From Modeling to Experimentation: Learning Dynamics, Vibrations, and Control with MATLAB and Hands-On Experiments

Generative AI in Modeling, Simulation, and Control: A Model-Based Design Framework

AI vs Physics‑Based Modeling, Estimation, and Control: From Academic Vision to Industrial Reality

Combined Invited and Special Session on Advanced Mechatronics and Manufacturing

AI‑Augmented Modeling, Estimation, and Control in Automotive Systems

Advancing Professional Growth: Industry Networking in Automotive Systems

Professional Elevator Pitch Competition: Lightning Talks on Cutting Edge Research

Next Frontiers in Automotive and Transportation System Energy Management

Safe and Intelligent Human-Robot Collaboration in Industry 4.0 Manufacturing

Special Session on Semiconductor Manufacturing

Proposal: DSCD Careers After Ph.D.: Career Pathways and Perspectives

NIH Funding Opportunities and Insights

From Modeling to Experimentation: Learning Dynamics, Vibrations, and Control with MATLAB and Hands-On Experiments

Duration: 120 minutes
Date: Monday, October 26 (from 1 pm to 3 pm)

Organizers

• Ahmed Mekky, Senior Education Customer Success Engineer, MathWorks
• Nirav Acharya, Customer Success Engineer, MathWorks
• Gen Sasaki, Principal Customer Success Engineer · MathWorks
• Eniko Enikov, Professor, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Arizona
• Ayse Tekes, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Kennesaw State University

Abstract

Dynamics, vibrations, and control are foundational topics in mechanical, aerospace, robotics, and mechatronics education. Yet these subjects are often taught primarily through mathematical derivations, block diagrams, and simulation results, with limited opportunities for participants to interact directly with physical systems. This special session is designed to bridge that gap by combining hands-on experimental prototypes, MATLAB/Simulink/Simscape-based digital twins, and guided learning activities in a highly interactive format.
This two-hour session will showcase how low-cost, portable experimental platforms can be integrated with model-based design tools to create engaging and scalable educational experiences. Participants will rotate through three hands-on stations built around physical prototypes representing core concepts in controls and vibrations. Each station will provide opportunities to interact with real hardware, compare physical behavior with simulated behavior, and explore how digital twins and virtual labs can support conceptual understanding, experimentation, and instruction.
This session is especially intended for educators, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, interested in modern instructional approaches for dynamics, vibrations, control, mechatronics, and system modeling. Attendees will leave with practical examples of classroom and laboratory activities, exposure to ready-to-adapt learning modules, and ideas for integrating physical experimentation with MATLAB and Simscape in both undergraduate and graduate settings.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the session, attendees will be able to:

• Describe how portable experimental platforms can support teaching in dynamics, vibrations, and control.
• Explain the educational value of combining physical prototypes with digital twins / virtual labs.
• Identify ways MATLAB, Simulink, and Simscape can be used to connect modeling, simulation, and experimentation.
• Compare instructional approaches across three example platforms: a controlled pendulum, a rotating unbalanced vibration system, and a quadcopter-inspired control platform.
• Adapt the demonstrated learning activities and workflows for use in their own courses, laboratories, or outreach settings.

Who Should Attend

This session will be valuable for:

• Faculty teaching dynamics, vibrations, controls, mechatronics, or robotics
• Laboratory instructors and curriculum developers
• Graduate students, undergraduate students, and researchers interested in engineering education
• Industry professionals interested in educational tools and hands-on training approaches

Tentative Agenda

1:00–1:15 PM
Welcome and MathWorks educational updates

• Opening remarks
• Overview of relevant MathWorks tools and resources

1:15–1:25 PM
Session overview and participant instructions

• Introduction to the three stations
• Distribution of activity materials

1:25–2:40 PM

• Station A: Controlled Pendulum
• Station B: Rotating Unbalanced Vibration System
• Station C: Quadcopter / AeroRoller Platform

2:40–2:55 PM
Group debrief and discussion

• Reflections across all three stations
• Discussion of implementation in courses and labs
• Questions and audience feedback

2:55–3:00 PM
Closing remarks and resource sharing

Station 1: Controlled Pendulum

This station will feature a single-degree-of-freedom controlled pendulum as a portable hands-on experimental platform. Participants will observe and interact with the physical setup while also exploring its digital twin / virtual lab in MATLAB Simscape. Guided activities will help attendees connect system dynamics, actuation, response behavior, and control concepts between the real prototype and the virtual model.

Station 2: Rotating Unbalanced Vibration System

This station will focus on a rotating unbalance vibration apparatus, allowing participants to examine core vibration concepts such as excitation, response, and system behavior under rotating imbalance. As with the pendulum station, attendees will have access to both the physical prototype and a corresponding MATLAB Simscape digital twin. The learning activity will emphasize the relationship between theoretical vibration models, computational simulation, and observed experimental behavior.

Station 3: Quadcopter / AeroRoller Platform

The third station will highlight a quadcopter-inspired educational platform used for modeling, system identification, and control experiments. This prototype introduces participants to a low-cost multi-input, multi-output physical system appropriate for illustrating concepts such as dynamic response, observer-controller design, and experimental control workflows in MATLAB. This station broadens the session from single-DOF and vibration-focused systems to a more complex mechatronic control platform.

At each station, participants will work with short guided activities designed to be completed within the session timeframe. These activities will help attendees interpret system behavior, compare model predictions with physical responses, and understand how portable prototypes and digital twins can be used together in educational settings. The emphasis is not only on demonstration, but on active participation and direct engagement with the learning tools.

Generative AI in Modeling, Simulation, and Control: A Model-Based Design Framework

Format: Seminar
Duration: 90 minutes
Date: Tuesday, October 27 (Morning)
Organizers: Ahmed Mekky, Gen Sasaki, and Nirav Acharya – Customer Success Engineering, MathWorks

Abstract

Generative AI is rapidly accelerating engineering workflows, but applying it to complex, safety-critical systems require rigorous processes that support traceability, verification, and validation. This is especially important in domains such as automotive, aerospace, robotics, energy, and industrial automation, where systems interact with the physical world and must be systematically analyzed before deployment.
MATLAB and Simulink provide an integrated environment that connects requirements, system architecture, models, simulations, tests, and generated code within a Model-Based Design (MBD) framework. In this context, Generative AI and agentic workflows can augment established engineering processes by automating time-intensive tasks while preserving the structure needed for reliable system development.
This session presents a practical framework for incorporating Generative AI into modeling, simulation, and control workflows through two complementary approaches:1) an interactive AI assistant within Simulink for model understanding, analysis, natural-language search, design guidance, and diagnostics; 2) and agentic workflows that connect external AI agents to Simulink for programmatic model modification, simulation, and verification.
Representative examples will illustrate how these approaches support key stages of the development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, architecture exploration, model construction, simulation, and testing. The session emphasizes keeping the engineer in the loop, with domain experts defining objectives, evaluating AI-generated results, and making final decisions.
Representative examples will illustrate how these approaches support key stages of the development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, architecture exploration, model construction, simulation, and testing. The session emphasizes keeping the engineer in the loop, with domain experts defining objectives, evaluating AI-generated results, and making final decisions.
Attendees will leave with a structured perspective on how to integrate Generative AI into trusted Model-Based Design workflows to improve efficiency while preserving essential verification and validation practices.

Attendee Takeaways

• Understand how Generative AI can be incorporated into Model-Based Design workflows.
• Explore AI-assisted approaches for model understanding, diagnostics, simulation, and design guidance.
• Learn how agentic workflows can support model modification, simulation, testing, and verification.
• See examples of how MATLAB and Simulink can improve engineering productivity while maintaining expert oversight.
• Gain perspective on applying Generative AI responsibly in safety-critical engineering domains.

AI vs Physics‑Based Modeling, Estimation, and Control: From Academic Vision to Industrial Reality

Format: Panel Discussion
Duration: 90 minutes
Date: Tuesday, October 27 (Afternoon)

Organizers

• Ahmed Mekky, Gen Sasaki, Nirav Acharya, Customer Success Engineering, MathWorks
• Ayse Tekes, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Kennesaw State University

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is transforming the landscape of modeling, estimation, and control systems. While AI-driven approaches offer new capabilities in automation, adaptability, and data-driven optimization, traditional deterministic methods—grounded in physics-based modeling and established control theory—remain essential for reliability, interpretability, and certification, particularly in safety-critical applications.
This panel brings together experts from industry and academia to explore the evolving relationship between AI and Physics-Based approaches. The discussion will examine whether AI is positioned to disrupt classical methodologies or whether the future lies in hybrid approaches that integrate data-driven and physics-based techniques.
Perspectives will be shared on real-world deployment challenges, including trust, robustness, interpretability, and regulatory constraints. The session will also address the gap between academic innovation and industrial adoption, highlighting lessons learned from practical applications across domains.
Through a structured and interactive discussion, this session will provide attendees with actionable insights into how these competing and complementary paradigms are shaping the future of engineering workflows in modeling, estimation, and control.

Session Objectives

• Examine the trade-offs between AI-based and Physics-Based approaches in modeling, estimation, and control
• Explore real-world challenges in deploying AI for engineering systems, especially in safety-critical domains
• Highlight industry-specific perspectives across safety-critical applications such as automotive, aerospace, robotics, and energy
• Discuss the emergence of hybrid approaches combining physics-based and data-driven methods
• Provide guidance on how engineering roles and workflows are evolving with the adoption of AI

Session Format

The session will be structured to maximize interaction and balanced participation:

• Introduction (10 minutes): Moderator framing and context setting
• Moderated Panel Discussion (50 minutes): Guided discussion across key themes (AI vs deterministic tradeoffs, deployment challenges, industry insights)
• Interactive Q&A (25 minutes): Audience engagement and open discussion
• Closing Remarks (5 minutes): Key takeaways from panelists

Panel Composition

The panel includes experts representing a diverse set of perspectives:

• David Casbeer, Ph.D., Cooperative & Intelligent Control Team Lead, Control Science Center of Excellence, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Steve Chien, Ph.D., Technical Fellow, Artificial Intelligence and (Co-) Head, Artificial Intelligence Group, NASA JPL
• TBD: Robotics
• TBD: Energy/Automotive
• TBD: Academic research/leadership

Confirmed panelists will be updated here. Additional invited panelists from the above domains are being finalized.

Key Discussion Topics

• Where do AI-based methods outperform physics-based approaches—and where do they fall short?
• Can AI be trusted in safety-critical control systems?
• What hybrid approaches are emerging in industry today?
• How do regulation, validation, and interpretability impact adoption?
• How should engineers adapt their skills in the era of AI-driven workflows?

Combined Invited and Special Session on Advanced Mechatronics and Manufacturing

Format: Seminar

Organizers

• Ellen Yi Chen Mazumdar , Georgia Tech
• Robert Landers , University of Notre Dame

Abstract

We propose to create a combined invited and special session on the topic of Advanced Mechatronics and Manufacturing at MECC. This combined session will contain invited papers and invited abstract only talks that do not have a paper (but will have a title and abstract that can be listed in the program). The abstract only talks will consist of a regular presentation but will focus on late-breaking results or an overview of the speaker’s research directions.
The objective of these special sessions is to establish a durable community around mechatronics for manufacturing at MECC. While the ASME DSCD has a long history of supporting a distinguished manufacturing community through its journals and sponsored conferences, the past decade’s resurgence of manufacturing as a hot topic finds the community more fractured than may be desirable. Manufacturing conferences such as SFF, MSEC, NAMRC, RAPID, CSAT, LSAAT, compete with controls conferences MECC, ACC, AIM, ISFA, CASE to effectively dilute community engagement. By integrating regular manufacturing papers at MECC with abstract talks, members of the community will find that there is always a place for their work at MECC. Specifically, abstract talks and posters allow faculty and their students to communicate the progress on their research threads across various domains not commonly seen at MECC, such as new manufacturing methods, additive techniques, process characterization, precision design, or metrology. The expected outcome of these special sessions is ~30 attendees, including an additional 12-24 registrants from faculty and graduate students that would not otherwise attend MECC this year.

AI‑Augmented Modeling, Estimation, and Control in Automotive Systems

Format: Panel Discussion

Organizers

• Dr. Shobhit Gupta, General Motors
• Apoorva Roy, University of Michigan
• Gang Wang, Arizona State University

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the landscape of modeling, estimation, and control in the automotive domain. As vehicles become increasingly electrified, connected, automated, and software‑defined, the integration of AI with physics‑based engineering approaches represents one of the most transformative opportunities for the next decade of transportation innovation.
This panel will explore how AI techniques, ranging from hybrid physics‑ML modeling, real‑time state estimation, learning‑based control, automated calibration, and predictive optimization—are advancing the capabilities of modern automotive systems. Panelists will discuss how AI is accelerating plant modeling, improving robustness in estimation (e.g., battery, thermal, propulsion), enabling next‑generation control architectures, and supporting scalable deployment on emerging vehicle compute platforms.
The discussion will highlight the evolving interdisciplinary workflows spanning data, optimization, controls, and embedded computing that are rapidly redefining system‑level development across OEMs and suppliers. The panel will also address the challenges associated with validation, safety, verification, and real‑time constraints—key considerations when integrating AI into critical automotive functions.
Attendees will gain a forward‑looking perspective on how AI‑augmented methods can unlock new levels of energy efficiency, safety, performance, and system intelligence in future vehicles. This panel is designed for researchers, practitioners, and students interested in the intersection of AI, controls, and automotive engineering.
The first 30 minutes of the panel will include short presentations (5–8 minutes each) where panelists outline challenges and emerging solutions. The remaining 90 minutes will be a dedicated Q&A discussion exploring the technical, practical, and strategic dimensions of AI‑driven modeling, estimation, and control.

Advancing Professional Growth: Industry Networking in Automotive Systems

Format: Panel Discussion

Organizers

• Dr. Shobhit Gupta, General Motors
• Apoorva Roy, University of Michigan
• Gang Wang, Arizona State University

Abstract

Starting a career can be an exciting yet daunting process—especially without the right guidance. This dedicated session provides students with an opportunity to engage directly with professionals and learn about diverse career pathways after graduation. The event will follow a speed-networking format, where students rotate among professionals in short, focused intervals to maximize interaction and exposure.
The session will feature participants from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government, representing a wide range of expertise across automotive, transportation, and control systems. In addition to these core areas, professionals working in emerging domains such as software-defined vehicles, intelligent mobility, and advanced vehicle controls will also be present. A special emphasis will be placed on professionals (0–10 years post-graduation), who can share recent experiences and offer practical insights into today’s job market.
This event is designed to be mutually beneficial—students gain valuable career perspectives and connections, while professionals engage with promising future engineers. To make the most of the opportunity, students are encouraged to bring their resumes and prepare a concise one-minute elevator pitch. The session will begin with brief introductions from each panelist, followed by approximately 90 minutes of structured networking in 3–5 minute rotations, and conclude with a wrap-up discussion. Attendance will be limited to 80–100 students, with RSVP required to ensure effective organization and meaningful engagement. This dynamic and interactive session aims to empower students to build professional connections across industry, academia, and research institutions—helping them confidently transition from university to the engineering workforce.

Proposed Speaker/s

The session includes 10-15 technical experts from the automotive industry, academia, government and national laboratories.

Professional Elevator Pitch Competition: Lightning Talks on Cutting Edge Research

Format: Panel Discussion

This session is sponsored by the Automotive and Transportation Systems Technical Committee ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division (DSCD).

Organizers

• Dr. Shobhit Gupta, General Motors
• Apoorva Roy, University of Michigan
• Gang Wang, Arizona State University

Abstract

Progress in research is usually documented via publications which are lengthy, detail-oriented, andtailored to audiences which are familiar with the topic. While that is beneficial, it is important for researchers to learn how to communicate their research in a manner that is engaging to a general audience. Therefore, the goal of this session is to allow researchers to develop and showcase their skills in effectively communicating their research to an audience that is familiar with concepts related to control theory, but may not be experts in the presenters’ area of research. The presentations will be limited to three minutes and researchers will be encouraged to explain the impact of their work either in a product or industrial application, thereby illustrating how it benefits society.
The session will feature participants from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government who are either graduate students or early career professionals (0-10 years of experience), representing a wide range of expertise across automotive, transportation, and control systems. In addition to these core areas, professionals working in emerging domains such as software-defined vehicles, intelligent mobility, and advanced vehicle controls will also be present. There will be a panel of judges including experts from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government to evaluate the presentations based on their ability to (1) provide clear background and the significance of their research, (2) articulate their research strategy and explain the key findings, (3) convey the outcomes and impact of their research, (4) create a single slide that encapsulates the main themes of their talk, (5) communicate without using excessive jargon and show enthusiasm. The two-hour session will have 20-25 participants who will be shortlisted based on an initial 100 word abstract.
This session will allow researchers to enhance their communication skills and prepare them for diverse professional tracks such as entrepreneurship which require professionals to frequently communicate their ideas to a non-specialist audience. It will also be a good opportunity for participants and the audience to diversify their knowledge about the various applications and ongoing research in control theory, and expose them to ongoing trends in industry.

Proposed Speaker/s

The session will be open to graduate students (master’s and PhD), young and early career professionals.

Next Frontiers in Automotive and Transportation System Energy Management

Organizers

• Stephanie Stockar, The Ohio State University (stockar.1@osu.edu)
• Carrie Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology (chall9@illinoistech.edu)

Abstract

As transportation systems transition toward electrification, connectivity, and autonomy, new challenges and opportunities are emerging in the modeling, control, and optimization of energy flows across vehicles, fleets, and infrastructure. Advances in battery and fuel-cell systems,
hydrogen-based energy carriers, and vehicle-grid integration require new control architectures capable of coordinating decisions across multiple temporal and spatial scales.
At the same time, increased sensing, communication, and computational capabilities are enabling
data-driven and learning-enabled approaches to energy management. While traditional vehiclelevel optimization can improve local efficiency, isolated decision-making may produce undesirable system-level effects, including increased congestion, energy consumption, or reduced resilience. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated approaches that integrate control, optimization, and learning across interconnected transportation and energy systems.
This special session will bring together researchers working at the intersection of transportation systems, energy management, optimization, and control. The session will highlight emerging theoretical and computational methods that enable efficient, resilient, and sustainable mobility systems.

Tentative Speaker/s

• Anna Stefanopoulou, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA.
• Frank Willems, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands.
• Andreas Malikopoulos, Cornel University, Ithaca NY, USA.
• Sue Ahn, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, USA.
• Argonne National Laboratory, Speaker TBD.

Session Coherence

The MECC community plays a pivotal role in shaping the theoretical and computational foundations for sustainable mobility. This workshop includes topics related to autonomy, learning-enabled control, and societal impact by focusing on cross-domain coordination and multi-scale system optimization. The workshop will provide a forum to exchange ideas, define open challenges, and build collaborations that advance the control community’s leadership in the rapidly evolving landscape of transportation energy systems.

Benefit to the MECC Community

The special session aligns with MECC’s focus on modeling, estimation, and control of complex engineering systems. It will provide attendees with a comprehensive view of current research directions in transportation energy management while fostering interactions among researchers from academia, industry, and government laboratories. The session will help identify emerging research challenges and opportunities for collaboration across the controls, transportation, and energy systems communities.

Safe and Intelligent Human-Robot Collaboration in Industry 4.0 Manufacturing

Organizers

• Pratul Kumar Singh, Automation & Robotics Program Leader, DuPont

Abstract

Collaborative robotics has moved from a niche manufacturing solution to a mainstream production strategy, driven by labor shortages, reshoring initiatives, and the need for flexible automation in high-mix environments. Yet a persistent gap remains between the theoretical safety frameworks established in control and robotics literature and the practical realities of deploying cobots at scale in regulated, high-volume manufacturing. The recent evolution from ISO/TS 15066 to ISO 10218:2025 reflects the field’s growing recognition that collaborative robot safety requires more rigorous, application-specific validation — yet practitioners across industries continue to face significant challenges translating these evolving standards into production-ready systems.
This special session bridges that gap by bringing together industry leaders, systems engineers, and academic researchers with direct experience deploying collaborative robots in safety-critical, high-throughput manufacturing environments. Topics addressed include risk assessment methodologies under updated international safety standards, control architectures for coordinating multiple robots operating in shared human workspaces, the use of machine vision and sensor fusion for dynamic safety monitoring, and the integration of industrial AI for adaptive collaborative robot behaviour. Presenters will draw on real-world deployment experience across regulated industries like medical device & aerospace manufacturing, specialty chemicals, and electronics assembly — sectors where safety criticality, regulatory compliance, and production throughput create constraints not yet fully addressed in academic literature.
By pairing industrially validated deployment experience with emerging academic research in human-robot interaction and control, this session offers MECC attendees an actionable insight applicable to both research and practice. The session also reflects MECC’s broader commitment to advancing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, providing a platform where practitioners and researchers can jointly shape the next generation of safety standards for human-robot collaboration in industrial settings.

Finalized Talks

Talk 1: Cobot Safety Deployments Under ISO 10218:2011 — Lessons Learned and a Readiness Framework for ISO 10218:2025  

Presenter: Pratul Kumar Singh, DuPont

Abstract: This talk draws on over a decade of cobot safety deployment experience under ISO 10218:2011 and ISO/TS 15066:2016 across 40+ collaborative robot installations in medical device and electrical & electronics manufacturing to surface practical lessons relevant to the industry’s transition to ISO 10218:2025. Key deployment learnings addressed include: power-and-force limiting validation methodologies developed for high-volume production environments; V-model-based risk assessment frameworks that front-load safety validation before cell design—now explicitly required under the 2025 standard; and safety-rated control architectures designed to ISO 13849 that align with the new standard’s more explicit functional safety requirements. The talk then maps these field-validated approaches against the three most significant changes in ISO 10218:2025: the elimination of the “collaborative robot” designation in favor of application-level collaborative validation; the reclassification of PFL compliance from guidance to mandatory normative requirement with documented force and pressure measurement deliverables; and the substantially expanded documentation burden that tripled the standard’s integration requirements. Attendees will leave with a concrete readiness framework for auditing existing ISO 10218:2011-era installations against the 2025 requirements, prioritizing remediation efforts, and structuring new deployments to comply from the outset—drawn from real production environments where safety criticality, regulatory compliance, and throughput constraints create challenges not yet reflected in the new standard’s guidance.  


Talk 2: Multi-Robot Synchronization and Coordination in Shared Human Workspaces — Control Architecture and Safety Considerations

Presenter: Adam Lewis, DuPont; (Co-presenter – TBD)

Abstract: As cobot deployments scale into multi-robot shared workspaces, static safety zone configurations become insufficient—real-time human detection, dynamic workspace monitoring, and adaptive speed-and-separation responses are required to maintain both safety compliance and production throughput. This talk examines practical architectures for integrating machine vision and sensor fusion technologies into collaborative robot safety systems, drawing on deployments across medical device and electronics assembly environments.

Topics addressed include: camera placement and field-of-view optimization for reliable human detection in cluttered production environments; latency and reliability requirements for vision-based safety inputs under ISO 13849 Performance Level requirements; and validation methodologies for vision-integrated safety systems in regulated industries. The talk also addresses how ISO 10218:2025’s application-level validation framework changes what must be demonstrated and documented for a vision-integrated cobot cell to achieve compliance. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for evaluating whether their current vision and sensor infrastructure meets the 2025 standard’s safety input reliability requirements, and a methodology for structuring V&V documentation for vision-integrated collaborative applications in regulated manufacturing environments.

Relevance to the MECC Community

This session directly serves MECC’s mission of connecting modelling, estimation, and control research with real-world application. It provides academic researchers with direct exposure to industrial deployment constraints that should inform future research directions and gives industry practitioners access to emerging academic methods applicable to their systems. The session also broadens MECC’s industry engagement by offering Fortune 500 manufacturing practitioners’ perspective, in alignment with the conference’s stated goals of bridging academia, industry, and government.

Special Session on Semiconductor Manufacturing

Organizers

• Jun Zhang
• Qingze Zou
• Art Koehler

Abstract

The field of semiconductor manufacturing is experiencing a historic surge, partly driven by high demand for artificial intelligence hardware and advanced packaging. The field of modeling, estimation, and control plays a critical role in modern semiconductor manufacturing by enabling nanometer-scale precision in fabrication processes, real-time state estimation from vast streams of heterogeneous sensor data, and closed-loop control to ensure high yield, process uniformity, and reliability. Through advances in AI-driven predictive analytics, digital twins, and intelligent automation, the field is well positioned to drive process optimization, early fault detection, predictive maintenance, and adaptive manufacturing, addressing the growing complexity and precision demands of next-generation semiconductor production.
This special session will bring panelists from industry who will discuss the challenges and opportunities in the area of semiconductor manufacturing. We acknowledge that these same industry panelists have been instrumental in achieving the pinnacle of precision control for Extreme Ultraviolet lithography (EUV) commercial applications while bringing the high numerical aperture technology process (High NA) online for production of high-volume logic products. Our session will include both the technology suppliers and chip producers responsible for these advances. This will be a great opportunity for the MECC attendees to learn more about the area of semiconductor manufacturing and to better contribute to this important area. This special session will have two parts. Part 1 will have specific talks from the panelists on important challenges and opportunities in semiconductor manufacturing, such as nanometrology, chemical process control, big data processing, digital twin, and workforce training. In Part 2, the panelists will answer specific questions from the moderator and the audience. This special session will be moderated by a leading faculty member in this field.

Moderator

Qingze Zou, Professor, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

Panelists

• Nital Patel, Senior Principal Engineer, Intel Corporation
• Edward Yellig, Director, Intel Corporation
• Lior Kabesa, System and Control Group Manager, KLA Corporation
• Rumit Kumar, Mechatronic/Controls Engineer, KLA Corporation
• Satya Maddipatla, Senior Mechatronics Engineer, ASML

Time and Location: to be determined

Proposal: DSCD Careers After Ph.D.: Career Pathways and Perspectives

Organizers

• Kaiyan Yu

Abstract

This special session is designed to provide graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career professionals with insights into career opportunities following the Ph.D. Through a panel of distinguished speakers from academia, industry, and national laboratories, participants will gain first-hand perspectives on career pathways, professional development, and the skills needed to thrive in different sectors.

The session will be organized into two parts. Part I: Career Pathways After the Ph.D. will feature panel discussions on career transitions, hiring expectations, and the opportunities and challenges associated with careers in academia, industry, and national laboratories. Part II: Perspectives on Professional Development and Inclusion will focus on mentorship, leadership, work-life balance, and strategies for fostering supportive, collaborative, and inclusive professional environments.

The event will include moderated discussions and ample time for audience questions, providing attendees with valuable guidance for navigating their professional careers and building successful long-term trajectories in engineering and research.

Panelists: To be determined

Time and Location: to be determined

NIH Funding Opportunities and Insights

Organizers

• Brendon Allen, Auburn University

Panelist

• Moria Bittmann, NIH

Abstract

Advances in modeling, estimation, control, sensing, and artificial intelligence are driving the next generation of biomedical technologies. As these innovations move toward clinical translation, understanding how to navigate the NIH funding landscape becomes increasingly important.

This session will provide an overview of NIH funding opportunities that are relevant to the MECC community, with particular emphasis on programs at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). Topics will include funding mechanisms that support early-stage technology development, translational research, and multidisciplinary collaborations involving control systems, robotics, medical devices, digital health, imaging, and AI-enabled technologies.

Drawing on experience as an NIBIB Program Director, the presentation will discuss how investigators can identify the right funding opportunity for their research, engage with NIH program staff, and develop more competitive applications. Practical guidance will be provided on aligning engineering research with NIH priorities, understanding the peer review process, and recognizing common strengths—and pitfalls—seen in grant applications.

Whether attendees are preparing their first NIH proposal or expanding an established research program, this session will provide practical insights into funding strategies that can help translate advances in modeling and control into technologies that improve human health.

Time and Location: to be determined