Bimal Nepal (PI) is a Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution (ETID). He has a long track record for engaging UG students in research. Through an industry grant for talent incubator program at Thomas and Joan Read Center for Distribution Research and Education, he advised over 100 undergraduate students from his research intensive classes in company projects including many women and underrepresented minority students. These research projects are highly valued by the corporate sponsors. One female undergraduate student published a peer reviewed article, while many of them accepted research intensive industry jobs and some went to graduate school.
Satish Bukkapatnam (Co-PI) is the Director of TEES IMS and Rockwell International Professor in Indus. & Sys. Engineering. The proposed research will leverage his recent NSF projects. He has supported over 30 undergraduate students during the past 5 years using REU, TAMU’s Aggie Challenge, honors college and LSAMP programs (8 of them from underrepresented minority groups). Some students have received TAMU Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships. Most recently, his REU student from underrepresented minority groups won awards in undergraduate student poster competition and is currently beginning his PhD study.
Prabhakar Pagilla, James J. Cain Professor II, Mechanical Engineering, has been conducting research in various R2R manufacturing systems for about two decades. His research group has provided solutions to industry, trained graduate and undergraduate students and practicing engineers in this critical US manufacturing activity. He has a track record of leading large scale collaborative projects involving both graduate and undergraduate students. His skills and experience will be highly useful in managing the REU efforts as lead senior personnel.
Alaa Elwany is an Associate Professor of Indus. & Sys. Eng. He is PI in the NASA Early Stage Innovation Grant NNX15AD71G S02. He has advised six graduate and four UG students in his additive manufacturing lab. He has also hosted high school teachers in summer research experience in manufacturing.
Natarajan Gautam is a Professor and Associate Department Head for UG Affairs in Industrial and Systems Engineering Department. He is a Co-PI in the AFOSR grant “A Holistic Approach to Networked Information Systems Design and Analysis,” 2013-16; Co-PIs: Kumar, Gautam, Shakkottai and Sprintson.
Michael Johnson is a Professor and an Associate Dean for Faculty Success and Inclusion in the College of Engineering and Professor. His research area includes product development, production economics, and advanced manufacturing. He has served as a faculty mentor for two students in the LSAMP UG Research Program. Through his NSF-Funded research, he has published 2 journal articles 30-31 and 5 conference papers33-34, 43-45with undergraduates as co-authors.
P.R. Kumar is a College of Engineering Chair in Computer Engineering. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). His Cyberphysical systems (CPS) lab has hosted K-12 school students in visits and employed undergraduate students. It had a female high school student as intern; based on her work in the CPS Lab, she has won several awards: the Intel Excellence in Computer Science award, Yale Science and Engineering Award, US Navy Award and The Society of Women Engineers award.
Chao Ma is an Assistant Professor in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology with courtesy appointment in the Mechanical Engineering Department. He is experienced in advising undergraduates, graduates, and high-school teachers, through projects funded by NSF and Texas A&M University.
Daniel Ragsdale is the Director of TAMU Cybersecurity Center and Professor of Practice in Computer Sc. & Engineering. He is PI on the TAMU cyber-leader scholarship program, recently funded by the NSF. He was also the program manager of information innovation office at DARPA for four years.
Arun Srinivasa, Holdredge/Paul Professor, is the Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Affairs of Mechanical Engineering. Through his NSF Grant CMMI-1000790, 8/15/2010—7/31/2014, he has advised 3 Ph.D. students (two female) and coauthored with students in 11 refereed publications 53-63.
Bruce Tai, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering has mentored 10 UG in a multidisciplinary Aggie Challenge project. He has advised 2 UGs (one female) with NSF REU supplement and co-authored a peer-reviewed publication64. One student won the best poster award at a symposium organized by USRG.
Shiren Wang is an Associate Professor in Industrial and Systems Engineering and had served as Ed and Linda Whitacre Faculty Fellow. He has advised both graduate and undergraduate students on research.
Amir Asadi is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Technology Program with a courtesy appointment in Mechanical Engineering Department at Texas A&M University. He has won the best paper award in COM 2010 conference. His research interests are in Lightweight polymer hybrid composites, Lightweight automotive composites, Damage predictive modeling, Additive manufacturing of polymer composites, Process structure-property relationship in nanocomposites. He has advised both graduate and undergraduate students on research.
Xingyong Song is an Associate Professor of Mechatronics in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution with a courtesy appointment in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Texas A&M University. He has won Halliburton innovation award in October 2014. His research interests are in Dynamic system, Control theory, Mechatronics and their applications in oil & gas, Automotive and renewable energy systems, Unconventional oil & gas exploration. He has advised both graduate and undergraduate students on research.