TITLE: Perspectives on Advanced Manufacturing

SPEAKER: Professor Jack Hu

ABSTRACT:

Advanced manufacturing has been the buzz recently. What is advanced manufacturing?  How can researchers in academia contribute to it? I offer my personal perspectives on this important topic and discuss challenges and opportunities in advanced manufacturing research and innovation. Several case studies will be used to illustrate how scientific methods and technological innovations can be translated into factory implementations.

S. Jack Hu was appointed the Interim Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan, effective January 1, 2014. He is also Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering, and the J. Reid and Polly Anderson Professor of Manufacturing Technology in the College of Engineering.

Bio:

As the Vice President for Research, Dr. Hu has overall responsibility for nurturing the excellence and integrity of research across the entire campus. He oversees the U-M Office of Research, which promotes interdisciplinary research, develops and implements research policy, provides central administrative services in support of faculty research, innovation, and economic outreach, and manages activities related to compliance and the responsible conduct of research. Before his current appointment, Dr. Hu served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (2009–2013) and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education (2007–2009), both in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Hu’s teaching and research interests include manufacturing systems design and operations, assembly modeling, and statistical quality methods.  He is the recipient of various awards, including the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, National Science Foundation CAREER Award, ASME William T. Ennor Manufacturing Technology Award, the College of Engineering Research Excellence Award, and several best paper awards.  He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and a fellow of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP). He served as the Editor in Chief of Journal of Manufacturing Systems from 2008 to 2013. 

Dr. Hu received his B.S. from Tianjin University, China in 1983, M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1986 and 1990 respectively.