Milwaukee Engineering Research Conference

Cleaner, Safer Water Session: Friday, February 26

Water and the Environment

Clean air and water are essential human rights, yet they are far from guaranteed in the United States. Growing concerns regarding our crumbling water infrastructure and contaminants in our drinking water need to be addressed to ensure sustainable growth of the U.S. economy.

UWM researchers are taking the lead in addressing these critical issues, bringing together some of the more than 150 companies serving the water industry in Southeastern Wisconsin with funding agencies around a common objective. They provide innovative solutions to promote growth of the water industry and train the current and future engineering workforce at the frontier of water science and technology.

At this session, you’ll discover:

• Ground-breaking innovations and ongoing explorations from UWM’s College of Engineering & Applied Science, including those that apply Artificial Intelligence and data science to advance the water-energy nexus.
• Real-time ways UWM’s water technology research impacts industry—with insights from Lakefront Brewery President Russell Klisch.
• The plans for the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, which UWM leads, and will position the UW System globally, as leaders in freshwater sciences, technology and entrepreneurship.
• Opportunities for research collaboration and partnerships.

SESSION SPONSOR: Sage Water

SESSION LEAD: Qian Liao, UWM Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Russ Klisch, Lakefront Brewery, President and Founder

ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS:

• Junhong Chen, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Crown Family Professor of Molecular Engineering; Argonne National Laboratory, Lead Water Strategist & Senior Scientist
• Marissa Jablonski, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Executive Director
• Gregory T. Kleinheinz, UW-Oshkosh, Chair, Department of Engineering Technology
• Xiaoli Ma, UWM, Assistant Professor, Materials Science & Engineering
• Yin Wang, UWM, Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Evolving Energy Session: Friday, February 5

Evolving Energy Platforms: Leading-Edge Sustainable Systems for Transportation and Grid Applications

Energy technology engineers and executives from across the manufacturing and research spectrum won’t want to miss this session as we bring together global innovators from industry and academia for a conversation around energy systems of the future. Renowned energy storage expert Adel Nasiri leads the session, fueling the discussion of an interactive energy system—an energy network that is secure, technically superior, reliable, resilient and available at good cost, whether for stationary or mobile applications.

SESSION SPONSOR: We Energies Foundation

SESSION LEAD: Adel Nasiri, UWM Richard and Joanne Grigg Professor, Electrical

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Ted Miller, Ford Motor Company,  Senior Manager of Energy Storage and Materials Strategy and Research

ADDITIONAL PANELISTS:

• Rob Cuzner, UWM, Electrical Engineering Associate Professor
• Troy Miller, GE Renewables, North American Sales Leader for Energy Storage
• Deyang Qu, UWM Mechanical Engineering Department Chair and Johnson Controls Endowed Professor in Energy Storage

Advanced Manufacturing Session: Friday, February 12

Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation

In this session, we’ll highlight industry and research developments around data in advancing materials development and the manufacturing processes. Speakers will address Wisconsin’s agenda for manufacturing and industry expectations for manufacturing in the future.

SESSION SPONSORS: Dedicated Computing, IEEE Chicago Section, IEEE Madison Section, IEEE Milwaukee Section, IEEE Rock River Valley Section

SESSION LEAD: Wilkistar Otieno, UWM Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department Chair and Associate Professor

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

• Mary Bunzel, UWM, Connected Systems Institute, Executive Director
• Alexis C. Lewis, NSF, Deputy Division Director, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Directorate for Engineering

ADDITIONAL PRESENTERS:

• Ilya Avdeev, UWM, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Director of Innovation and Kellner Entrepreneurship Fellow, Lubar Entrepreneurship Center
• Michael Cook, Rockwell Automation, Director of Global Academic Organization
• Nicole Otte, Endress+Hauser, Director of Workforce Development
• Ted Rozier, Festo Didactic, Director of Engineering
• Jela Trask, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Attraction & Investment Director

Biomedical Engineering Session: Friday, February 19

Biomedical Engineering Innovation in Milwaukee: Fostering New Connections

This session brings together biomedical engineers and scientists to showcase biomedical innovation in the Milwaukee area with a goal of improving and fostering collaborative opportunities. Highlights of the session include COVID research and rehabilitation robotics and a look at key UWM facilities and research capabilities. If you’re affiliated with a hospital, university or industry involved in biomedical research you won’t want to miss the discussion.

SESSION LEAD: Priyatha Premnath, UWM, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Frank A. Pintar, Medical College of Wisconsin, Professor, Neurosurgery; Founding Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering

ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS:

• Mahsa Dabagh, UWM, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
• Mike McOlash, Rockwell Automation, Senior Engineer
• Mohammad Rahman, UWM, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering + Biomedical Engineering
• Konstantin Sobolev, UWM, Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Yongjin Sung, UWM, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering + Biomedical Engineering

Plenary Speaker

Tommy Thompson

UW System President

Former four-term Governor of Wisconsin

Keynote Speakers

Mary Bunzel

UWM, Connected Systems Institute, Executive Director

Advanced Manufacturing: Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation on February 12

Russ Klisch

Lakefront Brewery, Inc President and Founder

Water and the Environment on February 26

Alexis C. Lewis

National Science Foundation, Deputy Division Director for the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation in the Engineering Directorate

Advanced Manufacturing: Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation on February 12

Ted Miller

Ford Motor Company, Senior Manager, Energy Storage and Materials Strategy and Research

Evolving Energy Systems: Leading Edge Renewables for Transportation and Stationary Applications on February 5

Frank A. Pintar

Medical College of Wisconsin, Professor, Neurosurgery; Founding Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering Innovation in Milwaukee: Fostering New Connections on February 19

Session Speakers

Adel Nasiri 

UWM’s Richard and Joanne Grigg Professor, Electrical Engineering

Evolving Energy Systems: Leading Edge Renewables for Transportation and Stationary Applications on February 5

Rob Cuzner

UWM, Electrical Engineering Associate Professor

Evolving Energy Systems: Leading Edge Renewables for Transportation and Stationary Applications on February 5

Troy Miller

GE Renewables, North American Sales Leader for Energy Storage

Evolving Energy Systems: Leading Edge Renewables for Transportation and Stationary Applications on February 5

Deyang Qu

UWM Department Chair and Johnson Controls Endowed Professor in Energy Storage

Evolving Energy Systems: Leading Edge Renewables for Transportation and Stationary Applications on February 5

Wilkistar Otieno

UWM Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department Chair and Associate Professor 

Advanced Manufacturing: Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation on February 12

Ilya Avdeev

UWM, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Director of Innovation and Kellner Entrepreneurship Fellow, Lubar Entrepreneurship Center 

Advanced Manufacturing: Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation on February 12

Michael Cook

Rockwell Automation, Director of Global Academic Organization

Advanced Manufacturing: Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation on February 12

Nicole Ott

Endress+Hauser, Director of Workforce Development

Advanced Manufacturing: Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation on February 12

Ted Rozier

Festo Didactic, Director of Engineering

Advanced Manufacturing: Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation on February 12

Jela Trask

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Attraction & Investment Director

Advanced Manufacturing: Harnessing Data to Lead the Transformation on February 12

Priyatha Premnath

UWM, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering 

Biomedical Engineering Innovation in Milwaukee: Fostering New Connections on February 19

Mahsa Dabagh

UWM, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering 

Biomedical Engineering Innovation in Milwaukee: Fostering New Connections on February 19

Mike McOlash

Rockwell Automation, Senior Engineer

Biomedical Engineering Innovation in Milwaukee: Fostering New Connections on February 19

Mohammad Rahman

UWM, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering Innovation in Milwaukee: Fostering New Connections on February 19

Konstantin Sobolev

UWM, Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Biomedical Engineering Innovation in Milwaukee: Fostering New Connections on February 19

Yongjin Sung

UWM, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering Innovation in Milwaukee: Fostering New Connections on February 19

Qian Liao

UWM, Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Water and the Environment on February 26

Junhong Chen

University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Crown Family Professor of Molecular Engineering; Argonne National Laboratory, Lead Water Strategist & Senior Scientist

Water and the Environment on February 26

Marissa Jablonski

Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Executive Director

Water and the Environment on February 26

Xiaoli Ma

UWM, Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Water and the Environment on February 26

Yin Wang

UWM, Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Water and the Environment on February 26