Dr. ONG Ghim Ping Raymond is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head (Research) at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS). He concurrently serves as Director (Operations) at the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore. His expertise spans sustainable pavements, multimodal transport infrastructure, and urban mobility systems. Dr. Ong holds a B.Eng (Civil) with First Class Honours and a PhD from NUS, followed by postdoctoral research at Purdue University. He has authored/co-authored over 85 peer-reviewed journal articles and 120 conference papers. His research focuses on circular economy applications in infrastructure, car-lite urban design, and mega-projects like Tuas Port and Changi Airport expansions. Dr. Ong actively engages in policy advisory roles, serving on international committees for ASCE, ASTM, and EASTS. He has received prestigious awards including the Alfred Noble Prize (ASCE) and Takeuchi Yoshio Award (OCDI). His teaching accolades include multiple NUS Faculty of Engineering commendations. He advises on critical infrastructure projects for agencies like Changi Airport Group and Defence Science and Technology Agency. Dr. Ong frequently contributes to public discourse on transport and urban planning via media interviews and policy consultations.
Carlos G. Levi is a Research Professor in the Department of Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), part of the College of Engineering. He holds the additional title of Professor Emeritus. His research focuses on microstructure evolution in inorganic materials, particularly in the design of advanced coatings, composites, and alloys for extreme environments. He has contributed significantly to thermal barrier coatings, ceramic matrix composites, and high-temperature alloys for aerospace and energy applications. Education: Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1981) M.Sc. in Metallurgical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1977) Degree in Chemical Engineering, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Mexico (1972) Research Interests: Levi’s work addresses challenges in structural materials, including advanced thermal/environmental barrier coatings resistant to molten silicates, ceramic matrix composites, hypersonic materials, and high-temperature alloys such as multi-principal element alloys. His studies explore degradation mechanisms, phase stability under extreme conditions, and novel synthesis techniques like vapor-mediated melt infiltration. Awards and Honors: 2014 TMS Morris Cohen Award 2012 Fellow of the American Ceramic Society 2008 NIMS Award (shared) for breakthroughs in materials science for energy/environment 2004 DLR Wissenschaftspreis (collaborative paper) 2002 Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize Advising and Grants: No formal student advisees are listed, though his research group likely includes graduate students/postdocs. Grant details are not specified in the provided texts. Labs/Teams: Levi’s research is conducted within UCSB’s Materials Department, leveraging advanced characterization tools (e.g., TriBeam tomography) and computational modeling to study material behavior under extreme conditions.
Peter Teertstra is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo and Director of the Sedra Student Design Centre. He holds a PhD (2003), MASc (1992), and BSE (1990) from the University of Waterloo and Calvin College, respectively. His research focuses on thermal modeling for microelectronics/optoelectronics cooling, experimental heat transfer in micro/nano-scale systems, and predicting air cooling limits in electronics. He oversees the Sedra Student Design Centre, supporting teams in competitions through resource access and sponsorship. Teertstra teaches courses like GENE 199, ME 101, MTE 201, and PD 21, emphasizing engineering practice and thermodynamics. His publications (2006–2011) address thermal conductivity in fuel cells, convection modeling, and heat transfer in electronics enclosures. He is currently accepting graduate applications via an online process.
Connor Coley is the Henri Slezynger (1957) Career Development Assistant Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering. His research bridges chemistry and machine learning, focusing on autonomous molecular discovery, predictive chemistry, and laboratory automation. Education: Ph.D., MIT (2019) M.S.CEP., MIT (2016) B.S., Caltech (2014) Research Interests: Dr. Coley’s work centers on domain-informed machine learning for chemistry, computer-aided molecular design, and autonomous laboratories. Key themes include predictive modeling of chemical reactivity, optimization of synthesis pathways, and integration of AI with experimental data for drug discovery and materials science. Publications: His recent articles highlight advancements in AI-driven reaction prediction, molecular representation learning, and laboratory automation. Trends include applications of Bayesian optimization, contrastive learning, and diffusion models to chemical discovery. Scientific Awards: Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2025) James W. Swan Outstanding Faculty (2025) Schmidt Futures AI2050 Early Career Fellow (2022) NSF CAREER Award (2021) Forbes 30 Under 30: Healthcare (2019) Software & Tools: He leads the open-source ASKCOS software suite for synthesis planning, adopted by 35,000+ chemists and deployed at 15+ pharmaceutical companies. His team also develops tools for metabolomics and molecular representation learning.
Anthony Rollett is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University , where he has been a faculty member since 1995. He serves as the Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the NASA-supported Institute for Model-Based Qualification & Certification of Additive Manufacturing (IMQCAM) and co-director of the Next Manufacturing Center . Prior to CMU, he held leadership roles at Los Alamos National Laboratory (1991-1995). Education: Ph.D., Materials Engineering, Drexel University (1987) MA, Metallurgy and Materials Science, Cambridge University (1977) Research Interests: Rollett’s work focuses on microstructural evolution and microstructure-property relationships in 3D using experiments and simulations. His expertise spans additive manufacturing , metal 3D printing , materials for energy systems , grain growth , recrystallization , and stereology , with techniques like high-energy diffraction microscopy (HEDM) and dynamic x-ray radiography (DXR) . Scientific Contributions: He has over 320 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index >80 . His recent articles highlight machine learning for laser processing , fatigue analysis of additively manufactured alloys, and design optimization for heat exchangers in supercritical CO2 and solar thermal applications . Scientific Awards: Fellow of ASM International (1996) Fellow of the Institute of Physics (UK) (2004) Fellow of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) (2011) Cyril Stanley Smith Award (TMS, 2014) Member of Honor, French Metallurgical Society (2015) US Steel Professor (2017) Francqui International Professor (2020-2021) International FAME Award (2023) Leadership & Impact: Rollett co-led the development of a NASA Space Technology Research Institute for additive manufacturing and established a new master’s program in additive manufacturing (2018). His research group is funded by industry , federal agencies , and Pennsylvania state grants . He also serves on the Basic Energy Science Advisory Committee and Defense Programs Advisory Committee for the Department of Energy.
Professor Nagi Gebraeel serves as the Georgia Power Early Career Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, where his research integrates predictive analytics, machine learning, and optimization for industrial IoT applications. His work focuses on real-time equipment diagnostics, prognostics, and operational decision-making in critical infrastructure systems. Education: Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering (2003), Purdue University M.S. in Industrial Engineering (1998), Purdue University Research Focus: Dr. Gebraeel develops statistical learning algorithms for IoT-enabled maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO), with emphasis on federated learning frameworks for distributed fault diagnosis and cybersecurity protection against Industrial Control System (ICS) attacks. His research spans manufacturing, power generation, and deep space habitats through NASA's HOME Space Technology Research Institute, where he pioneers self-aware habitat systems. Recent work addresses data heterogeneity in high-consequence industrial environments using causal-informed analytics. Publication Trends: His 2024-2025 publications demonstrate a strong trajectory toward distributionally robust optimization for maintenance logistics, federated learning architectures for distributed fault diagnosis, and prognostics for complex systems like offshore wind farms and industrial robots. Key themes include handling imbalanced data in fault diagnosis, state-space representations for interdependent systems, and cybersecurity integration in manufacturing networks. Awards and Recognition: NSF CAREER Award (2007) SAE Aircraft Electrical Power System Recognition Award (2008) SAE Materials Modeling and Testing Recognition Award (2006) IEEE-AUTOTESTCON Certificate (2006) Fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Advising and Funding: Dr. Gebraeel mentors doctoral students including Michael Ibrahim (2025 IISE Best Student Paper winner), Heraldo Rozas (now Assistant Professor at University of Chile), Ayush Mohanty, and Nazal Mohamed. He secured a $500,000 NSF grant in August 2025 for AI-driven cybersecurity in distributed manufacturing networks and leads NASA-funded research on deep space habitat systems. His work bridges academic research with industry applications through Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute collaborations. Research Infrastructure: He directs the Analytics and Prognostics Systems laboratory at Georgia Tech's Manufacturing Institute and leads the Predictive Analytics and Intelligent Systems (PAIS) research group. Previously, he served as associate director of Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute (2014-2019), fostering data science applications in energy systems.
Jörg F. Löffler is a Full Professor of Metal Physics and Technology at the Department of Materials, ETH Zürich , where he has been since 2003. He previously served as Chairman of the Department (2010–2013) and holds Adjunct Professor positions at Tohoku University (Japan) and a Visiting Faculty role at Caltech. His research focuses on bulk metallic glasses , metallic biomaterials , and magnetic materials , combining synthesis, characterization, and applications in biomedical and structural contexts. Educations : Studied Physics and Materials Science at Saarland University (Germany), earned his doctorate at ETH Zurich and Paul Scherrer Institute on magnetism and neutron scattering (1997). Research Trends : Recent work explores additive manufacturing (e.g., laser powder bed fusion), biodegradable magnesium alloys for implants, and magneto-structural coupling in metallic glasses. Collaborative efforts integrate in situ analysis with computational modeling. Scientific Awards : International Magnesium Science and Technology Award (2023) MRS Fellow (2021) DGM 'Breakthrough' Prize (2016) Masing Memorial Prize (2005) ETH Zurich Medal (1998) Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (1998-2001) Löffler advises the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UC Davis and serves on editorial boards. His group at ETH Zürich investigates advanced metallic materials using synchrotron radiation and neutron scattering facilities.
Christoph Keplinger serves as Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in Stuttgart, Germany, leading the Robotic Materials Department since 2020 and assuming overall institute leadership in 2023. He holds dual academic appointments as Honorary Professor at the University of Stuttgart and Eminent Visiting Professor of Soft Robotics at the University of Colorado Boulder, establishing him as a pivotal figure in bridging fundamental materials science with advanced robotics. His interdisciplinary approach integrates physics, chemistry, and engineering to pioneer breakthroughs in soft robotic systems. Keplinger's academic foundation includes a PhD in Soft Matter Physics from Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria, followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard University focusing on mechanics and chemistry of soft materials. This unique background enabled his transition into robotics innovation, particularly in electrohydraulic actuation systems. His research program centers on three synergistic pillars: (I) soft robotics development through novel actuator technologies like HASEL artificial muscles; (II) energy capture mechanisms using soft materials; and (III) functional polymers engineered for robotic applications. This work produces transformative hardware that mimics biological functionality, with significant implications for human-robot interaction, medical devices, and sustainable robotics systems. His group employs cutting-edge materials synthesis and characterization techniques to create lifelike robotic components. Analysis of recent publications reveals dominant trends in wearable haptic interfaces, electrohydraulic actuation systems, and tremor-suppression technologies. The research consistently leverages HASEL (Hydraulically Amplified Self-healing Electrostatic) technology to achieve muscle-like performance in soft actuators, with applications spanning from fingertip haptic feedback to underwater manipulation systems. This trajectory demonstrates a clear progression from fundamental material properties toward practical implementations in medical rehabilitation and human augmentation. His exceptional contributions have earned prestigious recognition: 2017 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering, awarded for high-impact interdisciplinary research 2021 Alexander von Humboldt Professorship (declined to remain at MPI-IS), Germany's most valuable international research award 2013 EAPromising European Researcher Award from the European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles As principal investigator, Keplinger leads a dynamic interdisciplinary research group while securing competitive funding for frontier projects. His entrepreneurial vision materialized in 2018 through co-founding Artimus Robotics, where he serves as Chief Science Officer to commercialize HASEL technology. This dual commitment to academic research and industry translation exemplifies his dedication to real-world impact, particularly in creating biodegradable and sustainable soft robotic solutions. The Robotic Materials Department operates state-of-the-art facilities for materials fabrication, robotic integration, and haptic interface development. The team maintains strong collaborations across MPI-IS departments and external institutions including the University of Colorado Boulder, fostering innovation in sustainable robotics through initiatives like biodegradable electrohydraulic actuators. Current projects focus on wearable tremor suppression systems, electrohydraulic locomotion platforms, and energy-autonomous soft robots that address critical challenges in medical rehabilitation and human augmentation.
Matthew L Becker is the Hugo L Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Duke University, with additional appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, and Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on polymer chemistry, bioconjugate chemistry, molecular imaging, additive manufacturing, and degradable materials for bone, soft tissue, neural, and vascular tissue engineering. Education: B.S. from Northwest Missouri State University (1998), M.A. (2000) and Ph.D. (2003) from Washington University in St. Louis Research interests include developing tunable degradable polymers for flexible electronics, tissue engineering (bone, neural, vascular), and additive manufacturing. His group is pioneering 3D printing of bioresorbable medical devices and custom inks for biomaterials. Recent work explores stereochemistry-dependent polymer properties, mechanochromism, and machine learning-driven biomaterials design. Key applications: Drug delivery systems Biodegradable adhesives Tissue regeneration scaffolds Scientific honors include: Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2022) Fellow, American Chemical Society (2020) Carl S. Marvel Award in Creative Polymer Chemistry (2019) Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering (2018) Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry (2017) Biomacromolecules/Macromolecules Young Investigator Award (2015) He teaches advanced courses in mechanical engineering and polymer chemistry, with a focus on 3D printing and biomaterials. His group has developed novel medical devices including resorbable suture anchors, hernia mesh coatings, and neuroprosthetic scaffolds.
Prof. Alessandro Golkar is a Professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), leading the Chair of Picosatellites, Nanosatellites, and Satellite Constellations. He joined TUM in September 2022 and previously served as one of the founding faculty members at Skoltech, a Moscow-based graduate research university. His research focuses on advanced space mission concepts, systems engineering for picosatellites, and federated satellite systems. Prior to academia, he held roles at Airbus CTO, contributing to technology roadmapping and planning. His academic background includes expertise in aerospace engineering, systems design, and agile development methodologies for space hardware. Key research areas include CubeSat constellations, distributed satellite systems, and the integration of AI tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) into spacecraft design processes. He has pioneered projects such as the FSSCat mission, winner of the ESA Sentinel Small Satellite Challenge, and has explored applications of additive manufacturing for lunar missions. Prof. Golkar’s awards include the 2021 Karman Fellowship and IEEE Senior Membership (2018). His recent work emphasizes optimizing satellite networks, digital twin implementation, and orbital maneuvering for collision avoidance. He actively contributes to technology roadmapping, focusing on future human landing systems and lunar infrastructure development. Education: Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering (details not explicitly stated). Grants & Funding: Extensive grants for CubeSat projects, federated systems research, and space technology innovation. Labs/Teams: Leads the Chair’s research group at TUM and collaborates with industry partners like Airbus on advanced mission concepts. His publications span over two decades, addressing topics like constellation design, machine learning in space, and agile processes for hardware development. He advocates for hybrid agile methodologies to bridge traditional systems engineering and modern product development.
Prof. Eleni Chatzi is a Full Professor and Chair of Structural Mechanics at ETH Zurich's Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering. She holds a PhD from Columbia University (2010) and has held roles from Assistant to Full Professor at ETH since 2010. Her research focuses on intelligent structural monitoring and data-driven asset management, emphasizing nonlinear dynamics and sensor integration. Affiliations : Institute of Structural Engineering, European Academy of Wind Energy (EAWE President), Swiss Community for Computational Methods (SWICCOMAS Chair) Research interests include Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), system identification, and advanced simulation tools. She pioneered work on data-driven diagnostics and self-aware infrastructure, supported by grants like the ERC Starting Grant (2015). Awards include the 2020 Walter L. Huber Prize and 2024 SHM Person of the Year Award. Her work spans wind energy infrastructure, metamaterials for vibration control, and AI-driven structural analytics. Over 600 publications and 200k+ citations highlight her impact. She teaches computational science and structural dynamics in ETH's programs and collaborates globally on sustainable infrastructure projects.
Desiderio Kovar is a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin holding the BFGoodrich Professorship in Materials Engineering and the Distinguished Teaching Professor title within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Cockrell School of Engineering. He is affiliated with the Texas Materials Institute, the Center for Electromechanics, and is a core member of the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Design Innovation. Dr. Kovar currently serves as the Associate Chair for Academics for the Mechanical Engineering Department. Dr. Kovar's research focuses on the interface between materials science and engineering and additive manufacturing, with particular expertise in ceramic processing. His work encompasses Advanced Design and Manufacturing, Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, and Nano and Micro-scale Engineering. He teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in the Materials Engineering area, having developed the Materials Science and Engineering minor in 2018, the first minor in Engineering at UT Austin. His recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on ceramic additive manufacturing processes, particularly Selective Laser Flash Sintering and Micro-Cold Spray technologies. These works explore fundamental mechanisms of high-velocity particle impact, sintering kinetics, and process optimization for ceramic film and part production, reflecting his pioneering work in direct ceramic additive manufacturing without polymer binders. Dr. Kovar has received numerous prestigious awards for his teaching and research: Engineering Foundation Young Faculty Excellence Award (2000) Teaching Excellence Award from the Student Engineering Council (2000) Cockrell School of Engineering's Jack and Maxine Zarrow Family K-16 Teaching Innovation Award (2014) Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Award for Excellence in Engineering Teaching (2016) Mechanical Engineering Department's Teaching Award (2016) University of Texas' Outstanding Graduate Advisor (2012) Inducted into the University of Texas at Austin's Academy of Distinguished Teachers (2019) Dr. Kovar has supervised 47 undergraduate students, 21 MS theses, and 17 Ph.D. dissertations, and currently supervises 12 graduate students and one undergraduate student. His research has been generously funded by the National Science Foundation, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, the Army Research Laboratory, the Office of Naval Research, the US Department of Energy, and various corporate sponsors. In 2013, he founded the Cockrell School's Longhorn Maker Studio, which evolved into Texas Inventionworks. Dr. Kovar leads the Kovar Research Group which currently includes multiple graduate students and postdoctoral researchers working across three main research thrusts: Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics by Selective Laser Flash Sintering, Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics by Indirect Selective Laser Sintering, and Direct Writing of Patterned Films and Devices using the Micro-cold Spray Process.
Steven Rogak is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Applied Science. He holds a P.Eng. license and degrees including a B.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from UBC, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Caltech. P.Eng., University of British Columbia B.A.Sc., University of British Columbia M.Sc., Ph.D., California Institute of Technology His research focuses on aerosol science, particularly solid nanoparticles from combustion processes, their climate and health impacts, and mitigation strategies. Key areas include: Soot morphology and transport properties Engine emission reduction via fuel injectors Indoor air filtration systems Membrane-based energy exchangers Atmospheric particulate analysis The 15 most recent articles span experimental and theoretical studies on soot characterization, membrane technologies, and aerosol dynamics, with applications in climate modeling, healthcare ventilation, and sustainable materials. Collaborations include Westport Innovations and interdisciplinary teams. Rogak leads the Aerosol Laboratory at UBC, where he applies fluid mechanics and heat transfer fundamentals to address environmental and health challenges. He emphasizes experimental rigor and welcomes graduate students with expertise in these areas.
Dr. Muhammad Gulzari is an Assistant Professor at the School of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD). Previously, he held positions as Lecturer/Assistant Professor at the University of Galway (2023–2024), Adjunct Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin (2022–2023), and a Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin (2021–2023). He earned his Ph.D. in Civil Structural Engineering from City University of Hong Kong (2021) and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore (2017). Education: Bachelor of Engineering, Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore Ph.D., Civil Structural Engineering, City University of Hong Kong Research Interests: His work focuses on structured materials and dynamics, including finite element modeling, phononic crystals, acoustic and mechanical metamaterials, vibration and noise control, and applications in structural health monitoring. He leads the Structured Materials and Dynamics Lab at UCD, exploring nonlinear and nonreciprocal metamaterials. Teaching and Awards: He has taught courses in Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Combustion Engineering. Notable recognitions include the Seal of Excellence Award from the EU-Horizon MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021) and nominations for teaching excellence awards at Trinity College Dublin and University of Galway. Grants: TimberFlow: Enhancing Efficiency in Mass Timber Construction (Enterprise Ireland, 2025) Indoor Acoustic Quality via Acoustic Metamaterials (Enterprise Ireland, 2025) RUBBERPAVE: ELT Integration in Pavement Construction (Enterprise Ireland, 2024–2026) Deep Learning for Metamaterial Design (Irish Research Council, 2021–2023) Labs and Collaborations: His research group collaborates with industry partners like Amplitude Acoustics and G-frame Structures Ltd. Key projects include developing metamaterials for noise/vibration control and sustainable construction materials.
Brian Scholl is a Professor of Psychology at Yale University, specializing in visual cognition, perception, and cognitive science. His research explores how visual perception interacts with higher-level cognition, including object persistence, event perception, causality, and intuitive physics. He leads the Yale Perception & Cognition Lab, focusing on dynamic events, attention, and computational models. He earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 1999. His work spans experimental psychology, neuroscience, and computational modeling, with a focus on phenomena like inattentional blindness, scaffolded attention, and event segmentation. He has authored numerous papers and presented at international conferences, contributing to debates on perception vs. cognition interactions. Key research areas include the perception of dynamic event types, the role of intuitive physics in visual processing, and the influence of event boundaries on memory and decision-making. His lab employs computer-based experiments and collaborations with computational models to study perception across species and clinical populations.
