Integrative smart systems: A call to action

Abstract: All around us our world is undergoing rapid transformative change, from energy to mobility to manufacturing. To meet volatile needs, there is a growing demand for integrative thinking. Integrative thinking is systematically integrating disparate disciplines to effectively tackle complex engineering problems. For decades, the field of Smart Materials and Structures has fostered an integrative mindset – it is in our DNA. Yet, while our field has made great strides in research, successful transition and adoption of technology in the field still tends to be a challenge. Highlighting several integrative smart systems from the past to the future, this talk is designed to provoke a conversation within the community with the hopes to inspire the advocacy of our integrative thinking beyond our field to empower solutions to the most pressing problems of today.

Bio: Dr. Diann Brei is the Chair of the Integrative Systems + Design Division and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. She received her PhD (1993) in Mechanical Engineering and her BSE (1988) in Computer Systems Engineering (1988). Her research is focused on the underling design science for device innovation using smart materials. Her smart material architectural models along with her multi-domain, multi-stage design methods have set the foundation for a successful translational research and development paradigm adopted by industries in the automotive, medical and aerospace sectors. Dr. Brei who is an ASME Fellow and AIAA Associate Fellow, has been an active leader in the smart materials and structures community recognized by the ASME Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Award, SPIE Lifetime Achievement Award SSM and the ASME Distinguished Service Award.

Additional Information:

Please contact Lisa Spicer at lms8@psu.edu for Zoom information.