Ghose receives Microsoft sponsorship to dive into the state of Wisconsin’s AI workforce​

a female faculty member and a female doctoral candidate in industrial engineering are looking at the camera

The adoption of artificial intelligence is transforming the workplace, but it’s also raising challenges such as job-skill mismatches and uneven adoption rates. Where are vulnerabilities in Wisconsin’s workforce when it comes to AI?

Rina Ghose, professor, industrial & manufacturing engineering, has received sponsorship from Microsoft to extract the status of AI in the workforce at different locations around the state, revealing the impact of AI disruption and regional variations in areas, such as access to workforce training.

The information is needed for guiding policymakers as they help foster growth and workforce readiness in the AI-driven economy.

Ghose specializes in data science and will analyze AI labor force data across the state. Her expertise in Geographic Information Science (GIS) will help her to harness locational intelligence, by analyzing locational data with other datasets to reveal relationships and patterns over time and place.

During the one-year project, Ghose will answer placed-based questions, such as where current and projected employer needs are, where the resources are currently deployed, where the skilled workers are, and where they are needed.

The study’s geospatial aspect makes it unique, she said, because seeing information on a map often addresses distribution questions that can help direct public policy interventions.

“What could really be useful is to know the conditions broken down by localities,” Ghose said.

Time is also important because industry is just beginning to adapt AI to their needs. “So, this year’s job postings can be totally different even from last year’s,” she said.

Ghose and doctoral student Fahimeh Mohebbi also will focus on Milwaukee County as a case study because many industries are located in Milwaukee, and they can gain insight into AI workforce development across different industries. Also, they can potentially find patterns that can help them understand similar challenges in other regions.

“As AI reshapes the labor market, it’s critical that public policy is grounded in data that reflects local realities,” said Jasmine Thomas, Senior Director at Microsoft. “Professor Ghose’s research is compelling and will illuminate geospatial insights for policymakers to advocate for targeted, evidence-based strategies that prepare Wisconsin’s workforce to thrive in the AI economy.”

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella earned his master’s degree in computer science at UWM. Last year Microsoft made a $3.3 billion investment in several projects around the state, which includes establishing the nation’s first manufacturing-focused AI Co-Innovation Lab at UWM’s Connected Systems Institute. The new lab will give students and companies hands-on learning with AI and connect them with Microsoft experts.

Six NMDSI Student Research Scholars from the college named

Six new winners of the Student Research Scholars Program, funded by the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute, were announced to collaborate with faculty on applying data science in research this summer. Engineering students being supported during the summer, their projects, and their faculty mentors are:

“Developing an Intelligent Agentic System for Knowledge Transfer and Personalized Therapy in Physical Rehabilitation.”

  • Student: Tanvir Ahmed
  • Faculty Mentor: Mohammad Habib Rahman, professor, mechanical and biomedical engineering

“Practical AI Framework with Provable Security, Auditing, and Incentive Mechanisms.”

  • Student: Hiba Alsghaier
  • Faculty Mentor: Tian Zhao, associate professor of computer science

“Towards Proactive and Dynamic Pedestrian Safety at Crosswalks Using Trajectory Data.”

  • Student: Anisha Tasnim
  • Faculty mentor: Tian Zhao, associate professor of computer science

“Use of AI in Leveraging Alternative Data in Mortgage Industry.”

  • Student: Sajede Farahani
  • Faculty Mentor: Wilkistar Otieno,associate professor of industrial & manufacturing engineering

“Predictive Modeling of Uranium Flushing in Contaminated Groundwater Using Machine Learning.”

  • Student: Abul Borkot Md Rafiqul Hasan
  • Faculty Mentor: Kishna Pillai, professor of mechanical engineering

“Enhancing Explainable AI through Human-Centered Interaction with Large Language Models.”

  • Student: Masoud Khani
  • Faculty Mentor: Jake Luo, associate professor and bioinformatics graduate program director

Student Excellence Awards go to students and student orgs from the college

four headshots

Four students and two student organizations from the college were recognized in the annual Student Excellence Awards on April 29.

The awards, sponsored by the UWM Student Involvement, honors those who go above and beyond to create a vibrant, supportive and engaged campus environment. Altogether, 21 individual students and sixorganizations won awards. Here are the college’s honorees:

  • Student Org of the Year:
    Society of Women Engineers and Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects
  • Outstanding Graduate Students
    Telemachos Agoudemos (mechanical engineering) and Abul Borkot Md Rafiqul Hasan (mechanical engineering)
  • Student Org Leader of the Year:
    Jaiden Lefeber (civil engineering)
  • Agent of Change Award:
    Carol Martinez (materials science & engineering

Avi Shaked and Dr. Babs Waldman greet CEAS scholarship recipients at April reception

three people talking among themselves

Avi Shaked (’80 Electrical Engineering) and spouse Babs Waldman, MD, met with about 30 students at a reception on April 29 celebrating both scholarship donors and recipients for the 2024-25 academic year. 

The couple established the Avi Shaked & Babs Waldman Engineering Scholarship for the college in 2005 and have added to the original amount twice since. At over $3 million, the fund has helped nearly 1,100 undergraduate engineering students pay for their degrees.

Ricky Frieseke (right front) and other scholarship recipients chat with the donors at the April reception.

This academic year alone, 87 students from the college received the scholarship. The average award per student was more than $2,000.

The scholarship fund is emblematic of an upward trend in giving this year, UWM Chancellor Mark Mone told the attendees.

“During the last academic year, UWM awarded more than $28 million in student scholarships,” Mone said. “That was an 8% increase over the previous academic year.”

Niu lab boosts energy and safety of next gen li-ion batteries with new coating

Junjie Niu with his arms in a vacuum chamber

A spray-on coating developed by Professor Junjie Niu, materials science & engineering, and his research team has improved the energy density of lithium-metal batteries by 20 to 30 percent –while also reducing the fire risk that has long limited their commercial use. The results, recently published in the journal Small, could accelerate the development of next-generation rechargeable batteries.

“The results surpassed our expectations,” Niu said. “Our coating offers a dual benefit –better performance and better safety.”

Niu’s research focuses on lithium-metal (LM) batteries, a newer type of lithium-based battery that replaces graphite electrodes with solid lithium. LM batteries can hold significantly more energy than traditional lithium-ion batteries, making them attractive for high-demand needs, such as electric vehicles or energy storage for the grid, Niu said.

“With the current li-ion batteries, you can drive, let’s say, 300 miles on a charge,” he said. “With a LM battery, you can double the energy density – maybe 500 to 600 miles. That’s even better than a gas-powered vehicle!”

But there’s a catch: LM batteries are notoriously unstable. The problem stems from dendrites –needle-like structures of lithium that form during charging. Dendrites can pierce the battery’s electrolyte, causing short circuits and even fires.

To address this, Niu’s team developed a spray-on coating that combines MXene compounds –known for high electrical conductivity – with a large-molecule polymer that stabilizes the battery surface. The polymer helps prevent dendrite formation, while the MXene improves charge transport.

The innovation targets a key challenge that has stalled commercial rollout of lithium-metal batteries, despite their promise and the considerable industry investment.

The research was completed with a grant from the National Science Foundation. 

Two engineering students take a ride in the ‘Quiz Cart’

3 guys

How much do you know about Milwaukee and UWM?

Undergrads Daniel Maistelman, mechanical engineering, and Ben Witt, electrical engineering, each were featured in the “Quiz Cart,” a video produced by the Alumni Association in honor of 414 UWM Giving Day.

The “Quiz Cart” videos, modeled after the TV program “Cash Cab,” are shot with passengers in a campus golf cart who answer questions about UWM in order to get a free ride to their destination. However, participants have to disembark if they get three wrong answers. Watch on the Alumni Association’s YouTube channel.

Rohatgi named an honorary member of AIME/TMS

a man holding a plaque

UWM Distinguished Professor Pradeep Rohatgi was elected as an honorary member of the Metals, Minerals and Materials Society of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME-TMS) – the organization’s pinnacle award – in March at the 2025 annual meeting.

Rohatgi was recognized as a world leader in research on solidification processing of metal matrix composites, education of materials professionals, and founder of laboratories for materials research.

Rohatgi also is a Fellow of TMS and has served on TMS technical committees. He has served as the founder and director to two national laboratories of CSIR in Trivandrum and Bhopal, India, and the UWM Centers for Advanced Materials Manufacture and Composites at UWM.

He is a recipient of number of awards for research excellence from all over the world, a fellow of 10 professional societies, and a member of the National Academy of Inventors.

New members of faculty and staff governance elected from the college

Hats off to the 12 faculty and one staff member who won positions in the UWM governance structure in recent elections.

Members of the college newly elected to committee seats include:

John Boyland, Woo-Jin Chang, William Musinski, Michael Nosonovsky, Wilkistar Otieno, Matthew Petering, Habib Rahman, Shuaiqi Shen, Brooke Slavens, Yin Wang, Jian Zhao and Tian Zhao.   

Those continuing in previously elected seats are: Nidal Abu-Zahra, Ryo Amano, Sarah Blackowski, John Boyland, Qingsu Cheng, Ben Church, Rina Ghose, Chiu Law, Wilkistar Otieno,     Kishna Pillai, Deyang Qu, Nathan Salowitz, Konstantin Sobolev, Jerald Thomas and Tian Zhao.

For Academic Staff, Marketing Manager Lisa McGovern was elected to an at-large seat on the Academic Staff Senate, and Robert Packard continues on the International Committee.

Shout out to the 33 undergrads who participated in the UWM Undergraduate Research Symposium

4-up head shots

A record 33 students from the college won ribbons for “Outstanding Presentation” in the campuswide 2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium hosted by the UWM Office of Undergraduate Research held April 25.

Congratulations to all listed below, including the 19 faculty and teaching staff mentors. Most of the participants also competed in the college’s Research Poster Competition & Experiential Learning Expo, including Hannah Vincent (biomedical), who took first place in the college’s undergraduate category and Mona Said (biomedical), who won second place in the same category.

Biomedical Engineering

  • Spencer Frey. Mentor: Jacob Rammer
  • Kenzie Friedrich. Mentor: Priyatha Premnath
  • Kiearra Hawkins & Janelle Schulz. Mentor: Jacob Rammer
  • Alec Kaufmann. Mentor: Priyatha Premnath
  • Mikayla McWilliams. Mentor: Priyatha Premnath
  • Mona Said. Mentor: Ashwin Narasimhan
  • Setayesh Abiazi Shalmani. Mentor: Mahsa Dabagh
  • Nathanael Sovitzky. Mentor: Mahsa Dabagh
  • Ashlyn Terasaki. Mentor: Mahsa Dabagh
  • Hannah Vincent. Mentor: Mahsa Dabagh

Civil & Environmental Engineering

  • Anna Lutz & Owen Schneider. Mentor: Rani El Hajjar
  • Henry Young. Mentor: Konstantin Sobolev

Computer Science

  • Landon Faris. Mentor: Jerald Thomas 
  • Jack Harmer. Mentor: Zhen Zeng
  • Jivan Singh, Cole Tauscher & Noah Weishan. Mentor: Jerald Thomas

Jagger Vicente. Mentor: Zhen Zeng

Electrical Engineering

  • Adam Kovacs. Mentor: Chiu Law
  • Matthew Sember and Landon Faris. Mentor: Chiu Law

Materials Science & Engineering

  • Elijah Cephus. Mentor: William Musinski
  • Georges Hussussian. Mentor: Xiaoli Ma 
  • Mohith Kumar Sathish Kumar. Mentor: Pradeep Rohatgi
  • Ding Yang Lin. Mentor: Nikolai Kouklin
  • Peyton O’Kelly. Mentor: Benjamin Church
  • Luke Wilson. Mentor: Pradeep Rohatgi

Mechanical Engineering

  • Daniela Alejandra Gutierrez Centeno. Mentor: Joseph Hamann
  • Pao Chang. Mentor: Woo-Jin Chang
  • Laila Ghareeb & Owen Schneider. Mentor: Deyang Qu
  • David Jablonski. Mentor: William Musinski
  • Rogelio Noriega Joseph. Mentor: Ryoichi Amano
  • Daehyeon Kim & Kangmin Ko. Mentor: Pradeep Rohatgi
  • David Loeza. Mentor: Joseph Hamann
  • Jiovanni Ortiz. Mentor: William Musinski
  • Jake Siong. Mentor: Brooke Slavens

Ninety-seven students gain valuable skills in the Student Research Poster Competition & Experiential Learning Expo

group where everyone is looking at the camera

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Student Research Poster Competition & Experiential Learning Expo and their advisors! With 68 judges, including 18 faculty members, the activity was fast and furious!

This year the event featured a “competition with the competition”: Six of the doctoral students who entered research posters were also finalists in the “Three-Minute Thesis,” where they described their research as an “elevator pitch” to appeal to a general audience.

A huge thank you goes to sponsors of the event – Eaton, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Generac, the We Energies Foundation.

group of people looking at posters
Nearly 100 students and 68 judges filled the Wisconsin Room for the event.
a woman explains a poster to a man
First-place winner in the research Undergraduate Category Hannah Vincent describes her work to Qingsu Cheng, assistant professor, biomedical engineering. Vincent, also presented her poster in the all-campus Undergraduate Research Symposium.
three men talking among themselves
Shuaiqi (Roger) Shen (right), assistant professor, electrical engineering, shares a light moment with Yu Chen Chang and other students.
man in a hardhat gives 'thumbs up'
Robert Barwick, civil/ environmental engineering, shows off some of the head wear needed during his internship Payne and Dolan.
two men, id twins, looking at the camera
Twins Cheikh (left) and Kada Kada have a lot in common. For example, the grad students both work with Professor Ryo Amano, mechanical engineering. One difference? Cheikh just won the top honor at the research poster competition. Way to go, Cheikh!
a woman showing a man her poster
Graduate student Brianna Geurts shows a visitor her research. Geurts’ advisor is Weizhong Wang, associate professor, electrical engineering.
a man pointing at a poster
Md Tarif Raihan, mechnical engineering, explains his poster to a judge.
A smiling woman stands in front of a poster
Spirits were high as participants like Mikayla McWilliams, biomedical engineering, tried to impress the judges.
a man giving hand gesture
Graduate student Massum Bellah, mechanical engineering, makes a point. Bellah also was a finalist in the Three-Minute Thesis.

Overall, there were 52 graduate student research submissions and 25 on the undergraduate side. In addition, 20 students entered a poster from an outside-the-classroom learning experience, describing senior design projects, co-ops, or work with student organizations.

Graduate

  • First Place: Cheikh Kada, mechanical engineering. Advisor: Professor Ryo Amano
  • Second Place (tie): Joshua Estell, mechanical engineering. Advisor: Xiaoxiao Zhang
  • Second Place (tie): Mohamed Maache, mechanical engineering. Advisor: Professor Ryo Amano

Undergraduate

  • First Place: Hannah Vincent, biomedical engineering. Advisor: Assistant Professor Mahsa Dabagh
  • Second Place: Mona Said, biomedical engineering. Advisor: Aswin Narasimhan
  • Third Place: Anna Lutz, mechanical engineering. Advisor: Professor Rani El Hajjar

Experiential Learning

  • First Place: Abhi Roop Reddy Tokala, biomedical engineering. Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui
  • Second Place: Andrew Hinz, mechanical engineering. Advisor: Professor Deyang Qu
  • Third Place: Greta Boehm, biomedical engineering. Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui

3M Thesis winner

  • Abul Borkot Md Rafiqul Hasan, mechanical engineering. Advisor: Professor Kishna Pillai