College of Engineering - University of Wisconsin-Madison

ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Evangelos Theodorou
2026-02-26 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | 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.

Print PDF

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.

ISyE - Ice skating with IISE
2026-03-06 17:00 - 18:15 | Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center, 1976 Observatory Dr, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center

Join IISE at the Bakke for an awesome ice skate social. Free admission and complimentary skates for all!

ECE RISE-AI SEMINAR SERIES: Dr. Jingfeng Wu
2026-03-09 16:00 - 17:00 | Discovery Building, 330 N. Orchard St., Madison, Wisconsin, 53715
Towards a Less Conservative Theory of Machine Learning: Unstable Optimization and Implicit Regularization

Abstract: Deep learning’s empirical success challenges the “conservative” nature of classical optimization and statistical learning theories. Classical theory mandates small stepsizes for training stability and explicit regularization for complexity control. Yet, deep learning leverages mechanisms that thrive beyond these traditional boundaries. In this talk, I present a research program dedicated to building a less conservative theoretical foundation by demystifying two such mechanisms:

1. Unstable Optimization: I show that large stepsizes, despite causing local oscillations, accelerate the global convergence of gradient descent (GD) in overparameterized logistic regression.

Dr. Jingfeng Wu

2. Implicit Regularization: I show that the implicit regularization of early-stopped GD statistically dominates explicit $ell_2$-regularization across all linear regression problem instances.

I further showcase how the theoretical principles lead to practice-relevant algorithmic designs (such as Seesaw for reducing serial steps in large language model pretraining). I conclude by outlining a path towards a rigorous understanding of modern learning paradigms.

Bio: Dr. Jingfeng Wu is a postdoctoral fellow at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on deep learning theory, optimization, and statistical learning. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to that, he received a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.S. in Applied Mathematics, both from Peking University. In 2023, he was recognized as a Rising Star in Data Science by the University of Chicago and UC San Diego.

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

ISyE - Study night
2026-03-09 17:00 - 19:00 | 410 Wendt Commons, 215 N Randall Avenue, Madison, 53706
410 Wendt Commons

Studying alone is no fun – join the students of IISE to subsitute a boring study night with one full of food and friends. Special thanks to corporate sponsor AprilAire.

ECE Discovery Panel: Optimization and Control
2026-03-10 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 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
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
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.

Print PDF

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
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.
