Speaker Series
In support of our teaching, research, and service missions, the College continues the Speaker Series. As a further outreach commitment to students, faculty, and the extended community, the Speaker Series is open to the public. The presentations in the Speaker Series provide opportunities for sharing both cutting-edge information from noted researcher in various fields as well as experience and timely insights from community leaders.
For more information, contact the Dean's Office at 423-425-2256.
Michael Miga
Harvie Branscomb Professor, Professor of Biomedical Engineering* Vanderbilt University
* also appointed in Radiology, Neurosurgery, and Otolaryngology
March 21 - 3:15pm - 4:15pm - Maytag Room
Topic: “Computation-Enhanced Surgery and Intervention: Provocative Questions”
Biography
While modern medical imaging coupled to contemporary image processing and informatics has allowed for dramatic expansions of diagnostic information, similar advances in procedural medicine have lagged due to systematic barriers associated with conventional practice and clinical translational research. This reality motivates many questions, both exhilarating and yet sometimes provocative. The assertion in this talk is that treatment platform technologies of the future will need to be intentionally designed for the dual purpose of treatment and discovery. While it is difficult to be prescient on the forms that these forward-thinking systems will take in precision medicine, it is clear that new requirements associated with data integration/acquisition, automation, real-time computation, and cost will likely be critical factors. Exemplar surgical and interventional technologies will be discussed that involve complex biophysical models, methods of automation and procedural field surveillance, efforts toward data-driven procedures and therapy forecasting, and approaches integrating disease phenotypic biomarkers. The common thread to the work is the use of computational models driven by sparse procedural data to enable guidance and therapy delivery. Finally, the talk concludes by discussing operating rooms and interventional suites as places of investigation and the impact of clinical immersion in engineering training paradigms.
Michael I. Miga, Ph.D. received his Ph.D. from Dartmouth College specializing in biomedical engineering. He joined the faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University in 2001 and is the Harvie Branscomb Professor at Vanderbilt. He is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Neurological Surgery, and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. He is director of the Biomedical Modeling Laboratory (www.migalab.org) , and co-founder of the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE, www.vanderbilt.edu/vise). He has been PI on several NIH grants concerned with image-guided brain, liver, kidney, and breast surgery. He is PI and Director of a novel NIH T32 training program entitled, ‘Training Program for Innovative Engineering Research in Surgery and Intervention’ that is focused on the creation of translational technologies for treatment and discovery in surgery and intervention. He is also Director of the Master of Engineering in Surgery and Intervention program which is a professional engineering program focused at enhancing engineering skill sets and providing clinical immersion experiences for enabling graduates to work on cutting-edge technologies at the interface of engineering, surgery, and intervention. He also was a co-inventor of the first FDA cleared image guided liver surgery system. Dr. Miga is an AIMBE and SPIE Fellow and has served as a charter member of the Biomedical Imaging Technology (BMIT-B) and the Bioengineering, Technology, and Surgical Sciences (BTSS) Study Sections at NIH. His research interests are in computational modeling, inverse problems/computational imaging, soft-tissue biomechanics/biotransport, technology-guided therapy, image/imaging-guided surgery and intervention, and data-driven procedural medicine.
Sid Verma
Chief Technology Officer & President - Digital and Innovation - ASTEC
February 16th - 3:15pm - 4:15pm - Maytag Room
Topic: “Construction industry technology needs, challenges, and opportunities”
Biography
Specializing in the Manufacturing/ Industrial Products, Automotive/ Aerospace, Oil/ Gas, Metals/ Mining and Insurance industry, Sid Verma brings in more than 20 years of strategic problem solving acumen, advising C-Suite/ Boards and managing Product & Services business in IoT, Cyber, Cloud and AI. Sid has a proven track record of managing multi-$M P&L, leading large global teams, and incubating / exponentially growing digital business both organically & via M&A in large industrial and services companies. See his LinkedIn profile for further background information.
Gregory Sechrist
Associate Technology Manager at University of Tennessee Research Foundation
November 8th - 3:15pm - 4:15pm - Maytag Room
Topic: “Positioning Your Technology for Impact: How IP Can Establish A Market Advantage”
Description
Innovations developed at a university are often at an early stage and require a commercial partner to reach their full potential. By utilizing different forms of intellectual property (IP), university researchers can better position their technologies for industry adoption and societal impact.
Biography
Gregory Sechrist is an associate technology manager in the Knoxville office, where he works to commercialize technologies developed by inventors from the College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Gregory holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University and a JD from the University of Mississippi.
Tim Rausch
Chief Nuclear Officer - TVA
September 15th - 3:15pm - 4:15pm - Maytag Room
Topic: “So you want to put your education to work?”
Biography
Tim Rausch, chief nuclear officer, leads TVA’s robust nuclear organization, and is responsible for oversight of seven reactors at three nuclear sites: Watts Bar, Sequoyah and Browns Ferry, which together generate enough carbon-free power for more than 4.5 million Tennessee Valley homes and businesses. TVA operates the third largest nuclear fleet in the nation.
Rausch has more than 30 years in commercial nuclear operations. His background includes leadership roles in operations, maintenance, engineering, training, quality, process re-engineering and project management.
Drawing from all of his experience, he is intensely focused on improving overall operational performance of the TVA fleet so that it ranks in the top quartile in the nation by the end of 2022,
Rausch has helped implement a practical “learn, prepare, execute” culture of continuous improvement for the TVA Nuclear Fleet and is focused on further strengthening TVA’s nuclear safety culture. Furthermore, by leveraging the power of the TVA Nuclear team, he has inspired a collaborative work environment focused on accountability and ownership across all levels of the organization. This is showcased through the deployment of three key focus areas that promote the power of “We”: We Work Safely, We Execute Flawlessly and We Operate Reliably.
Under his leadership, TVA completed a multi-year, 465 megawatt uprate on the three units at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. This uprate provides enough additional generation to power 280,000 homes from the current plant footprint.
Prior to joining TVA, Rausch served as senior vice president and chief nuclear officer at Susquehanna nuclear plant from 2009, first with PPL Corporation and subsequently with Talen Energy, until accepting the chief nuclear officer position with TVA. At Susquehanna he led the team that developed and executed a business plan to reduce costs by over 25 percent while producing best-ever safety, reliability and generation results in 2017. He had responsibility for corporate executive leadership implementing governance, oversight and support for safe, reliable and cost-effective nuclear company performance.
Additionally, Rausch served as site vice president of Exelon Nuclear Corporation’s Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and plant general manager at First Energy’s Perry Nuclear Plant, where he advanced through positions of increasing responsibility.
Rausch has a senior reactor operator certificate on a Boiling Water Reactor-2 and a Boiling Water Reactor-6. He received an MBA from Cleveland State University and earned a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He supports careers for the next generation in the nuclear industry by serving on the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga College of Engineering advisory board.
In case you missed it, here is the video for Tim Rausch's Talk.
Dr. Nick Peters
Section Head - Quantum Information Science Section
April 6th - 2:00pm - 3:00pm - Maytag Room
Topic: “Quantum Communications and Networking at Oak Ridge National Laboratory”
Quantum networks are needed to harness the full promise of quantum devices. In this talk, we’ll introduce key concepts, devices, and systems for building quantum networks. We’ll describe how and why quantum key distribution is a great fit for energy infrastructure cybersecurity. We will tie these themes to recent ORNL research.
Biography
Nicholas A. Peters the Section Head for Quantum Information Science (QIS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he manages more than 30 research staff and oversees a budget of more than $10 million. Under Peters’ direction ORNL has made significant contributions to quantum networking and computing, as well as the use of quantum information for enhanced cybersecurity. After completing his doctoral thesis on photonic entanglement from The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2006, Peters worked at Telcordia Technologies/Applied Communications Sciences in the Broadband Optical Networking Department for roughly a decade before joining ORNL in 2015. At ORNL, he has held progressive leadership roles including Team Lead and Group Leader while growing ORNL's QIS effort and founding the laboratory’s QIS section. Peters’ research has a wide array of applications and as such has been funded by the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Science (Advanced Scientific Computing Research and High Energy Physics programs), DOE's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, DOE's Office of Electricity, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, The Office of Naval Research, and The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. He is co-inventor of 14 US Patents, garnering three licenses, and has coauthored more than 100 scholarly publications. He won a Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award in 2012, an R&D100 award in 2021, and multiple corporate-level awards, and is a Member of The American Physical Society (APS), a Senior Member of Optica (formerly OSA) and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Peters is an active referee and was recognized as an APS Outstanding Referee in 2022 (a lifetime achievement award). He has served as an Associate Editor for Optics Express since 2016.
Tim Fritch
TVA - Manager of Reliability Analysis
February 22nd - 3:15 - 4:15pm - Maytag Room
Topic: “TVA’s implementation efforts and experiences with installing time-series devices and the applications utilized in transmission operations to ensure a reliable grid.”
Biography
2004 Graduate of Tennessee Tech University
BS of Electrical Engineering
Member of IEEE, PE License of TN
Tim is a graduate of Tennessee Tech University and holds a PE license in the state of TN. He started his career at TVA in 2004 in Transmission Planning where he served as the lead engineer on several large transmission projects. In 2013, he moved to Transmission Operations to support Transmission Operators and Reliability Coordinators in outage coordination and special studies. He also became more involved with PMUs at TVA to help gain more knowledge on this technology and how it could be implemented more across the industry to increase reliability and compliance strength. He now manages over 10 engineers that support transmission operations on outages and tools such as oscillation monitoring for operators. Tim has been very involved in the NERC Synchronized Measurement Subcommittee (SMS) and NASPI, focusing on the reliability benefits and uses of synchrophasor technology. He has served as the vice-chair of the SMS for the past two years and now holds the chair position. Outside of work, Tim loves spending time with his family camping, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors.
Dr. Andy Novobilski
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Delta State University
January 25th - 3:15 - 4:15pm - via ZOOM
Topic: “A Program Runs Through It: Observations from an Accidental Career”
See student email for ZOOM login information or email [email protected] for login information
Abstract
“A Program Runs Through It: Observations from an Accidental Career” presents to students the various doors (big business, start up participation, start up ownership, academic, and sr. academic administration) opened in your career as influenced by your background in computer science/engineering.
Biography
Dr. Andy Novobilski, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Delta State University, is a first-generation college graduate committed to providing educational opportunities for learners of all backgrounds. Graduating with his PhD in computer science engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2000, Dr. Novobilski started on his third career, joining the faculty at UT Chattanooga as an associate professor of computer science engineering. Earning tenure and promotion to full professor at UTC, Dr. Novobilski views his administrative role as one of service with the faculty and staff in putting the best interests of the students first.
The benefactor of an “accidental career”, Dr. Novobilski continues to encourage students to respond to the noise of opportunity knocking by opening the door and letting it in. Beginning as a software engineer with a large defense contractor, he transitioned to work with Tandy R&D in the mid-80’s where he worked on early versions of the IBM PC compatible machines sold through Radio Shack. Upon completion of his masters degree, Dr. Novobilski took a position doing sales work with the start-up company responsible for the Objective-C compiler. Having been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, he established his own company, NovoTech, and built a small consulting business from his basement, with clients including GE Medical, Lockheed Martin, AT&T, and IBM to name a few.
In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Dr. Novobilski continues to spend time with his scholarship. A Fulbright Specialist, he has worked on establishing a multi-institution entrepreneurship program in Belize. He continues to teach and pursue research opportunities in machine learning, programming language design, signal processing, and data mining/analytics. His spare time is spent with family – his wife, children, and grandchildren - with those few moments that are left either spent in the garage working on a ’82 Datsun 280zx or at the beach with a line in the water looking for speckled trout.
Dr. Fareena Saqib
Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
November 17th - 3:30 - 4:30pm - Maytag Room - EMCS 426*
Topic: “Hardware Architectures for Side Channel Analysis Countermeasures ”
Abstract
Crucial and critical needs of security and trust requirements are growing in all classes of applications, manufacturing, automobiles, electronic voting machines, wearable devices etc. The increased integration and reliance on remote and embedded electronics as the basis for personal, commercial, and growing industrial systems in the internet of things (IoT) is driving the need for upgraded security and trust in these cyber-physical systems (CPS). Compromise of keys, access and control of a single sensor or micro-controller by a hacker can lead to full control on the entire electronic network. This situation is expanding rapidly posing serious security and privacy challenge to manufacturers as well as customers/operators, and requires immediate and tactfully strategic solution to avoid conceivable property and human losses and to counter the advantage made available to adversaries by the increasing complexity of software and hardware and the additional flexibility provided by mobile devices to interact with these systems.
The talk will introduce the hardware security attacks and countermeasures to improve the resilience against side channel attacks. We discuss the characteristics of side-channel leakage that occurs on the power rails and from electromagnetic (EM) emanations, as well as a broad range of software and hardware countermeasures that have been developed leveraging the moving architecture to design the hardware resilient to side channel attacks.
Biography
Dr. Fareena Saqib earned her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of New Mexico (UNM). Her current research interests include: IoT security, hardware security and trust, supply chain risk management and security, side channel analysis resilient hardware design, physical unclonable functions (PUF) based authentication, high performance computing and hardware accelerators design using FPGAs for small and resource constrained embedded electronic devices.
Dr. Saqib is presently an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). Prior to joining UNCC, she was working as an Assistant Professor of ECE at Florida Institute of Technology (FIT); and possesses varied experience in industry, consultancy services in addition to teaching and research. Dr. Fareena Saqib has been awarded with a number of current grants by National Science Foundation (NSF) and Duke Energy in the areas of hardware security and trust relating to IoTs. She has published multiple peer reviewed journal articles and refereed conference papers at top conferences and transactions. Additionally, she is co-author of three book chapters. Dr. Saqib is serving as program chair of hardware security and trust conference HOST 2021, She is concurrently serving as Guest Editor for Cryptography Special Issue on Internet of things (IoT) Security and Side-Channel Attacks, an elected IEEE Secretary, student advisor and Member of the Board of Directors of IEEE Charlotte chapter, Program Chair of workshop for women in hardware systems security (WISE), Member of technical program committees of leading conferences and workshops, Member of Hardware Vulnerability Database working group of Trusted and Assured Micro Electronics (TAME), and reviewer for a number of specialized publications. Furthermore, she is an NSF Panelist and Senior Member of IEEE.
Scott Turnbow
Vice President of Civil Projects and Equipment Support Services for TVA
November 9th - 3:15 - 4:15pm - Maytag Room - EMCS 426*
Topic: “Engineered for Success”
Biography
Scott Turnbow is the vice president of Civil Projects and Equipment Support Services. His area of responsibility includes projects and management associated with coal combustion products, process water treatment, dam rehabilitation major projects, and heavy equipment utilization.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Leadership from Carolina University.
Turnbow has more than 28 years of experience in leadership roles throughout TVA. His background is diverse, as he has also served as an independent consultant and motivational speaker with the Zig Ziglar Corporation, during which time his responsibilities included sales, marketing, promotion, keynote speaking, and expert facilitation. He is also a Certified John Maxwell Leadership Trainer.
In case you missed it, here is the video for Scott Turnbow's Talk.
Jens Christiansen
President and CEO
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area
October 21st - 3:15 - 4:15pm - Maytag Room - EMCS 426*
Topic: “An Non-profits, Affordable Housing and Habitat for Humanity”
Biography
Jens Christensen is the Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga. He’s spent most of his career in the non-profit sector with a focus on housing and homelessness. Jens received his undergraduate degree from Guilford College and his MBA from Georgia Southern; he is a member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga and serves on the boards of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga, the H*Art Gallery and the Chattanooga Interagency Council on Homelessness and is a past board member of the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults as well as the Homeless Coalition. Jens is married to Christy and has three children, Maggie, Ezra and Luke.
Dr. Christopher Holloway
RF Fields Group Leader, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
October 15th - 12 - 1pm - Benwood Auditorium- EMCS 230
Topic: “Rydberg Atom-Based Sensors: The Quest for Fundamentally New SI-Traceable Measurement Techniques”
Description
The quest of Christopher Holloway to understand and develop fundamentally new measurement methods started when he was perusing his BSE degree at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the late 80’s and continues to this day.
One of the keys to developing new science and technologies is to have sound metrology tools (i.e., measurement tools) and techniques. A stated goal of international metrology organizations, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is to make all measurements traceable to the International System of Units (SI). The world of measurement science is changing rapidly with the SI redefinition that occurred in 2018. As a result of the shift towards fundamental physical constants, the role of primary standards and measurements must change. Atom-based measurements allow for direct SI-traceable measurements, and as a result, measurement standards have evolved towards atom-based measurements over the last few decades; most notably length (m), frequency (Hz), and time (s) standards. Recently, there has been a great interest in extending this to magnetic and electric (E) field sensors. Fundamental to all electromagnetic/communication measurements is having accurately calibrated probes, antennas, and power meters in order to measure either electric (E) fields or power. In the past 10 years, we have made great progress in the development of a fundamentally new direct SI-traceable approach based on Rydberg atoms (traceable through Planck’s constant, which is now an SI defined constant). The Rydberg atom-based sensors now have the capability of measuring amplitude, polarization, and phase of the RF field. As such, various applications are beginning to emerge. These include SI-traceable E-field probes, power-sensors, voltage standards, receivers for communication signals (AM/FM modulated and digital phase modulation signals), and even the recording of musical instruments. In fact, this new atom-based technology has allowed for interesting and unforeseen applications. These new Rydberg atom-based sensors will be beneficial for 5G and beyond in that they will allow for the calibrations of both field strength and power for frequencies above 100 GHz.
In this talk, I will lead us on a historical journey of the development of this approach, and in the process, I will summarize this work and discuss various applications.
In this talk, I will also introduce the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) and discuss what NIST does. Finally, I will talk about a grant/scholarship opportunity for students who want to get their Master or PhD degrees at the University of Colorado while performing research at NIST in Boulder, CO.
Biography
Dr. Christopher Holloway is a Fellow of the IEEE and has been at NIST for over 25 years. He is also on the Graduate Faculty at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He received his B.S.E degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), and his Master and PhD degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His is an expert in electromagnetic theory and metrology, quantum-optics, Rydberg atom systems, and atom-based sensors. He has a publication h-index of 54 with over 300 technical publications (including 142 refereed journal papers and 128 conference papers) and has over 11,000 citations of his papers. He also has 10 patents in various fields in engineering and physics. He is the Project Leader for the Rydberg-Atom-Sensor Project and is the Group Leader for the Electromagnetic Fields Group.
Richard Clark
Kosmos Energy
Senior Vice President and Head of Gulf of Mexico business unit
September 2nd - 3:15 - 4:15pm - Maytag Room - EMCS 426*
Topic: “An Entrepreneur’s Journey in the Oil Business”
Biography
Richard Clark leads Kosmos' Gulf of Mexico business unit. More than 25 of his 40 years in the energy business have been focused in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico. In 1996, he was one of the founders of Mariner Energy, Inc., serving as Executive Vice President and a board member. In 2004, he was a founder of Deep Gulf Energy and has served as President of the company from its inception until it was purchased by Kosmos in September 2018. He currently serves as the 2019 Chairman of the National Ocean Industries Association. Mr. Clark has a Mechanical Engineering Degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He launched his career at Shell Offshore in 1979.
Kosmos Energy is a leading deep-water exploration and production company focused on meeting the world’s growing demand for energy. Their assets include oil production and exploration in proven basins offshore Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, as well as a world-class gas development offshore Mauritania and Senegal.
In case you missed it, here is the video for Richard Clarks Talk.
Dr. Eric Jacuzzi
Sr. Director of Aerodynamics for NASCAR R&D
March 9th - 9:30 am; via ZOOM
See student email for ZOOM login information or email [email protected] for login information
Topic: "Aerodynamics in NASCAR"
Brief Description
Aerodynamics has always played an important role in NASCAR, though that wasn’t always apparent to the earliest racers. In this presentation, Dr. Eric Jacuzzi will discuss the evolution of aerodynamics in NASCAR up to the 2022 Next Gen car and how cutting edge simulation and aerospace research are melded together to improve racing excitement and safety.
Biography
Dr. Eric Jacuzzi is the Sr. Director of Aerodynamics for NASCAR R&D in Concord, NC and serves on the Applied Aerodynamics Technical Committee for the AIAA. He received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from North Carolina State University, a M.S.E. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a B.SC. in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University.
In case you missed it, here is the video for Dr. Eric Jacuzzi's Talk.
Dr. Karl Zelik
Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University
February 4th - 3:15 pm; via ZOOM
See student email for ZOOM login information or email [email protected] for login information
Topic: "Researching, Developing & Translating Wearable Assistive Tech for Sweaty, Squishy, Quirky Humans"
Brief Description
Prof. Zelik will share his experiences and observations performing research and development in the fields of biomechanics, prosthetics, exoskeletons, exosuits, smart clothing and wearables. He will discuss some of the unique and interdisciplinary challenges associated with designing technologies worn by human users, and share recent insights about trying to translate academic research into commercial technologies and societal impact. He plans to leave plenty of time for questions on these topics, or others that may be of interest to the audience (e.g., entrepreneurship, science communication, Twitter for scientists, STEM outreach).
About Dr. Karl Zelik
Karl Zelik is an engineering professor at Vanderbilt University specializing in biomechanics, prosthetics, exoskeletons, exosuits, smart clothing and wearables. At Vanderbilt he co-directs the Center for Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology, which aims to improve health, mobility and independence for individuals with disabilities, to prevent musculoskeletal injuries, and to enhance human capabilities beyond biological limits, by engineering and understanding technologies that monitor and physically augment human performance. Dr. Zelik is also the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of HeroWear, a wearable tech company that makes back-assist exosuits to support workers in physically-demanding jobs. Dr. Zelik received his B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, then his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Following this, Dr. Zelik was a post-doctoral researcher and Whitaker International Scholar at the Santa Lucia Foundation Rehabilitation Hospital in Rome, Italy. He joined the Mechanical Engineering faculty at Vanderbilt University in 2014 and holds secondary appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. He received the International Society of Biomechanics Promising Scientist Award and the American Society of Biomechanics Young Scientist Award in 2017, and a Nashville Emerging Leader Award in 2018.
In case you missed it, here is the video for Dr. Karl Zelik's Talk.
Michael Bradley
November 5th - 1:45 pm; via ZOOM
See student email for ZOOM login information or email [email protected] for login information
Topic: "The New Normal – Beginning your Engineering Career in a Post COVID-19 World"
Westinghouse Electric Company Resource Manager
Brief Description
Michael will share his own insights as a hiring manager for new engineering graduates, discuss keys to success in your first job, and share ongoing changes to the engineering profession due to the global pandemic.
About Michael Bradley
Michael works for Westinghouse Electric Company as a resource manager, leading a team of engineers at four different locations to design, analyze, and service major components for the commercial nuclear power industry. His team has been fully remote since March and is growing, which has provided unique insights into the job market for new graduates and the changes in the hiring process since the global pandemic.
In case you missed it, here is the video for Michael Bradley's Talk.
Dr. Rupy Sawhney
Distinguished Professor and Heath Fellow in Business and Engineering at the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the founder of Sawhney Solutions
October 28 - 3:30 pm; via ZOOM
See student email for ZOOM login information or email [email protected] for login information
Topic: "Aligning Societal Health based on Systems Engineering Design"
Brief Description
How we design systems impact the quality of life of people who work within those systems. The current paradigm is to focus on systems’ productivity and utilize people as assets that are replaceable; it does not consider employee quality of life. The system design is further impacted by the personal biases of the designer. How do we design systems that complement the quality of life of people and lead to positive organizational productivity? A model is presented that aligns organizational productivity with employee quality of life.
About Dr. Rupy Sawhney
Dr. Rupy Sawhney is also the Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Systems Research and Education (CASRE), where he leads a team of nearly 30 staff and graduate students. Dr. Sawhney has developed the Sawhney Model, which uniquely focuses on people-centered operational excellence strategies. This model is the basis of transformational projects and training programs for leading industry and federal partners, including DOE, Covenant Health, and Clayton Homes. Overall, Dr. Sawhney and his team have partnered with over 200 companies on operational excellence projects. Dr. Sawhney has established innovative educational and training programs with national and international visibility, including an onsite cohort program (2011-present), and the Lean Enterprise Systems Program (LESP) (2011-present). The Cohort Program has graduated over 100 professionals with Master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering, whereas the LESP has graduated over 900 students from 10 countries. These efforts have resulted in strong international collaborations with nearly 20 universities worldwide. Dr. Sawhney has been recognized with various awards such as the Boeing Welliver Fellow, Alcoa Faculty Award, Institute of Industrial Engineers Lean Teaching Award, Industrial and Operations Management Society Outstanding Educator Award, the 2019 University of Tennessee President’s Award as the “Educate” honoree, and the 2020 John L. Imhoff Global Excellence Award for Industrial Engineering Education.
In case you missed it, here is the video for Rupey Sawhney's Talk.