BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//College of Engineering - University of Wisconsin-Madison - ECPv6.16.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:College of Engineering - University of Wisconsin-Madison X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu X-WR-CALDESC:Events for College of Engineering - University of Wisconsin-Madison REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20240310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20241103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20260308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20261101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20270314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20271107T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T110000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260310T134733Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T170942Z UID:10001487-1778317200-1778324400@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ISyE/ME Spring Commencement Brunch DESCRIPTION:(Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison)\n\n\n\nAttention all graduates! The joint Graduation Celebration with Industrial & Systems Engineering and Mechanical Engineering will begin at 9:00am on Saturday May 9th\, with remarks and student recognition from the ISyE and ME Chairs at 10:00am. Join us for brunch and show your family and friends where you have been for these last few years! \n\n\n\nDepartment of Mechanical Engineering students RSVP here! \n\n\n\nDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering students RSVP here! URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/isye-me-spring-commencement-brunch-2/ LOCATION:Mechanical Engineering Building – Atrium\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Industrial & Systems Engineering,Mechanical Engineering ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/26springgradbrunch.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260501T020000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260501T150000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T213013Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260205T142651Z UID:10001427-1777600800-1777647600@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Bala Balachandar DESCRIPTION: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 Bala Balachandar is a professor at University of Florida. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-bala-balachandar/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260430T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260430T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T181139Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T142426Z UID:10001412-1777565700-1777568400@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 150th Celebration: Distinguished Alumni\, Fred Kiekhaefer DESCRIPTION: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. Fred Kiekhaefer\, who received his master’s (’72) in mechanical engineering\, is the former President of Mercury Racing. To learn more about Fred Kiekhaefer’s experience\, please join us for this installment of our ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture series. \n\n\n\nTitle: Every Career is a Journey \n\n\n\nAbstract: A brief recap of my career journey will illustrate that success may not be what you think it is. Only about 4% of the world’s people are lucky enough to be in America. Possibilities abound here. Engineering education is a great first step. But you’re not done. You’ve only earned the right to keep learning. When you’re a student for life\, success can occur when your preparation meets with opportunity. Difficulty and setbacks will occur; but redirect\, persevere and always seek opportunity. Take reasonable risk. Still\, there’s always a risk of failure. Focus on the positives; learn from the negatives. Self-doubt is common\, but you can drive through it; personal integrity is non-negotiable. Develop networks! Mentors! Surround yourself with people smarter than you. \n\n\n\nMost importantly\, know that wealth isn’t money: it’s health\, relationships\, integrity & serving a purpose greater than yourself. Find your passion. Enjoy the ride. Have fun! \n\n\n\nBio: Fred Kiekhaefer is an engineer\, entrepreneur\, and former senior executive with a career spanning advanced engineering\, manufacturing\, and marine business leadership. Kiekhaefer is known for his innovative work as the president of Mercury Racing for more than 2 decades. With Kiekhaefer at the helm\, Mercury Racing became the high-performance marine engine leader. \n\n\n\nKiekhaefer holds a BA in Physics from Ripon College\, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from UW–Madison\, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Fred has led organizations ranging from startups to major divisions at leading companies. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to innovation\, continuous learning\, and leadership guided by purpose and integrity. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-150th-celebration-distinguished-alumni-fred-kiekhaefer/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Alumni events,Featured Guest Speaker,Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260424T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260424T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T212820Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T191041Z UID:10001426-1777032000-1777035600@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Jennifer Mitchel DESCRIPTION: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 Jennifer Mitchel is a professor at Wesleyan University. \n\n\n\nTitle: Moving in a crowd: Decoding solid-fluid phase transitions of cellular collectives \n\n\n\nAbstract: The organizational unit of life is the single cell\, and yet the functional unit of multicellular organisms is the tissue\, which is inherently collective. This leads to a fundamental question: how do cells self-organize into coherent\, coordinated collectives? Importantly\, in in vitro systems where external organizing mechanisms (e.g. tissue-level morphogen gradients) are absent\, individual cells spontaneously self-organize into multicellular functional units. Towards developing an understanding of cellular self-organization into coherent collectives\, we focus on the dynamics and structure of the human airway epithelium. Under homeostatic conditions\, human airway epithelium is differentiated\, stable\, and able to withstand insults including pollution\, allergens\, and pathogens. This epithelial collective is typically stationary but exhibits collective migration in a range of circumstances\, including during differentiation\, in response to a variety of pathological stimuli\, and under disease states such as asthma and COPD. As airway basal cells differentiate and form a stable tissue\, they transition from a collectively migratory\, fluidized state to a stationary\, solid-like state. The fluidized state is characterized by cell elongation and alignment into cooperative migratory flocks\, but as the collective solidifies\, cells adopt more regular\, isotropic\, and homogenous shapes\, and motion slows. This stationary\, differentiated cellular collective can in turn be triggered to undergo a seemingly reverse process\, in which the collective fluidizes\, and large-scale\, coordinated motion emerges. We find that well-described biological mechanisms can only partially account for the collective dynamics in this system\, and begin to develop biophysical frameworks of cellular solidification and fluidization\, towards understanding emergent multicellular coordination. \n\n\n\nBio: Dr. Mitchel received an undergrad degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in bioengineering from MIT\, followed by graduate training in biomedical engineering with a focus on nerve tissue regeneration at Brown University. She went on to study mechanobiology and epithelial biology at the Harvard School of Public Health\, and now runs a research group and teaches at Wesleyan University. Prof. Mitchel’s scientific work integrates techniques from cell and tissue engineering\, mechanobiology\, and cell biology\, to explore how biological information at the single-cell level combines with local physical forces to drive collective cellular migration in development\, regeneration\, and disease. Prof. Mitchel teaches courses on cell biology\, bioengineering\, and cell migration. Her work has been supported by the Parker B. Francis Foundation and by the NSF. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-jennifer-mitchel/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260423T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260423T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T171302Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T191229Z UID:10001410-1776960000-1776963600@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Wei Chen DESCRIPTION: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 Wei Chen is a professor at Northwestern University.\ \n\n\n\nTitle: Integrating Physical Intelligence with Artificial Intelligence: Autonomous Design and Manufacturing of Emerging Material Systemsids \n\n\n\nAbstract: Achieving superior performance in future material systems hinges on optimizing the heterogeneity of materials and structures. However\, the design and fabrication of such advanced systems present significant challenges\, requiring the integration of knowledge across multiple domains—including materials science\, manufacturing\, structural mechanics\, and design optimization. This talk introduces a paradigm shift toward unifying “physical intelligence” with artificial intelligence (AI) to realize “embodied intelligence” in material systems. By combining data-driven generative design with physics-based modeling and simulation\, we enable seamless integration of predictive materials modeling\, advanced manufacturing\, and design optimization—accelerating the development and deployment of next-generation materials. We will present state-of-the-art design methodologies that leverage statistical inference and AI techniques for the design of nano- and microstructured materials and programmable metamaterials responsive to external stimuli\, covering methods such as machine learning\, mixed-variable Latent Variable Gaussian Process (LVGP) modeling\, Bayesian optimization\, differentiable simulation\, topology optimization\, and generative design. The talk will also highlight recent advances in digital twins for autonomous co-design and manufacturing\, using additive manufacturing as an example to showcase how these tools are transforming the landscape of intelligent material systems. \n\n\n\nBio: Dr. Wei Chen is the Wilson-Cook Professor in Engineering Design and Chair of Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University. Directing the Integrated DEsign Automation Laboratory (IDEAL- http://ideal.mech.northwestern.edu/)\, her current research involves the use of statistical inference\, AI\, and uncertainty quantification techniques for design of emerging materials systems including microstructural materials\, metamaterials and programmable materials. She serves as the Design Thrust lead for the newly funded NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) on Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing\, Moving from Evolution to Revolution (HAMMER)\, where she works on digital twin systems for concurrent materials and manufacturing process design. Dr. Chen is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S). She served as the Editor-in-chief of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design\, the Chair of the ASME Design Engineering Division (DED)\, and the President of the International Society of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (ISSMO). She currently serves as the chair of the ASME Mechanical Engineering Department Heads Executive Committee (MEDHEC). Dr. Chen is the recipient of the 2025 ASME Barnett-Uzgiris Product Safety Design Award\, 2022 Engineering Science Medal from the Society of Engineering Science (SES)\, ASME Pi Tau Sigma Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award (2021)\, ASME Design Automation Award (2015)\, Intelligent Optimal Design Prize (2005)\, ASME Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal achievement award (1998)\, and the NSF Faculty Career Award (1996). She received her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-wei-chen/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260417T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260417T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T213231Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T145848Z UID:10001428-1776427200-1776430800@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Midwest Mechanics Seminar: Professor Laura de Lorenzis DESCRIPTION:The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids\, fluids\, and dynamics). This specific seminar is hosted in conjunction with the Midwest Mechanics Seminar Series. Professor Laura de Lorenzis is a professor at Institute for Mechanical Systems – Zurich. \n\n\n\nTitle: Material model discovery: from sparse regression to the language of material laws \n\n\n\nAbstract: The lecture provides an overview of recent research by the speaker’s group and collaborators on the automated discovery of material models. This research advocates a paradigm shift: moving beyond the traditional approach of calibrating unknown parameters within a preselected material model\, towards the new objective of model discovery. \n\n\n\nModel discovery entails the simultaneous selection\, generation\, or encoding of the most suitable model to interpret experimental data\, along with the calibration of its parameters. To this end\, a variety of tools are employed—ranging from sparse regression to Bayesian learning\, and from formal grammars to symbolic regression. While each tool has distinct features\, they share the common aim of enforcing physics constraints and ensuring interpretability of the discovered models. \n\n\n\nInitially developed to discover a specific model within a given category (e.g. hyperelasticity\, viscoelasticity\, or plasticity)\, the approach has more recently been extended to the general case of materials belonging to an unknown class of constitutive behavior. Additional aspects such as data type\, specimen design\, and experimental validation are also discussed \n\n\n\nBio: Laura De Lorenzis received her Engineering degree and her PhD from the University of her hometown Lecce\, in southern Italy\, where she first stayed as Assistant and later as Associate Professor of Solid and structural mechanics. In 2013 she moved to the TU Braunschweig\, Germany\, as Professor and Director of the Institute of Applied Mechanics. There she was founding member and first Chair (2017-2020) of the Center for Mechanics\, Uncertainty and Simulation in Engineering. Since 2020 she is Professor of Computational Mechanics at ETH Zürich\, in the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering. She was visiting scholar in several renowned institutions\, including Chalmers University of Technology\, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University\, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (as holder of a Fulbright Fellowship in 2006)\, the Leibniz University of Hannover (with an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship in 2010-2011)\, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Cape Town. She is the recipient of several prizes\, including the RILEM L’Hermite Medal 2011\, the AIMETA Junior Prize 2011\, the IIFC Young Investigator Award 2012\, the Euromech Solid Mechanics Fellowship 2022\, the IACM Fellowship 2024\, two best paper awards and two student teaching prizes. In 2011 she was awarded a European Research Council Starting Researcher Grant. She has delivered over 30 plenary lectures at international conferences and authored or co-authored more than 170 papers on international journals on different topics of computational and applied mechanics. Since 2023 she is Editor of Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/midwest-mechanics-seminar-professor-laura-de-lorenzis/ LOCATION:Engineering Research Building\, Room 106\, 1500 Engineering Dr.\, Madison\, Wisconsin\, 53706 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260416T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260416T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T171040Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260401T153438Z UID:10001409-1776356100-1776358800@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 150th Celebration: Distinguished Alumni\, Dr. Kelly Senecal DESCRIPTION:To celebrate 150 years of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison\, the Department of Mechanical Engineering will feature distinguished alumni in mechanical engineering and engineering mechanics who have made a lasting impact on the field. Kelly Senecal\, who received his master’s (’97) and PhD (’00) in mechanical engineering\, is the cofounder of Convergent Science. Kelly also received the 2025 Luminary Award! To learn more about Dr. Kelly Senecal’s experience\, please join us for this installment of our ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture series. \n\n\n\nTitle: From Graduate Research to Global Impact: Building a CFD Company That Challenged Convention \n\n\n\nAbstract: This seminar reflects on the journey from graduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison to co-founding a company built on the idea that even established engineering fields can be reimagined. I will share formative experiences from my time at UW–Madison\, the early vision behind building a different kind of CFD company\, and the challenges of pursuing an approach that did not always align with conventional thinking. \n\n\n\nAlong the way\, I will highlight how computational fluid dynamics has grown from a specialized research tool into a technology with global impact across transportation\, energy\, and other critical industries. More importantly\, I will reflect on the lessons learned: that meaningful innovation often requires patience\, resilience\, and the courage to trust fundamentals over trends. \n\n\n\nFor students and researchers\, the message is simple: protect your curiosity\, question assumptions\, and be willing to take the long path. The most impactful ideas are not always the most popular at the start\, `but they are the ones worth pursuing. \n\n\n\nBio: Dr. Kelly Senecal is a co-founder of Convergent Science\, an industry-leading computational fluid dynamics software company. He is a visiting professor at the University of Oxford and a co-founder and director of the Computational Chemistry Consortium (C3). Dr. Senecal is a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)\, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)\, and the Combustion Institute (CI). He is the Chair of the executive committee of the ASME Transportation Systems Division and a member of the board of directors of the Combustion Institute. Recent accolades include the 2019 ASME ICE Award\, the 2023 SAE John Johnson Diesel Engine Research Medal\, the 2023 ASME Dedicated Service Award\, the 2025 ASME Soichiro Honda Medal\, and the 2025 University of Wisconsin Alumni Association Luminary Award. \n\n\n\nDr. Senecal has long been an advocate of creating cleaner propulsion systems\, with a particular focus on using CFD and HPC to enable faster design. Starting with his TEDx talk in late 2016\, he has promoted a diverse mix of transportation technologies through invited talks\, articles\, and social media. Dr. Senecal is co-author of the book Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green\, winner of the 2022 Independent Press Award for Environment. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-dr-kelly-senecal/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260410T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260410T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T212617Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T154612Z UID:10001425-1775822400-1775826000@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Ricardo Vinuesa DESCRIPTION:The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids\, fluids\, and dynamics). Professor Ricardo Vinuesa is a professor at Michigan University. \n\n\n\nTitle: Explainable deep learning and foundation models: control and scientific discovery \n\n\n\nAbstract: In this seminar we discuss a unified framework that combines explainable deep learning\, deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and foundation models to advance both understanding and control of turbulence\, with direct implications for accelerated design and discovery. First\, we will show how explainable deep learning techniques can be used to identify the flow features that are truly responsible for key turbulent processes in wall-bounded flows. By systematically interrogating trained neural networks\, we uncover the most influential coherent structures driving momentum transport and drag. Our results reveal that classically studied structures (while important) provide only a partial and sometimes misleading perspective\, motivating a more data-driven and physics-aware view of turbulence organization. Building on these insights\, we will demonstrate how deep reinforcement learning can be used to actively control turbulent flows by targeting the dynamically relevant structures identified through explainability. This approach achieves over 30% drag reduction in canonical wall-bounded turbulence and extends naturally to more complex configurations\, including turbulent wings\, highlighting the scalability of learning-based control strategies. Finally\, we will introduce a foundation-model-based framework for accelerated design\, optimization and scientific discovery. By learning compact\, interpretable latent representations of high-dimensional flow physics\, these models (combined with agentic-AI systems) enable rapid exploration of design spaces\, causal reasoning and closed-loop optimization\, bridging the gap between expensive simulations\, control and engineering decision making. Together\, these results illustrate how explainable and agentic AI are becoming essential for turbulence physics\, flow control and next-generation engineering design. \n\n\n\nBio: Dr. Ricardo Vinuesa is the Associate Chair for Research and an Associate Professor at the Department of Aerospace Engineering\, University of Michigan. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain)\, and he received his PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. His research combines numerical simulations and data-driven methods to understand\, control and predict complex wall-bounded turbulent flows\, such as the boundary layers developing around wings and the flow in urban environments. Dr. Vinuesa has received\, among others\, an ERC Consolidator Grant\, the Harleman Lecture Award\, the TSFP Kasagi Award\, the MST Emerging Leaders Award\, the Goran Gustafsson Award for Young Researchers\, the IIT Outstanding Young Alumnus Award and the SARES Young Researcher Award. He received the Outstanding Reviewer Prize of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics and he is also a member of the Young Academy of Science of Spain. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-ricardo-vinuesa/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T163008Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T145703Z UID:10001408-1775750400-1775754000@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Riley Barta DESCRIPTION:The ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture Series features campus and visiting speakers who present on a variety of research topics in the field of mechanical engineering. Professor Riley Barta is a professor at Purdue University. \n\n\n\nTitle: Bridging Scales: High-Fidelity Characterization and Modeling to Deploy Sustainable Working Fluids \n\n\n\nAbstract: Climate change is driving the decarbonization of energy systems\, where reducing direct and indirect CO₂ emissions is critical to lowering the environmental impact of cooling\, heating\, and power conversion technologies. Approximately 40% of U.S. energy is consumed by buildings\, and interest in decarbonizing commercial cooling and industrial processes through heat pumps and waste heat recovery is rapidly increasing. At the same time\, the environmental impact of the working fluids themselves cannot be overlooked\, and evolving regulations phasing out working fluids further complicate the development of sustainable thermal systems. This talk will address these themes in the context of two research efforts: High-temperature heat pumps and expansion work recovery in transcritical CO₂ refrigeration systems. In these efforts\, experimental and numerical methods were employed across a range of fidelities\, from empirical correlations to high-frequency pressure pulsation measurements. The challenges and opportunities associated with low-global-warming-potential working fluids will be discussed\, along with examples of ongoing research\, infrastructure development\, and future directions. \n\n\n\nBio: Riley Barta has been an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University’s Ray W. Herrick Laboratories since 2023. His research area is thermal systems technology\, with a focus on the characterization and implementation of environmentally friendly working fluids and the development of equipment to utilize them in vapor compression systems\, waste heat utilization\, refrigerant property characterization\, data center and electronics cooling as well as aircraft thermal management. In 2024\, Dr. Barta received the ASHRAE New Investigator Award to focus on practical challenges surrounding zeotropic mixtures in heat pumps. \n\n\n\nBefore starting joining the faculty at Purdue University\, Dr. Barta received an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship while working for several years as the Refrigeration Research Group Leader at the TU Dresden in Germany. Additionally\, he received the DKV (German Refrigeration Society) Young Talent Award for his Ph.D. Dissertation on efficiency increasing measures for transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-riley-barta/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260327T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260327T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T212420Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T154711Z UID:10001424-1774612800-1774616400@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Xiangru Xu DESCRIPTION:The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids\, fluids\, and dynamics). Professor Xiangru Xu is a professor at UW-Madison. \n\n\n\nTitle: Safe Control for Learning-Enabled Autonomous Systems \n\n\n\nAbstract: This talk presents recent advances in provably safe control for learning-enabled autonomous systems. In the first part\, I will discuss reachability analysis and controlled invariance of neural network control systems. I will introduce methods for safety verification and safe control synthesis based on forward and backward reachable set computations using constrained and hybrid zonotopes\, together with an interval-based invariance operator for computing the maximum controlled invariant set. In the second part\, I will present hierarchical safe control architectures that integrate a high-level optimization-based motion planner with a low-level safety filter\, providing formal guarantees of continuous-time safety constraint satisfaction. I will demonstrate their effectiveness through two case studies: safe trajectory planning and tracking for quadrotors\, and occlusion-free visual servoing of robotic manipulators. \n\n\n\nBio: Xiangru Xu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Ph.D. from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and held postdoctoral positions at the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and the Best New Application Paper Award from IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control\, Control Theory and Technology\, and Autonomous Intelligent Systems\, and is a member of the IEEE Control Systems Society Conference Editorial Board. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-xiangru-xu/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260326T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260326T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260116T194600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T154848Z UID:10001413-1774540800-1774544400@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Laura Grossenbacher DESCRIPTION:The ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture Series features campus and visiting speakers who present on a variety of research topics in the field of mechanical engineering. Professor Laura Grossenbacher is the Director of Technical Communication with the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. \n\n\n\nTitle: Navigating Ethical Challenges in Mechanical Engineering Research and Industry Contexts: Strategies for Ethical Leadership – and Followership \n\n\n\nAbstract: This workshop will provide a brief background on engineering ethics challenges and the behavioral science that suggests we must think both with and beyond a Code of Ethics to deal with the moral ambiguities that can emerge in complex workplace contexts\, including in university research labs and large engineering organizations. We will explore questions that engineering leaders should ask themselves – but also some “followership” strategies for those engineers who are not yet leaders.My hope is to engage the ME 903 students in discussion of a couple of unique cases to practice voicing\, listening\, and productively responding to the values of their peers. \n\n\n\nBio: Laura Grossenbacher is Director of Undergraduate Program Review and Director of the Technical Communication Program in the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and has been teaching courses in engineering communication and ethics for over twenty-five years to both undergraduates and graduate students in the UW Madison College of Engineering. Since year 2012 she has been developing ethics cases for use with a variety of different Professional Engineering groups\, including engineers working for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation\, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources\, American Transmission Company\, Madison Gas and Electric\, WE Energies\, Realtime Utility\, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District\, and the American Water Resources Administration; she has also held ethics workshops for the Wisconsin Structural Engineering Code Refresher Annual Conference\, the Wisconsin Concrete Pavement Association\, the Wisconsin Society for Landscape Architects\, and the American Society for Heating\, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. \n\n\n\nHer ethics workshops are designed to engage engineers and other professionals in discussing and applying codes of ethics\, moral theory\, and behavioral science to practical cases.She is a member of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE)\, and a current co-chair\, with Rider Foley\, of the Online Ethics Center Community of Practice in Teaching Engineering Ethics. Her most recent conference workshops have been for the annual ABET Symposium and at the American Society for Engineering Education on using applied ethics cases to interrogate challenges with power and inclusivity. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-dakotah-thompson/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260320T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260320T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T212217Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T135744Z UID:10001423-1774008000-1774011600@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Debanjan Mukherjee DESCRIPTION:The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids\, fluids\, and dynamics). Professor Debanjan Mukherjee is a professor at University of Colorado Boulder. \n\n\n\nPresentation Title: The Biofluid Dynamics Of Thrombosis: what doors can custom in silico models open for us? \n\n\n\nAbstract: Thrombosis\, or the pathological clotting of blood in the human body\, is the key underlying cause of severe cardiovascular disease like heart attack and stroke; which together comprise major global causes of death and disability. Fluid dynamics plays an intricate underlying role in pathological clot initiation\, formation and growth\, and subsequent clot deformation and potential fragmentation (or embolization). There exists a significant body of evidence on this underlying role of flow\, and flow-mediated transport from in vivo murine models\, and microfluidic assays with whole human blood. Yet\, the recapitulation of dynamic clot-flow interactions within real human vascular segments continues to remain a major challenge; and there are currently limited avenues to probe and understand these interactions via standard-of-care imaging. Here\, we will showcase custom numerical modeling frameworks that we have developed over the years to address the aforementioned challenge; enabling deep quantitative insights on local clot-flow interactions\, clot mechanical response to flow-induced loading\, and biochemical transport within and around clots. We will specifically illustrate approaches that resolve key features of real human clots\, such as heterogeneous structure and micro-composition\, and their interplay with locally non-linear fluid flows. We will also illustrate numerical methods that help model and investigate physiologically critical processes such as clot contraction mechanics\, which are otherwise challenging to replicate in an in silico setting. We will close by showcasing our efforts on releasing these computational modeling tools to the broader community as open-source tools. \n\n\n\nBio: Debanjan Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also a program faculty for the Biomedical Engineering program\, and a faculty council member at the BioFrontiers Institute at CU Boulder. He leads an inter-disciplinary flow physics and biofluids research group named FLOWLab. Prof. Mukherjee completed his undergraduate studies at IIT Madras in India\, and subsequently his doctoral and post-doctoral training at the University of California\, Berkeley. He has received several awards in recognition of his work: including the National Institutes of Health Trailblazer Award for new and early-career investigators; the ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award; the American Heart Association post-doctoral fellowship award; and has recently been selected as a Research and Innovation Office Faculty Fellow and a Dean’s Excellence Fellow in Generative AI at the University of Colorado Boulder. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-dabanjan-mukherjee/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260313T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260313T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T211905Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T132018Z UID:10001422-1773403200-1773406800@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Xiaobo Tan DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nPresentation Title: Control of Underwater Robots with Localization Constraints \n\n\n\nAbstract: 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. \n\n\n\nBio: 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. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-xiaobo-tan/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260312T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260312T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T160546Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T131902Z UID:10001406-1773331200-1773334800@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Harley Johnson DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nPresentation Title: Defects in Quantum Materials and Perspectives on the Future of Quantum Computing \n\n\n\nAbstract: 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. \n\n\n\nIn 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. \n\n\n\nI 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. \n\n\n\nBio: 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. \n\n\n\nJohnson’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. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-harley-johnson/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260306T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260306T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T211709Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T142121Z UID:10001421-1772798400-1772802000@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Theresa Saxton-Fox DESCRIPTION: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. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-theresa-saxton-fox/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260305T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260305T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T160258Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T173029Z UID:10001405-1772726400-1772730000@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Dakotah Thompson DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nPresentation Title: Misbehaving metals: from anomalous radiative transport to non-Drude behavior. \n\n\n\nAbstract: 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. \n\n\n\nBio: 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. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-laura-grossenbacher/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260227T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260227T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T211424Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T172842Z UID:10001420-1772193600-1772197200@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Wonmo Kang DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nPresentation Title: Mechanisms Behind Enhanced Electrical and Mechanical Properties in Graphene–Metal Composites \n\n\n\nAbstract: 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. \n\n\n\nBio: 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. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-wonmo-kang/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260226T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260226T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T155900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T172746Z UID:10001404-1772121600-1772125200@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Evangelos Theodorou DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nPresentation Title: Optimization for Decision-Making in the Era of Artificial Intelligence. \n\n\n\nAbstract: 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. \n\n\n\nBio: 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. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-evangelos-theodorou-2/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260220T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260220T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T211055Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T173758Z UID:10001419-1771588800-1771592400@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Midwest Mechanics Seminar: Professor Bharath Ganapathisubramani DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nPresentation Title: Vortex Dominated Flows: Can’t live with them…Can’t live without them… \n\n\n\nAbstract: 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.  \n\n\n\nBio: 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. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/midwest-mechanics-seminar-professor-bharath-ganapathisubramani/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260219T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260219T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T173925Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T173620Z UID:10001411-1771516800-1771520400@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 150th Celebration: Distinguished Alumni\, Chris Schyvinck DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nPresentation 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. \n\n\n\nBio: 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. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-150th-celebration-distinguished-alumni-chris-schyvinck/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Alumni events,Featured Guest Speaker,Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260212T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260212T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T155244Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T165216Z UID:10001403-1770912000-1770915600@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Dr. Edward Cole DESCRIPTION: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. Dr. Edward Cole is a Research Director at Norsk Hydro. \n\n\n\nBio: Edward Cole is a proud native of Nashville\, TN and the fourth child of Lawrence & Delores Cole. Edward gained interest in engineering as a pre-teen while working in his father’s upholstery shop and by participating in a variety of home improvement projects. College prep courses and pivotal mentors led Edward to enroll as a Presidential Scholar at Tennessee State University (TSU) where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (2006). During his years at TSU\, Edward interned with notable companies such as Nissan\, Honeywell\, Hospital Corporations of America\, and Y-12 National Security Complex. These valuable experiences showed Edward that he wanted more out of his education. So\, the following year he enrolled as a Graduate Engineering Research Scholar (GERS) in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison\, with emphasis on manufacturing processes. \n\n\n\nWhile in Madison\, Edward participated in the Allied Community Outreach Group as well as the National Society of Black Engineers – Wisconsin Black Engineering Students Society (NSBE-WBESS). During the summer\, you could often find Edward teaching engineering concepts to high school students through the PEOPLE program at UW-Madison or as a guest speaker to young students interested in STEM fields. In May 2009\, Edward successfully defended his Master’s thesis entitled Investigation of Weld Material and Process Parameter Influence on Required Forge Force in Friction Stir Welding. Shortly after finishing the Master’s thesis\, Edward was accepted as a PhD candidate in the Mechanical Engineering Department at UW-Madison. In December 2012 Edward defended his PhD dissertation entitled The Impact of Alloy and Tool Features on Friction Stir Welding Forces. The research focused on tool design\, weld parameters and mechanical properties\, all process characteristics to facilitate broader implementation of friction stir welding of aluminum. \n\n\n\nEdward began his industrial career in 2013 as a Mechanical Engineer at Schlumberger in Houston\, TX where he spent three years in downhole tool manufacturing. In 2016 Edward joined Sapa Extrusion in Troy\, MI\, responsible for process development and prototypes for a friction stir welded subframe for the Ford Edge. Success in welding and engineering projects led to a ~2yr expat opportunity in Finspång\, Sweden. Edward returned to the US in 2019 as an R&D Manager with both personnel and strategy responsibility. Contributions continued and leadership competence grew. In 2025\, Edward was named Director of Research\, responsible for academic partnerships\, prototype development\, and intellectual property in North America. \n\n\n\nEdward lives in Troy\, MI with his wife Adrienne and two sons\, Edward (6) and Ethan (3). He is an active member at Detroit Church and now has a special place in his heart for the Detroit Lions\, Detroit Pistons and Detroit Redwings. Edward spends time in nature with golf clubs and enjoys vacations near water and mountains. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-dr-edward-cole/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260206T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260206T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T210812Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260205T142949Z UID:10001418-1770379200-1770382800@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor D. Emma Fan DESCRIPTION: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 D. Emma Fan is a professor at University of Texas – Austin. \n\n\n\nRobotic Materials and Devices Across Scales for Biomedical Applications \n\n\n\nAbstract: In this talk\, I will discuss our recent work in materials fabrication\, manipulation\, assembly\, and manufacturing tailored towards biomedical applications. The focus is on active materials and robotic devices enabled by materials control across a wide range of length scales. At the nanoscale\, I will discuss 3D electrokinetic tweezers\, an ultra-precision tool developed in my lab\, which can be used to manipulate nanowires in room-temperature aqueous solutions. With this technique\, designed nanoparticles are maneuvered as untethered robotic tools for probing single biological cells; the precision reaches 20 nm in position and 0.5° in orientation in solution under a standard microscope. At a slightly larger\, chip-scale\, I will describe a recent innovation that permits the light-controlled patterning of soft actuators made of microbubbles\, which assemble large arrays of nanoparticles in parallel. The co-assembly of nanosensor-cell hybrids can be further achieved that detect metabolites of bacterial cells. Finally\, I will present a rational scheme for developing large-scale\, hierarchically porous superstructures for applications in monitoring human health and public-health relevant water treatment. \n\n\n\nBio: Dr. D. Emma Fan is Harry L. Kent\, Jr. Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin\, with affiliated appointments in Electrical and Computer Engineering\, the Materials Science and Engineering Program\, and the Texas Materials Institute. \n\n\n\nProf. Fan leads a research program focused on the fabrication\, manipulation\, and assembly of intelligent micro/nanoscale structures\, 3D hierarchical porous materials\, and stimulus-responsive systems.She is a recipient of two NSF awards: the NSF CAREER Award (2012) and the NSF Mid-Career Advancement Award (2022). She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2021) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) (2024)\, where she was elected to the Board of Directors (2025) by a vote of over 2\,000 Fellows. She was named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors in 2025 and has served as an Official Nominator for the Japan Prize since 2017. Dr\, Fan was selected as the 2022 Ilene Busch-Vishniac Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University—an honor that celebrates outstanding women in engineering and aims to inspire the next generation. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-d-emma-fan/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260205T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260205T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T154844Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260205T142743Z UID:10001402-1770307200-1770310800@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Marta Hatzell DESCRIPTION: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 Marta Hatzell is a professor at Georgia Tech University. \n\n\n\nElectrochemical Systems to Enable Circularity \n\n\n\nAbstract: Electrochemical technologies are emerging as key enablers of circular chemical systems as electrochemical systems are modular and able to connect to stranded energy sources. In this context\, I will highlight recent advances in electrochemical processes that address carbon capture and utilization\, resource recovery from waste\, and sustainable fertilizer production. Specifically\, I will provide insights into how bipolar membrane (BPM) electrolysis could provide a promising avenue to integrate carbon capture systems with conversion systems. Second\, I will examine how electrified separations processes may enable more effective nutrient management at agricultural and water treatment sites. Finally\, I will discuss the prospects for fully decentralized fertilizer production and highlight the potential advantages and disadvantages of distributed chemical manufacturing. \n\n\n\nBio: Marta Hatzell the Woodruff Professor Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology\, with a joint appointment in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Her research group investigates sustainable catalysis and separations\, with applications ranging from e-fuel production to resource recovery from waste. Dr. Hatzell’s honors include the NSF Early CAREER Award\, ONR Young Investigator Award\, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Inventor Fellow\, Sloan Fellow in Chemistry\, and the ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering Lectureship Award. Dr. Hatzell also serves as a Senior Editor for the Journal ACS Energy Letters. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-marta-hatzell/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260130T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260130T130000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260120T210541Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T141901Z UID:10001417-1769774400-1769778000@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Haneesh Kesari DESCRIPTION: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 Haneesh Kesari is a professor at Brown University. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-haneesh-kesari/ LOCATION:1227 Engineering Hall\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, WI\, 53706\, United States CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260129T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260129T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T154543Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T143847Z UID:10001401-1769702400-1769706000@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Matteo Bucci DESCRIPTION: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 Matteo Bucci is a professor at MIT. \n\n\n\nTitle: FARAWAY\, SO CLOSE: HIGH RESOLUTION INVESTIGATIONS OF BOILING HEAT TRANSFER\, FROM CRYOGENIC FLUIDS TO HIGH-PRESSURE WATER \n\n\n\nAbstract: In every field of science\, the possibility of discovering and understanding new phenomena or testing new hypotheses is strongly related to and limited by the capability of observation. Here\, we will discuss recent advances in experimental boiling heat transfer research made possible by unique experimental facilities and non-intrusive high-resolution optical diagnostics. We will analyze the capabilities and limitations of these techniques in supporting the understanding of fundamental two-phase heat transfer problems\, with a focus on extreme boiling conditions such as the boiling of water at high pressure and temperature\, close to nuclear reactor conditions\, the boiling of dielectric fluids for electronic cooling applications\, or the boiling of cryogenic fluids relevant to space propulsion and energy storage. The use of these diagnostics has been instrumental in providing answers to long-standing fundamental questions on the fluid dynamics and heat transfer nature of these processes. \n\n\n\nBio: Matteo Bucci is the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research group studies two-phase heat transfer mechanisms in nuclear reactors and space systems\, develops high-resolution non-intrusive diagnostics and surface engineering techniques to enhance two-phase heat transfer\, and creates machine learning tools to accelerate data analysis and conduct autonomous heat transfer experiments. He has won several awards for his research and teaching\, including the MIT Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching (2020)\, ANS/PAI Outstanding Faculty Award (2018 and 2023)\, the UIT-Fluent Award (2006)\, the European Nuclear Education Network Award (2010)\, and the 2012 ANS Thermal-Hydraulics Division Award. Matteo is the founding editor and deputy Editor-in-Chief of AI Thermal Fluids. He also serves as Editor of Applied Thermal Engineering\, is the founder and coordinator of the NSF Thermal Transport Café and works as a consultant for the nuclear industry. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-matteo-bucci/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260122T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260122T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20260115T153944Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T143741Z UID:10001400-1769097600-1769101200@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Jeff Tithof DESCRIPTION: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 Jeff Tithof is a professor at the University of Minnesota. \n\n\n\nTitle: Coupled Blood–CSF Flow Dynamics Driving Waste Clearance in the Brain \n\n\n\nAbstract: The last decade has seen a tremendous increase in research probing the role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation through the brain in health and disease. This circulation\, known as the “glymphatic” (glial-lymphatic) system\, is a novel transport pathway first described in 2012 which plays an important role in removing protein waste from the brain. Amyloid-beta is one such protein waste that is known to accumulate over decades\, contributing to the development of neurodegenerative diseases\, including Alzheimer’s. I will first give a brief history of this field\, then discuss several important open questions\, including what propels CSF circulation and why it decreases with aging. I will present recent numerical modeling from my research team that suggests CSF and blood flow work synergistically to amplify brain waste clearance. I will also show that by carefully calibrating our model against published in vivo measurements of amyloid-beta\, we obtained critical waste production and clearance parameters not yet measured in experiments. In the last portion of the seminar\, I will present preliminary results from in vivo mouse experiments demonstrating how neuromodulation (electrical stimulation of nerves) can be leveraged to enhance glymphatic transport in the brain\, potentially leading to therapeutic approaches to prevent or slow progression of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. \n\n\n\nBio: Dr. Jeff Tithof is a Benjamin Mayhugh Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Georgia Tech in 2016 and his B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from University of Tennessee in 2010. From 2016 to 2020\, Jeff was a postdoc then an Assistant Research Professor at University of Rochester. His research focuses on biological fluid dynamics\, often involving complementary utilization of in vivo experiments and numerical simulations. Jeff has coauthored 35 peer-reviewed publications\, including 20 involving brain mass transport. Jeff received the University of Minnesota Mechanical Engineering “Nugent Family Faculty Teaching Award” in 2025 and a “Career Award at the Scientific Interface” from Burroughs Wellcome Fund in 2019. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-jeff-tithof/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251205T120500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251205T125500 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20250825T200658Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T213200Z UID:10001282-1764936300-1764939300@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Kenny Breuer DESCRIPTION: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 Kenny Breuer is a professor at Brown University. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-kenny-kreuer/ LOCATION:Engineering Hall\, RM 1610\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251204T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251204T170000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20250811T165748Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T165835Z UID:10001269-1764864000-1764867600@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Leora Dresslhaus-Marais DESCRIPTION: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 Leora Dresslhaus-Marais is a professor at Stanford University. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/me-903-graduate-seminar-professor-leora-dresslhaus-marais/ LOCATION:3M Auditorium\, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building\, 1513 University Ave\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-12-jpg.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251203T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251203T100000 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20250515T144158Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250515T144201Z UID:10001240-1764752400-1764756000@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Grad School Virtual Info Session DESCRIPTION:Join us to learn more about graduate school with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UW-Madison! We will be hosting virtual sessions on the first Wednesday of every month from June through December from 9:00-10:00am CST. Please RSVP here. \n\n\n\nThose who attend will learn more about: \n\n\n\n\nMechanical Engineering Department programs overview (including department research overview)\n\n\n\nResearch MS and PhD program information\n\n\n\nProfessional (course-only) based MS program information\n\n\n\nAdmissions Information\n\n\n\nFaculty & Graduate Student Panel\n\n\n\nQ&A\n\n\n\nMuch More!\n\n\n\n\nQuestions? Email us at dept@me.engr.wisc.edu URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/grad-school-virtual-info-session-9/ CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251121T120500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251121T125500 DTSTAMP:20260605T001742 CREATED:20250825T200427Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T213052Z UID:10001281-1763726700-1763729700@engineering.wisc.edu SUMMARY:Mechanics Seminar: Professor Wayne Chen DESCRIPTION: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 Wayne Chen is a professor at Iowa State University. URL:https://engineering.wisc.edu/event/mechanics-seminar-professor-wayne-chen/ LOCATION:Engineering Hall\, RM 1610\, 1415 Engineering Drive\, Madison\, 53711 CATEGORIES:Mechanical Engineering,Seminar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Event-Graphics-for-Calendar-11-jpg.avif END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR