‘95Vice President, Bloom Energy

David BiermanBSME ‘12Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, Antora Energy

Megan LloydMS/BSNE ‘08Project Manager, SHINE Technologies

NEEP Seminar Series: Allison Mahvi, University of Wisconsin–Madison
2026-02-19 12:00 - 13:00
Thursday, February 1912:00 – 1:00pm106 Engineering Research BuildingPlease contact office@neep.wisc.edu for assistance with remote participation.

Film Dryout in Annular FlowsAnnular flow boiling is a highly effective cooling strategy, with applications ranging from microelectronics to nuclear reactors. However, at sufficiently high heat fluxes, the thin liquid film characteristic of annular flows will rupture, exposing the heated surface to vapor. This phenomenon, known as dryout critical heat flux (CHF), causes a sudden drop in the heat transfer coefficient. To avoid equipment damage, is a strong incentive to delay dryout to higher heat fluxes and vapor qualities to improve system reliability and efficiency.

This presentation explores the mechanisms driving dryout CHF in low surface tension fluids and presents methods for predicting both intermittent and full dryout. We will begin by discussing our recent experimental observations, focusing on the behavior of disturbance waves in annular flows and their role in film rupture. We then will examine how flow obstructions alter film dynamics and heat transfer characteristics. Finally, we will discuss how these insights can be incorporated into four-field annular flow models to improve dryout CHF predictions across a broad range of operating conditions. Overall, this work aims to deepen our fundamental understanding of thin film flows and the influence of surface features on the limits of annular flow boiling.

Dr. Allison Mahvi is the Bluemke Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she leads the Laboratory for Energy Transport and Storage (LET+S). She earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2018 and her B.S. from the UW – Madison in 2012. Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Mahvi held postdoctoral research positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2018–2019) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2019–2022). Her research focuses on two-phase flows, surface enhancements, advanced thermal energy systems, and thermal energy storage devices. Her work has resulted in 30 peer-reviewed journal publications. During her graduate studies, she was recognized with several awards, including the ASME Graduate Teaching Fellowship, the Sam Nunn Security Program Fellowship, the Woodruff Fellowship, and the ASHRAE Grant-in-Aid.

MS&E Seminar Series: Ann Bolcavage
2026-02-19 13:00 - 14:00
UW-Madison Department of Materials Science and Engineering welcomes Ann Bolcavage. Her seminar, “Environmental Barrier Coatings for Ceramic Matrix Composite Materials: Bridging the Gap from Laboratory to Engine”, will take place on Thursday, February 19, from 1-2 p.m. in MS&E 265.

Bio

Dr. Ann Bolcavage is the Engineering Fellow for Coatings at Rolls-Royce plc., a global manufacturer of propulsion solutions for civil aerospace, defense, and power systems markets. She is responsible for the strategic development of critical coating materials and manufacturing technologies for surface engineering to provide through-life support for all products. Over the course of her career, Ann has focused on developing metallic and ceramic coatings and thin films, and her expertise includes the measurement of process-structure-property relationships leading to optimized thermal spray, chemical vapor deposition, and physical vapor deposition processing methods for new and repaired aerospace and industrial gas turbine engine components.

Ann joined Rolls-Royce Corporation in 2006 as a Senior Engineering Specialist in Indianapolis, IN and subsequently held roles as Surface Engineering Manager (UK) and Chief of Materials Capability Acquisition before her appointment to the Rolls-Royce Engineering Fellowship in 2014. She was also the Corporate Technical Liaison for key research programs in surface engineering at the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (Disputanta, VA) and at the University of Virginia / Rolls-Royce UTC for Advanced Materials Systems. Prior to joining Rolls-Royce, Ann worked at Praxair Surface Technologies (now Linde AMT) in Indianapolis.

In recognition of her technical achievements and leadership, Ann was appointed Fellow of ASM International in 2011. She has been active in ASM for 40 years, including leadership positions in the Indianapolis Chapter, Board member of the Thermal Spray Society, and ASM International Board of Trustees member. Ann was also elected to the TSS Hall of Fame in 2025.

Ann received her B.S. with honors in Materials Science and Engineering from Lehigh University and her M.S and Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has remained active in writing technical publications, giving conference and workshop presentations (9 invited), and has 23 patented inventions.

Abstract

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) with rare-earth silicate-based compositions have increasingly become a preferred solution for the protective system to prevent accelerated degradation of silicon carbide-matrix / silicon carbide fiber ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components. Within the harsh conditions of the gas turbine engine, an EBC system must maintain thermophysical and thermomechanical stability and withstand degradation from the high gas velocities, high temperatures, high pressures, and high-water vapor levels from combustion products. Increasingly, EBCs must also be resilient to the effects of ingested dust and siliceous debris (CMAS) from operation in arid, volcanic, or polluted regions. The overall effects of these conditions on the coating materials system life and degradation rate are complex, with multiple damage mechanisms in play over the course of the component lifecycle.

Laboratory / rig testing to assess EBC performance for any one property or damage mechanism is not wholly predictive and scalable to the likely performance of the coated component in the actual engine, due to the complex interactions between them. Often, environmental testing cannot simulate the low concentration of species over many cycles, specimen geometry is kept simple to facilitate rig design or simplify analysis, and the relative severity of multiple degradation mechanisms can’t be accurately replicated. As engine demonstration tests are extremely expensive, it is desired to gain important data and insights about EBC systems earlier in the development lifecycle while staying grounded as close to operational reality as possible. Examples and results are presented from laboratory and rig testing that demonstrate the materials and functional property gaps in understanding and what a recommended approach must incorporate to ensure robust learning is gained from concept to demonstration.

ISyE - Website Portfolio Design Seminar
2026-02-19 14:30 - 16:00 | 1270 Mechanical Engineering, 1513 University Ave, Madison, 53706
Join our HFES student org for this Website Portfolio Design Seminar. This is a hands-on workshop which will cover the basics of building a website using GitHub.

ME 150th Celebration: Distinguished Alumni, Chris Schyvinck
2026-02-19 16:00 - 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. Chris Schyvinck, who received her bachelor’s (’89) in mechanical engineering, is the CEO and President of SHURE. She has played a big role in the microphones and audio electronics industry, which has led to exceptional results in product quality and corporate profitability. To learn more about Chris Schyvinck’s experience, please join us for this installment of our ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture series.

Presentation Abstract: This presentation reflects on Chris’ journey from mechanical engineer to CEO and the experiences, lessons, and mindset shifts that shaped her path along the way. Through three chapters—Engineering, Managing, and Leading—it highlights how curiosity, continuous learning, and strong partnerships helped guide her growth and leadership approach.

Bio: Christine Schyvinck is President, CEO, and Chairman of Shure Incorporated, a global leader in audio technology. Since joining Shure in 1989 as a Quality Engineer, she has held multiple leadership roles across engineering, operations, sales, and global marketing. Under her direction, Shure has expanded international operations, boosted sales, enhanced delivery performance, and strengthened inclusive leadership and sustainability efforts. Appointed CEO in 2016, Chris is only the fourth person to lead the Company. She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UW–Madison and a Master’s in Engineering Management from Northwestern. She serves on various advisory and nonprofit boards, including the Executives’ Club of Chicago and Blessings in a Backpack.

Lean Green Belt Training
2026-02-20 00:00 - 2026-02-22 23:59
On campus – location TBD

IISE is hosting in-person Lean Green Belt Training on campus! Open to ALL students, this is a fantastic opportunity to add an industry-recognized certification to your resume.This 3-day, live, in-person workshop is open to all students and focuses on practical, engineering-driven Lean tools, process improvement, and data-driven problem solving—skills employers actively look for in engineering, operations, supply chain, consulting, and analytics roles. Unlike many professional certifications, no prior industry experience is required. You’ll gain hands-on exposure to industry-standard methods, learn how to identify inefficiencies and improve processes, and leave with a credential you can immediately add to your resume and talk about in interviews. Early registration is encouraged for discounted pricing.

Don’t miss this opportunity to earn a professional certification while still a student!!

Information/Registration

Midwest Mechanics Seminar: Professor Bharath Ganapathisubramani
2026-02-20 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). This specific seminar is hosted in conjunction with the Midwest Mechanics Seminar Series. Professor Bharath Ganapathisubramani is a professor at University of South Hampton.

Presentation Title: Vortex Dominated Flows: Can’t live with them…Can’t live without them…

Abstract: Vortex-dominated flows are in abundance in engineering applications and natural environment. Vortical structures influence not only the flow field but also have major implications on forces and moments experienced by objects as well as noise generated by them. In this talk, I will present results from work carried out in my group across different projects. We will focus on at least two case studies. The first is aimed at understanding the fluid-structure interactions in flow past porous bluff bodies while the second will focus on swimming efficiency of marine reptiles in Mesozoic era. These case studies will show that the behaviour of vortex interactions have a profound impact well beyond their specific application and that understanding these interactions can spawn new applications in varied areas including flow manipulation and bio-inspired vehicle design.

Bio: Bharath Ganapathisubramani is a Professor of Experimental Fluid Mechanics in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at the University of Southampton. He completed his Masters and PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Minnesota and an undergraduate degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras. He was an Assistant Professor at Imperial College London and moved to Southampton as an Associate Professor. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for Experiments in Fluids and Flow. He is a Fellow of Royal Aeronautical Society and the American Physical Society as well as an Associate Fellow of AIAA.

BME Seminar Series: Shawn M. Gomez, EngScD
2026-02-23 12:00 - 13:00 | 1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
From Cellular Networks to Therapeutic Predictions: A Data-Driven Approach to Precision Medicine

Shawn M. Gomez, EngScDProfessor and Associate Chair for ResearchCo-Executive Director, FastTaCS, NC TraCS InstituteLampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University

Abstract:Precision medicine aims to tailor prevention, diagnosis, and therapy to individual patients’ biological states. We pursue this as a multiscale problem, combining molecular and systems biology approaches with translational AI methods to improve clinical decision-making. In this talk, I focus on our systems-level efforts to predict targeted therapeutic responses in cancer. This challenge is particularly acute because despite extensive molecular profiling capabilities, predicting how therapies affect cellular phenotypes remains a critical barrier to precision oncology. Targeted therapies produce highly variable outcomes due to the adaptive, networked nature of cellular signaling. Comprising over 500 kinases, the protein kinome forms the backbone of these networks and represents a central therapeutic target space. However, predicting how kinome perturbations propagate through cellular systems to shape phenotypic outcomes is a major challenge. My research program addresses this by developing data-driven approaches that link kinase inhibition states to downstream cellular responses, enabling the rational design of single-agent and combination therapeutic strategies. I will discuss our work building predictive models that forecast cellular responses to kinase-targeted therapies, validated experimentally across breast and pancreatic cancer cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models. These models integrate large-scale proteomic and multi-omic data within machine learning frameworks to identify key kinases and network features driving therapeutic outcomes. This work illustrates how systems-level modeling translates molecular data into actionable insights for precision medicine. I’ll conclude by highlighting opportunities for research, educational, and translational innovation in BME at UW-Madison.

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ISyE - Information session with United Airlines
2026-02-23 18:00 - 19:00
1106 Mechanical Engineering

United Airlines is coming to UW-Madison! Learn more about their company first-hand. This event is hosted by the IISE student organization.

ECE RISE-AI Seminar Series: Eshaan Nichani, Princeton University
2026-02-24 11:30 - 12:30 | Discovery Building, 330 N. Orchard St., Madison, Wisconsin, 53715
Foundations of language models: scaling and reasoning

Eshaan Nichani

Abstract: Modern deep learning methods, most prominently language models, have achieved tremendous empirical success, yet a theoretical understanding of how neural networks learn from data remains incomplete. While reasoning directly about these approaches is often intractable, formalizing core empirical phenomena through minimal “sandbox” tasks offers a promising path toward principled theory. In this talk, Nichani will demonstrate how proving end-to-end learning guarantees for such tasks yields a practical understanding of how the network architecture, optimization algorithm, and data distribution jointly give rise to key behaviors. First, they will show how neural scaling laws arise from the dynamics of stochastic gradient descent in shallow neural networks. Next, they will study how and under what conditions transformers trained via gradient descent can learn different reasoning behaviors, including in-context learning and multi-step reasoning. Altogether, this approach builds theories that provide concrete insight into the behavior of modern AI systems.

Bio:Eshaan Nichani is a final-year Ph.D. student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department at Princeton University, jointly advised by Jason D. Lee and Yuxin Chen. His research focuses on the theory of deep learning, ranging from characterizing the fundamental limits of shallow neural networks to understanding how LLM phenomena emerge during training. He is a recipient of the IBM PhD Fellowship and the NDSEG Fellowship, and was selected as a 2025 Rising Star in Data Science.

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

ECE Discovery Panel: Communications and Networks
2026-02-24 12:20 - 12:50 | 1610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53706
Engineering undergraduates! Join us in 1610 Engineering Hall as faculty members explore the technical area of Communications and Networks! All undergraduate students are welcome as Associate Professor Bhuvana Krishnaswamy, Assistant Teaching Professor Nathan Strachen, and Professor Daniel van der Weide 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!

Bhuvana Krishnaswamy

Nathan Strachen

Daniel van der Weide

Introduce the Future to Engineering Day
2026-02-26 10:00 - 15:00
The Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics welcomes you to celebrate Introduce the Future to Engineering Day with us! This event gathers high school students from across Wisconsin for a full day of learning about nuclear engineering. Attendees will hear from influential women in the field during a panel discussion, connect with nuclear engineering students at UW–Madison, engage with industry professionals, and tour our experimental research facilities.

Interest in nuclear is growing in Wisconsin, across the country, and around the world—making this an exciting time to enter the field. As a nuclear engineer, you could help expand access to clean energy, diagnose and cure diseases, design future power plants, or harness the power of fusion energy. Come discover what nuclear engineering is all about!

LocationThe event will be hosted at the UW–Madison campus in Varsity Hall on the 2nd floor of Union South.

Varsity Hall, Union South1308 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53715

Event OverviewProgramming will take place on Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 10:00am – 3:00pm.

10:00 AM Check-In10:30 AM Panel 11:30 AM Lunch & Group Discussion12:30 PM Interactive Expo1:30 PM Research Lab Tours

The panel will feature influential women in the industry, representing a diverse sample of nuclear career paths. This page will be updated with speaker bios soon. Following the panel, a lunch buffet will be provided. NEEP students, faculty members, and the guest speakers will be seated at tables with the students to facilitate discussion regarding the panel and nuclear engineering in general.

After lunch, the industry expo will begin. Students will have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals to learn about careers in nuclear engineering. There will also be several science demonstrations from our student organizations.

The day will conclude with tours of our experimental research facilities including:

UW Nuclear Reactor: a 1 MW TRIGA teaching and research reactor

Pegasus-III Experiment: a spherical tokamak that supports fusion energy research

Ion Beam Laboratory: a particle accelerator used to study the effects of radiation damage on potential reactor materials

Helically Symmetric eXperiment: a stellarator with unique symmetry that supports fusion energy research

RegistrationTo register your group, please contact Lili Sarajian at lsarajian@wisc.edu by January 16, 2026.

Transportation & ParkingNEEP may be able to provide support for transportation costs. Please reach out to Lili Sarajian at lsarajian@wisc.edu for more information. If you plan to park one or more vehicles on campus for the day, NEEP can provide daily permits for a parking garage in the vicinity.

CostBesides parking, there are no additional costs associated with this event.

SponsorshipsIf you or your company is interested in supporting this event through a sponsorship, please visit this link to submit your gift or contact Lili Sarajian at lsarajian@wisc.edu. All sponsors are invited to host a table during the expo portion of the event to engage with high school students and share about careers in the nuclear industry. Other sponsorship benefits are detailed below:

$500 | General Sponsor

Support general event costs (e.g., space rental and supplies)

Includes:

Logo on event promotional materials

Expo table (If you are interested in sponsoring the event, we will follow up with more details about the expo and a signup form. You may opt out of the expo if you are unable to attend.)

$1,000 | Premium Sponsor

Support transportation costs for high school groups traveling from across southern Wisconsin

Includes:

Logo on event promotional materials

Expo table (If you are interested in sponsoring the event, we will follow up with more details about the expo and a signup form. You may opt out of the expo if you are unable to attend.)

A social media shoutout

$2,000 | Elite Sponsor

Support meal costs and help us feed some hungry high schoolers!

Includes:

Logo on event promotional materials

Expo table (If you are interested in sponsoring the event, we will follow up with more details about the expo and a signup form. You may opt out of the expo if you are unable to attend.)

A social media shoutout

A company profile in the digital resource guide

Thank you to our sponsors!

ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Evangelos Theodorou
2026-02-26 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 Evangelos Theodorou is a professor at Georgia Tech University.

Presentation Title: Optimization for Decision-Making in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.

Abstract: Optimization-based decision-making is at the core of autonomy and planning systems with applications in various domains of science and engineering from aerospace systems and robotics to networked and large-scale control. In this talk, I will give an overview of algorithms for decision-making and discuss use-cases and relevant applications. The topics include stochastic optimization algorithms such as Model Predictive Path Integral Control and its variations with applications to single agent system control, Distributed Optimization Architectures for multi-agent swarm control in the presence of uncertainty, and Deep-Learning Aided optimization algorithms for fast and scalable distributed optimization problems. If time permits, I will also cover stochastic optimal control algorithms with applications in the areas of Generative Artificial Intelligence and diffusions models on graphs.

Bio: Evangelos A. Theodorou is an Associate Professor with the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also the director of the Autonomous Control and Decision Systems Laboratory and an Amazon Scholar. Dr. Theodorou is affiliated with the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines and the Center for Machine Learning Research at Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering, from the Technical University of Crete (TUC), Greece in 2001 and three MSc degrees in Production Engineering from TUC in 2003, Computer Science and Engineering from University of Minnesota in 2007, and Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2010. In 2011, he graduated with his PhD in Computer Science from USC. From 2011 to 2013, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington. Dr. Theodorou is the recipient of the King-Sun Fu best paper award of the IEEE Transactions on Robotics in 2012 and recipient of several best paper awards and nominations in machine learning and robotics conferences. His research spans the areas of stochastic optimal control theory, machine learning, dynamic and distributed optimization with applications to robotics, autonomy, and large-scale systems.

ECE Semiconductor Materials Seminar Series: Dr. Kuangye Lu
2026-02-26 16:00 - 17:00 | 4610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Seamless Monolithic 3D Heterogeneous Integration Enabled by Advanced Epitaxy

Abstract: Three-dimensional heterogeneous integration (3D heterointegration) is emerging as the leading approach to enhancing performance in the field of microelectronics. However, this method often relies on complex wafer-to-wafer bonding processes, which introduce alignment challenges and interfacial defects. Alternatively, heteroepitaxy offers another route for implementing 3D heterointegration but suffers from material degradation due to defects and strain caused by lattice and thermal mismatches.In this talk, I will introduce three new epitaxy paradigms designed to address the key limitations of current 3D heterointegration processes. First, I will discuss Remote Epitaxy, which enables wafer-scale exfoliation of ultra-thin membranes across a broad range of materials. By leveraging a 2D interlayer, these membranes can be transferred and monolithically 3D (M3D) integrated onto arbitrary substrates with ultra-high throughput and low cost, effectively addressing the challenges associated with wafer-to-wafer bonding. I will then present 2D-Assisted Heteroepitaxy, a technique that significantly reduces and, in some cases, eliminates defects in heteroepitaxy through strain relaxation mechanism at the 2D/3D interface. This advancement enhances materials quality and device performance over conventional heteroepitaxy, broadening opportunities for M3D heterointegration. Lastly, I will introduce single-crystal materials growth on amorphous substrates, which is made possible with a bold substrate design and carefully engineered materials growth conditions, offering an entirely new scheme of M3D heterointegration.Building on these epitaxy paradigms, I will demonstrate various novel (opto)electronic devices as examples of their applications, including fabrication of world’s smallest micro-LED pixels (based on Remote Epitaxy), defect-free direct growth of III-V on silicon for next-generation optoelectronic applications (based on 2D-Assisted Heteroepitaxy), and advanced 3D stacking of 2D transistors (based on single-crystal materials growth on amorphous substrates). I will conclude the talk with a perspective on future materials development that could enable innovations across advanced 3D logic/memory, XR, energy, and quantum information, driven by new devices built upon advances in M3D heterointegration.

Dr. Kuangye Lu

Bio: Dr. Kuangye Lu is currently a Postdoctoral Associate at the Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Jeehwan Kim, and earned a B.S. with honors in Physics from Zhejiang University (ZJU) in 2018.His research focuses on the invention and development of advanced epitaxy techniques for compound semiconductors and 2D materials, as well as their heterointegration for device fabrication and applications. These efforts include the monolithic 3D integration of high-quality III-V optoelectronic devices on silicon, reconfigurable AI chips, and transistors engineered for next-generation advanced nodes.Dr. Lu has authored peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, including Nature, Nature Nanotechnology, and Nature Electronics. He is the recipient of the Chu Ko-Chen Scholarship, the highest honor for graduates of ZJU, and the MIT Shangzhi Wu Fellowship. Additionally, Dr. Lu has served as a conference organizer of Advanced Epitaxy of Freestanding Membranes and 2D Materials (AEFM) Conference and a Review Editor for Frontiers in Energy Research. He also serves as a reviewer for journals including Nature Chemical Engineering, Science Advances, and Nano Letters.

Mechanics Seminar: Professor Wonmo Kang
2026-02-27 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 Wonmo Kang is a professor at Arizona State University.

Presentation Title: Mechanisms Behind Enhanced Electrical and Mechanical Properties in Graphene–Metal Composites

Abstract: Graphene–metal composites are widely regarded as promising candidates for high-performance electrical conductors as well as advanced structural and functional applications, owing to graphene’s exceptional electron mobility, mechanical strength, and thermal conductivity. To leverage these attractive properties, small graphene flakes are often dispersed within a macroscopic metal matrix to form bulk composites. However, this approach intrinsically introduces discontinuous interfaces between the nanoscale carbon reinforcements and the much larger metal matrix, which hinder efficient load transfer and limit performance gains. In this regard, this talk investigates how both graphene continuity and quality influence the electrical and mechanical performance of graphene–metal composites. Using axially bi-continuous graphene–copper wires, we achieve a 41% reduction in electrical resistivity and a 450% increase in current-carrying capacity compared to pure copper. We further show that this architecture enables enhanced mechanical, thermal, and anti-oxidation performance. Notably, axially bi-continuous graphene–nickel wires break the traditional strength–ductility trade-off, achieving an exceptional combination of both. Finally, I will discuss our ongoing efforts toward high-throughput, cost-effective manufacturing of macroscopic graphene–metal composites with continuous graphene networks.

Bio: Wonmo Kang is an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy at Arizona State University (ASU). He received his Ph.D. in 2012 with the Outstanding Mechanical Engineering PhD Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before joining ASU, he was a research scientist at the US Naval Research Laboratory. His current research includes graphene-metal composites for multifunctional applications, in situ material characterization, nano/bio-mechanics, and NEMS/MEMS/bioMEMS. Dr. Kang has published his work in leading scientific journals including Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Small, Nano Letters, and Acta Biomaterialia. Dr. Kang is the recipient of several awards/fellowships including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the ASME Rising Stars of Mechanical Engineering Award, the postdoctoral fellowship from the American Society for Engineering Education, and the Leidos technical publication awards.

ISyE - Cognitive engineering for higher education – A view from both sides of design
2026-02-27 12:00 - 13:00 | 1163 Mechanical Engineering, 1513 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Photographer: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki

UW-ISyE looks forward to welcoming Ann Bisantz, a SUNY Distinguished Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University at Buffalo, where she also serves as Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education.

US institutions of higher education are large, complex systems affected by both internal and external factors, answering to multiple stakeholders with often conflicting goals; which must be managed in the face of short-and long-term uncertainties and limited resources; and where there is substantial risk – both for individuals impacted by the system (i.e., students) and arguably for society writ large, if they fail in their missions. They are examples of “intentional” systems – where constraints and priorities are drawn from human-created structures rather than physical laws. Increasingly, these systems are managed, at least in part, through data reporting and analyses which bring together variables of interest across functions and at multiple scales. Creating meaningful reports and visualizations of these complex data sets in support of decision-makers is a critical function of a modern university.

Methods of cognitive engineering have been used across a variety of complex, high risk systems to support design of automation, information displays, and decision-support tools. Frameworks such as cognitive work analysis provide models to reveal both the demands stemming from the work domain, as well as the knowledge, skills and strategies that experts bring to bear on those demands. Typically, these methods are used prospectively, are inputs to a larger system design process.

This presentation combines expertise in higher education administration with a cognitive engineering research perspective to inform a work domain model of one significant university sub-system, undergraduate education administration, drawing parallels with a well-studied health care system. It proposes a process of visualization co-creation as an alternative work-centered approach to successful design of decision-support tools, and concludes with shared lessons learned from a comparison of this just-in-time approach to design based in prospective analysis and modelling.

Bio: Dr. Bisantz is a SUNY Distinguished Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University at Buffalo, which she also serves as Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education. Her contributions to the field of human factors engineering include investigating new techniques for displaying complex and uncertain information to decision makers; supporting the transition in complex work domains from legacy and manual information systems to more integrated, supportive IT systems; modeling human judgment and decision making; extending cognitive engineering methods which can be used to model complex human-technology work domains; and understanding aspects of human trust in automated systems. This research has been conducted in a number of complex work environments, including health care, military systems, emergency management, and transportation; and has included interdisciplinary collaborations with researchers in health care and information fusion. She has been PI or CoI on over 15M in funded research projects from agencies including the National Science Foundation, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and numerous defense agencies. Bisantz is the past recipient of an NSF CAREER award, was recognized with a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Research and Creative Activity, and is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES). She has served as an Associate Editor or on the Editorial Board of a number of journals and has served HFES as a member-at-large of the Executive Council. She is the recipient of the HFES Fitts’ Education award for her contributions to human factors education and was the 2020 HFES WOMAN Mentor of the year. She is past chair of the UB ISE department and since 2018 has served the UB as Vice Provost and Dean, where she is responsible for university-wide leadership for undergraduate education, including curriculum, policy, student success, advising coordination, general education, undergraduate research, and the UB Honors College. In 2024 Bisantz was appointed to the National Academy of Engineering Board on Human-System Integration. Her PhD is from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

ISyE - Volunteer with IISE
2026-02-28 16:00 - 18:00 | 2716 Marshall Court, Madison, Ronald McDonald House, Madison, 53711
Ronald McDonald House, Madison

Join us to make dinner for families at the Ronald McDonald House in Madison. They provide a “home-away-from-home” for families with seriously ill or injured children, offering free or low-cost lodging, meals, and support near hospitals.

Space is limited, contact wnorquist@wisc.edu to participate.

BME Seminar Series: Ankur Singh, PhD
2026-03-02 12:00 - 13:00 | 1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Revolutionizing Immunotherapy: Bioengineered Immune Organs and Nanoscale Technologies

Ankur Singh, PhDCarl Ring Family ProfessorGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical EngineeringWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory MedicineDirector, Center for Immunoengineering at Georgia TechGeorgia Institute of Technology

Abstract:The human immune system is a complex and vital defense network, yet its dysfunction underlies many diseases. Developing effective vaccines, immunotherapies, and cell therapies for infections, cancer, inflammation, and age-related conditions requires a deep understanding of how immune cells develop and activate in primary, secondary, and tertiary lymphoid organs. Traditionally limited to in vivo studies and 2D in vitro models, which lack full physiological relevance, research is now advancing with engineered human ex vivo immune organoids. These synthetic tissues mimic the structure and function of natural immune organs, enabling precise control of cellular interactions. My lab focuses on developing such organoids by combining engineered materials with donor-derived immune cells to generate antibody-secreting cells and assess immunogenicity. We are also developing advanced organ-on-a-chip systems with full immunocompetence for use in infection, inflammation, oncology, and drug development, thereby opening new possibilities for groundbreaking therapeutic discoveries. Complementing tissue-scale engineering, I will introduce nanoengineered wire platforms that program naïve T cells without pre-activation through localized delivery of regulatory microRNAs. These nanoscale interfaces rewire T-cell fitness, proliferation, and differentiation, thereby enhancing protective responses and improving the design of adoptive cell therapies. These approaches establish a multi-scale framework for controlling immune cell fate and function. I will conclude by outlining a cohesive, forward-looking vision for Biomedical Engineering, highlighting opportunities for advancing research excellence, educational innovation, and translational impact within a strategic framework.

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ISyE - Student info session with Greenheck Group
2026-03-02 18:00 - 19:00
Room TBD

Join us in welcoming Greenheck Group to UW-Madison. They specialize in reliable air comfort, safety, and energy efficiency. In addition to an info session, they will be talking about the power of leadership. Hope to see you there!

John Brady Memorial Lecture Series
2026-03-03 12:00 - 13:30 | Discovery Building – DeLuca Forum, 330 N. Orchard St, Madison, 53711
The John Brady Memorial Lecture invites our academic community to reflect on how mentorship, community, and academic culture influence graduate students’ ability to navigate uncertainty, remain connected, and progress with purpose.

This lecture reflects on how academic environments shape graduate students’ ability to navigate training with clarity, support, and a sense of direction, understanding career pathways not only as post-graduation outcomes, but as the experience of graduate education itself. Drawing from her own journey as a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her subsequent work in mentoring and academic leadership at University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez, Claribel Acevedo-Vélez examines how mentorship, community, and academic culture influence whether students remain connected, supported, and able to progress through periods of transition and uncertainty.

The talk invites reflection on a central question: do our academic environments enable students to thrive when things become difficult or unclear? This reflection emphasizes shared responsibility for creating academic cultures where excellence, community, and human care are mutually reinforcing.

CBE Seminar Series: Luca Mastropasqua
2026-03-03 16:00 - 17:00
Luca MastropasquaDepartment of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Modular Electrochemical Reactors: Bridging Industrial Electrochemistry and Carbon Valorization

The sustainable transition of the chemical and manufacturing industries is often framed through the lens of decarbonization; however, the true industrial potential of electrochemical conversion processes lies in its ability to provide superior mechanistic control, increase process intensification, and enable flexible and modular operation. Unlike traditional thermochemical routes, thermo-electrochemical systems offer an additional and precise “knob”, the electrochemical potential, to drive selectivity, improve operational flexibility, and integrate seamlessly with existing industrial heat applications.

This presentation explores modular electrochemical reactors as a platform for high-efficiency waste valorization. We will first discuss Proton Conducting Electrolysis (PCE) at temperatures in the range of 150-600°C, highlighting how solid-state proton-conducting electrolytes offer unique thermodynamic and electrocatalytic advantages over traditional aqueous acidic and alkaline systems.

Second, we examine electrodes with mixed potentials in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC) and the unique thermal management strategies available to endothermic chemistries (e.g., co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2) to reduce the process specific energy intensity via thermal coupling. Moreover, by changing electrode morphology and basicity, we demonstrate the ability to “tune” syngas ratios (H2:CO), providing a direct link between electrochemical potential, surface chemistry, and selectivity towards synthetic fuels and high-value chemicals.

Finally, we present a novel electrochemical iron reduction cell whereby solid hematite feedstock is converted via hydrogenative electroreduction at the interface as protons are transported through a proton conducting electrolyte supplied via steam electrooxidation, demonstrating the integration of gas-phase transport with solid-state reduction. Together, these three projects illustrate how electrochemical engineering can transform modularity from a design constraint into a competitive industrial advantage.

MAAFS Board Game Night
2026-03-04 17:30 - 19:30
The Material Advantage and American Foundry Society Club (MAAFS) is hosting a board game night on Wednesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m. in MSE room 265. Games and snacks will be provided.

ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Dakotah Thompson
2026-03-05 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 Dakotah Thompson is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Presentation Title: Misbehaving metals: from anomalous radiative transport to non-Drude behavior.

Abstract: Classical theories governing radiative heat transfer are based on geometrical optics, which presumes that light is a ray. While useful for most engineering applications, this conception is not completely general because it does not account for wave effects like optical interference and diffraction. In this talk, I discuss a limiting case where the size of the objects exchanging heat is much smaller than the radiation wavelengths. Recent work from my group highlights the limitations of Planck’s blackbody law, and reveals that radiative transport between nanoscale objects comprised of polar dielectrics and metals may exhibit qualitatively different size scaling. Overall, these transport characteristics are largely determined by electromagnetic surface modes which are highly dependent on the material’s optical properties. In the second part of the talk, I discuss how optical properties and their frequency dispersion are modeled. Specifically, I will introduce an extended Drude model that can ensure Kramers-Kronig consistency and can accurately predict the optical properties of disordered conductors in the far infrared. Examples of such materials include liquid metals, ionic liquids, cuprate superconductors, and transparent conducting oxides. Overall, the results underlying these studies were obtained using advanced calorimetric and ellipsometric techniques, so experimentalists are highly encouraged to attend.

Bio: Dakotah Thompson has been a faculty member in the Mechanical Engineering department at UW-Madison since 2019. Dakotah earned his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 2018, and his B.S. at Georgia Tech in 2012. Dakotah’s core technical expertise is in nanofabrication and heat flow calorimetry, and he has published several high-impact works in the field of radiative thermal transport.

College of Engineering rural networking event
2026-03-05 17:00 - 18:00 | Engineering Centers Building: Tong Auditorium, Madison, 53706
Engineering Centers Building – Tong Auditorium

Dr. Jennifer Detlor

Join the College of Engineering for a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Detlor about her current research project on rural engineering students and her own rural background! Attendees will be invited to express their interest in being a part of the study. Come learn how your experiences can shape future support for rural CoE students!

Sign up – rural networking event

ISyE - Welcome Back, Badger!
2026-03-06 09:55 - 10:45 | 1800 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Our alumni speaker series is back! Join us as we welcome Jodi Glunz, (BSIE ’92) to share her career journey as an Ergonomics Consultant.

Jodi Glunz – MS, CPE

Mechanics Seminar: Professor Theresa Saxton-Fox
2026-03-06 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 Theresa Saxton-Fox is a professor at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
