People

            Lab Director     

Christina L. Bloebaum, Director
Dr. Bloebaum is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. She is presently Chair of the UB President's Review Board (PRB) for Promotion and Tenure Review.

           Graduate Students

Zhendan Xue
Zhendan is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering. He is developing a PSO-based evacuation simulation capability that incorporates fire, smoke and toxicity models, as well as human behaviors.

Po-Wen Chiu
Po-Wen is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering. He is developing an intuitive visualization method (Hyper-radial visualization) to enable designers to quickly identify desirable candidate designs in multiobjective optimization.

Rahul Rajan
Rahul Rajan is currently doing his Masters in Mechanical engineering at UB. He is currently working in the Model Lab on the development of an MDO Test suite. He is in charge of the classification of various test problems on the suite.

Abhishek Vaidya
Abhishek Vaidya is currently pursuing his Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University at Buffalo. He is involved in a project for developing the MDO Test Suite, with the concentration on the collection of different classes of MDO problems from various fields.

Anoop Krishna
Anoop Krishna is currently enrolled in the Master's in Mechanical Engineering Program. He is  working on the collection of MDO problems for the MDO test suite

Aziz Michel Naim
Aziz Michel Naim is currently in the Aerospace Masters Program at UB. He is working on the classification and selection of example problems for the MDO test Suite.

Sebastian Schafer
Sebastian is a Research Assistant in the Toshiba Stroke Research Lab under the supervision of Dr. Kenneth Hoffmann. He is currently enrolled in the PhD program in the Mechanical Engineering department at UB. Research Areas of interest are Medical Imaging and Informatics as optimization in Biomedical Applications.

        Graduated Students (Ph.D.)    

Serhan, Hassan

 "Design of New Spinal Implants -- Experimental and Analytical Studies"
(Present Position: Director, Research & Technology, DePuy AcroMed – a Johnson and Johnson Company, Raynham, Massachusetts)

Chi, Hua-Wei

 "Mixed Variable Optimization Methods for Complex Engineering System Design" (Present Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, Da Yeh University, Changhua, Taiwan; worked in industry for several years prior to moving to academia)

McCulley, Collin

 "Simulation-Based Comparison and Development of Heuristic Convergence Strategies for Multidisciplinary Analysis" (Present Position: Design Engineer, Lockheed-Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, Ft. Worth, Texas)

Winer, Eliot

 "Development of Visualization Techniques as an Aid in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"

(Present Position: Assistant Professor, The Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa; worked as Deputy Director of NYSCEDII for several years prior to moving to academia)

Hulme, Kevin

 "The Design of a Simulation-based Framework for the Development of Solution Approaches in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"

(Present Position: Research Associate for Engineering Design, The New York State Center for Engineering Design and Industrial Innovation (NYSCEDII), University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York)

English, Ken

 "Coupling Suspension in Complex System Optimization"

(Present Position: Deputy Director, the New York State Center for Engineering Design and Industrial Innovation (NYSCEDII), University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York)

Abdul-Jalil,
Mohamad Kasim

 "Development of a Virtual Collaborative Environment for Finite Element Simulation"

(Present Position: Lecturer, Department of Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia)

Huang, Chen-Hung

 “Development of Multi-Objective Concurrent Subspace Optimization and Visualization Methods for Multidisciplinary Design”

(Present Position: Research Engineer, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Mechanical Industry Research Laboratories, Hsinchu, Taiwan)

Agrawal, Gautam

 “The Hyperspace Pareto Frontier for Intuitive Visualization of Multiobjective Optimization Problems”

(Present Position: Engineering Design Manager, Integral Information Systems (IIS), Amherst, NY)

Parashar, Sumeet

 "Development of ulti-Objective Genetic Algorithm Concurrent Subspace Optimization (MOGACSSO) Method with Robustness

(Present Position: Support Engineer, ESTECO North America Inc., Livonia, MI)

       Graduated Students (M.S. Thesis)

Serhan, Hassan

 "Experimental and Analytical Study of Transpedicular Screws"

Ford, Jeffrey

 "A Non-Hierarchic Decomposition Method for Synthesis of Mixed Discrete/Continuous Systems"

Khalak, Hanif

 "Solving Crystallographic Molecular Structures: An Investigation of a Simulated Annealing Application within `Shake-And-Bake^TM'"

Rosner, Alfred

 "Concurrent Engineering With Manufacturing Considerations"

Muthyala, Ganga

 "Structural Shape Optimization of Gear Wheels"

Mulubagal, Girish

 "Multidisciplinary Design With Tolerance Allocation For Maximum Quality"

Chai, Young-Ho

 "Spline Representation of Optimal Shape To Avoid Stress Concentrations"

Fuessel, Dominik

 "Optimum Model Size for Complex Design"

McCulley, Collin

 "A Genetic Tool for Optimally Sequencing the Design of Complex Engineering Systems"

Lasher, Elizabeth

 "Impact of Sensitivity Analysis Error on Optimal Solution Accuracy"

Miller, Eric

 "Coupling Suspension and Elimination in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"

Hulme, Kevin

 "Development of CASCADE -- a Test Simulator for Modeling Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Problems in Distributed Computing Environments"

Becker, Jan

 "Distributed Computing for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Using Java"

Miller, Eric

 "Coupling Suspension and Elimination in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"

English, Ken

 "Development of Multiple Cycle Coupling Suspension in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"

Bowerman, Ethan

 "Response Surface Development for Sensitivity Approximations in Multidisciplinary Design and Optimization"

Rajesh, J.

 "Automatic Response Surface Generation in Graph Morphing"

Ahmad, Faisal

 "Development of a Direct Parallel Optimization Method"

Misra, Udayan

 "Development of a Hybrid Genetic Simulated Annealing Method"

Gosakan, Mala

 "Development of Heuristic Parallel Convergence Strategies for Multidisciplinary Analysis"

Nozaki, Yuji

 “Development of a Constrained Direct Parallel Optimization Method”

Jain, Anuj

 “Gradient Vector Visualization as an Aid for Decision-Making in Engineering Optimization”

Agrawal, Nitin

 Initial Development of a Medical Data Application Programmers Interface (Co-Advisor, Dr. Eliot Winer, lead Supervisor)

Chiam, Ter Wei

 “The Development of a Gradient’Augmented Heuristic Optimization Method”

Ang, Eu-Jin

 “Development of an Automatic Grid-based Driving Simulation Scene Generator for Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy” (Co-Advisor, Dr. Eliot Winer, lead Supervisor)

Desai, Ashwin

 "Parallel Paratrooper Optimization Algorithm”

Phatak, Amit

 “Derivation of Material Metric Homogenization Parameters for Hyperelastic Materials Using Finite Element-based Design Optimization”

Kasarekar, Nachiket

 “Development of a Hybrid MDF/IDF Multidisciplinary Optimization Solution Method with Coupling Suspension” (Advisor in name only, lead Supervisor is Dr. Ken English)

Vase, Aditya

 "Development of a Data Model for Real-time Web-based Visualization of Massive Engineering Analysis” (Co-Advisor with Dr. Eliot Winer, lead Supervisor)

Agarwal, Gautam

 “Development of a Web-based Visualization Environment for Decision-Making in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization”

Parashar, Sumeet

 Decision-Support Tool for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) Using Multi-Domain Decomposition”

Patwardhan, Sameer

 “Using Anthropometric Modeling for Optimal Ergonomic Considerations in Automobile Interior Design”

Tyagi, Gaurav

 “A Heuristic Optimization Based Methodology for Fire Evacuation Simulation Incorporating Human Behaviors”

Galuski, Jessica

 “Range Refinement and Design Selection in MDO-based Multiobjective Optimization”

Xu, Zhendan

 “A Particle Swarm Optimization-based Behavioral and Probabilistic Fire Evacuation Model Incorporating Fire Hazards and Human Behaviors”

Ries, Brian

 “A Heuristic Optimization-based Emergency Evacuation Simulation Approach for a Building and its Surrounding Environment”

       Graduated Students (M.S. Project)

Song, Jaebin

 "Application of Wynn's Algorithm to Optimization"

Chi, Hua-Wei

 "Design of Adaptive Structure for Optimal Deployment Characteristics"

Culpo, Christopher

 "An Intelligent Decomposition Approach for Coupled Engineering Systems"

Peck, Tony

 "A Revised Move Limit Strategy for Efficient Optimization"

Crane, Donald

 "Dynamic Axial Crush of a Thin-Walled Square Tube Using DYNA3D"

Quattrini, Thomas

 "Rules Based Concurrent Engineering"

Hong, Wein

 "Efficient Move Limit Assignment for Optimization"

Chang, Chenglin

 "2-D Airfoil Shape Optimization for Performance in Subsonic, Potential Flow"

Shim, Young-Shik

 "Application of Neural Networks to Preliminary Airfoil Shape Design"

Reilly, Jean Marie

 "Intelligent Approximations for Structural Optimization"

Martens, Daryl

 "Development of a Nonlinear Programming Computational Infrastructure"

Gawve, Warren

 "Optimization of an Electro-Mechanical Knife for Thin Gage Material”

Zhou, Qihua

 "Development of Heuristic Optimization Software Package in X-Window Platform"

Chen, Chih-Yi

 “Comparison of Approximation Methods for Optimal Truss Design”

Huang, Chen-Hung

 “The Study of Sensitivity Error on Optimization Method”

Singh, Ajit

 "Tolerance Analysis and Allocation Using a Method of Design of Experiments”

Samant, Amit

 "Constraint Representation in Graph Morphing"

Shah, Pranay

 "Benchmarking of Design Variable Ranking for Graph Morphing"

Agarwal, Sonu

 "Multiple Response Surface Optimization Method”

Singh, Ajit

 "Tolerance Analysis and Allocation Using a Method of Design of Experiments”

Porcari, Richard

 “Web-based Design of a Portable Vertical Impactor Plant”(Dr. E. Winer primary advisor)

Morankar, Jitendra

 “Application of Multidisciplinary Design Optimization for Diesel Engine Cooling System Design”

Klump, Sasse

 A Heuristic Optimization-based Methodology for Emergency Vehicle Evacuation Simulation”