Before my academic career, I was a professional engineer working in industry. Through this experience, I worked in the power generation, automotive, robotics, and semiconductor fields, and held senior-level positions in design, manufacturing, maintenance, and reliability engineering. I have consulted numerous companies that included GEC-Alstom Electric, Westinghouse Electric, Lockheed-Martin, Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett Packard, and IBM, and my efforts have impacted a variety of engineered products. During this time, I recognized a lack of understanding among the engineering disciplines that impact the product lifecycle. The disparity results in system design that is often characterized by lowered performance, higher maintenance, shorter life, or an inability to meet customer demands. The problem is due to the overall complexity of the design itself. Even when there is an effort to coordinate the engineering process, the size of the system does not allow for a ‘bird’s eye’ view that could otherwise be helpful.
As Director of the Energy Systems Design Research Group (ESDRG) University at Buffalo, my research focuses on concurrent engineering methods, which I see as critical in achieving the bird’s eye view! I aim to use this approach for the sustainable design and performance of complex systems. To achieve the sustainable design I focus on productivity, reliability, and maintainability of the system, in addition to its adaptability to the needs of customers and operating environments. My comprehensive approach combines phenomena from the multiple physical domains, which interact to define system performance. One strategy is to recognize these complex relationships through cyber-physical systems, where sensor data, computer-based knowledge, and control algorithms can be networked. I am exploring concurrent design and control frameworks that include data mining, machine learning, decision support, and optimization tools.
Knowledge acquired from my fundamental research provides meaningful benefits to real-world applications. These applications provide verification and validity of my research findings. I am currently applying this work to promote the design and performance of renewable energy systems, active aerostructures, and aircraft applications.