Daniel E. Rivera

Daniel E. Rivera is Professor of Chemical Engineering at Arizona State University, affiliated with the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and the College of Health Solutions as a Health Solutions Ambassador. He serves as Program Director for Arizona State University's Control Systems Engineering Laboratory in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy.

Education:

• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (1987)
• M.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1984)
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester (1982)

Rivera's research bridges traditional engineering with healthcare applications, focusing on robust process control, system identification, and control engineering principles applied to process systems, supply chain management, and behavioral medicine interventions. His work represents a pioneering effort to apply engineering methodologies to health behavior modification, particularly in developing adaptive interventions using control systems approaches. His expertise spans Dynamical Systems Theory, Modeling and Simulation, and Health Information Technology.

His recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward applying control systems engineering to mobile health applications, with emphasis on personalized physical activity interventions, gestational weight management, and optimizing behavioral interventions using model predictive control frameworks. This work reflects his unique interdisciplinary perspective that combines control theory with behavioral science to create data-driven health solutions.

Scientific Awards:

• K25 Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health (2007)
• Distinguished Member of the IEEE Control Systems Section (2019)
• Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine

Rivera has secured significant research funding throughout his career, with current projects focused on control systems approaches for weight loss maintenance, personalized prenatal weight gain intervention, and optimizing CPAP adherence. His NIH-funded research demonstrates leadership in translating engineering principles to health behavior interventions, particularly in drug abuse prevention through control systems methodologies. His extensive grant portfolio shows consistent support for innovative applications of control engineering across multiple domains.

Daniel Rivera directs the Control Systems Engineering Laboratory at ASU, where his team develops innovative control strategies that bridge theoretical engineering with practical healthcare applications. His laboratory serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research, connecting chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and behavioral medicine to solve complex problems in both industrial and healthcare settings.