Mechatronics

Mechatronics Expo 2008: Speaker Bios

March 14, 2008

13 Min Read

	John Dodge , Chief Editor, Design News A journalist for 30 years, John Dodge has been editor-in-chief of Design News since early November 2006. Most of his career was spend at IT news weekly PC Week, now eWeek. He has also been a regular business and technology columnist for both the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe. Prior to Design News, he was editor-in-chief at Electronic Business magazine and prior to that, EDN. He loves mechanical things and had been a lifelong rail fan.
	Tai-Ran Hsu , Professor of Mechanical Engineering, San Jose State University A Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Tai-Ran Hsu received a B.S. degree from the National Cheng–Kung University, Taiwan, Republic of China, an M.S. degree from the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, N.B., Canada and a Ph.D. degree from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. All his degrees were in mechanical engineering. He is currently a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University (SJSU), San Jose, California, USA. He joined the SJSU as the Chair of the department in 1990 – the position that he held until 1998. Prior 1990, he served at a similar capacity at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. He was responsible for the installation of a pioneer undergraduate mechatronics curriculum stem at the SJSU with substantial support of the US National Science Foundation and the high tech industry in the Silicon Valley. He worked extensively as a design engineer with heat exchangers, steam power plant equipment, large steam turbines, and nuclear reactor fuel systems for major industries in both the United States and Canada. He has published over 115 technical papers in peer reviewed systems, and have authored six books and edited another two on a variety of topics on finite element method in thermomechanics, microelectronics packaging, CAD and MEMS. His current research interest is in micro- and nanoscale engineering design and packaging. His recent publications include a well received textbook on “MEMS and Microsystems Design and Manufacture,” by McGraw-Hill Companies in Boston in 2002, and a professional book on “MEMS Packaging” by the IEE in London, England in 2004. The former book was translated into both traditional and simplified versions in Chinese in Taiwan and mainland China. Dr. Hsu was the co-founder of the International Conferences on Mechatronics, which convenes every year in one of the seven founding Asian Pacific countries since 1996. He was appointed as a Specialist by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations to assist the Romanian government in nuclear reactor fuel systems design and modeling in 1992. He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)-International in USA. He was invited as keynote lecturers in a number of international conferences on MEMS and industrial automations. He served as Guest Editors for the IEEE Transactions of CPMT and grants review panels for the National Science Foundation of the US government.
	Charlie Masi , Senior Editor, Control Engineering C.G. Masi is a senior editor at Control Engineering. A nearly twenty year veteran of high-technology journalism, he has held positions as Chief Editor of Test and Measurement World as well as Contributing Editor for R&D and Plant Engineering. He has written over 200 articles published in various technology trade publications and academic journals. With advanced degrees in Astrophysics and Business Management, as well as engineering and systems analysis experience, his broad background suits the broad range of industries that use mechatronic systems.
	Rick Nelson , Editor, EDN/Test & Measurement World Rick Nelson, editor-in-chief of EDN and Test & Measurement World, also covers the RF/microwave-test, semiconductor-test, and electronic-design-automation beats. Nelson has a B.S.E.E. degree from Penn State and has worked in systems-engineering and R&D departments at General Electric and Litton Industries. He began his technical journalism career at EDN and subsequently joined Test & Measurement World. For each magazine, he has won awards for signed editorials from the Association of Business Publication Editors. In his spare time he enjoys classical choral singing and serves as a tutor in English for speakers of foreign languages.
	Dr. Geoffrey Orsak , Ph.D., Dean of SMU Engineering School Geoffrey C. Orsak, Ph.D. is one of this nation’s key leaders in engineering research and education and its impact on economic development and global competitiveness. He has been called “one of the brightest minds in the world in engineering education” by the editors of EDN – a leading international publication for the fields of engineering design and innovation. And in 2006, he was named the first “Educator of the Year” in engineering and science by EE Times magazine. In his professional roles as Dean of the Southern Methodist University School of Engineering and Executive Director of the federally funded Institute for Engineering Education at SMU, Dr. Orsak has founded and created a number of nationally recognized programs, including The Infinity Project and Visioneering, that today reach millions of students across our country with innovative math and science based engineering curricula and educational experiences. A noted expert in communications and signal processing, he has been the lead researcher on approximately thirty projects funded by public and private grants and contracts. Dr. Orsak is a Fellow of the IEEE and is the recipient of the 2001 KPMG High Tech Award. In addition, he recently completed service on a National Academy of Engineering blue ribbon panel evaluating the Marine Corps’ science and technology programs and has in the past served as a DoD Science and Engineering Advisor through his participation on the Defense Science Study Group sponsored by the Institute for Defense Analysis. Dr. Orsak is a frequent contributor to national and regional media stories as well as op-ed articles on advances in engineering, math and science education, and economic development - having been featured in over 100 newspaper and magazine articles and TV spots in outlets including US News and World Report, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, Washington Post, National Public Radio, Austin American Statesman, San Antonio Express News, ABC, CBS, Fox, and TXCN amongst others. Dr. Orsak has served on a number of international, national, and state boards including service as a Trustee of Southwest Research Institute, the IEEE Educational Activities Board, the Texas State Strategy Group on Advanced Technology, the Executive Committee of the Texas Engineering and Technical Consortium, Advisory Committee of the Technology Business Council of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Advisory Committee of Texas State Board of Educator Certification, and on the Dallas Assembly. Dr. Orsak received his B.S.E.E., M.E.E., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University.
	Jarred Osborne , Technical Marketing Manager for AutoCAD Electrical and AutoCAD Mechanical, Autodesk Based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Jarred Osborne has three years of experience at Autodesk, and was an AutoCAD user and CAD Manager since 1996. His positions are incredibly varied and include mechanical design consultant, construction management, construction safety, R&D, equipment engineer and field application engineer. He has been involved in many hi-tech projects within the Semiconductor field.
	Robert Shinno , Global Director for Hi-Tech R&D Industry Solutions, Dassault Systèmes As the global director for Hi-Tech R&D industry solutions, Rob Shinno has had over 17 years of experience in multiple roles and disciplines in bringing Hi-Tech products to market. This has included previous positions with NCR, Alcoa Electronic Packaging, Medtronic and Qualcomm. He speaks frequently at industry forums and events on Mechatronics and topics related to Product Lifecycle Management.
	Dr. Jim Tan-atichat , Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronic Engineering, CSU-Chico Dr. Tan-atichat received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and has taught and conducted research in experimental fluid mechanics at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is a faculty member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, and Manufacturing Technology at the California State University, Chico and currently teaches in the areas of measurements and instrumentation, data acquisition, numerical methods, aerodynamics, fluids and thermal sciences.
	Dr. Ramesh Varahamurti , Program Director, Mechatronic Engineering/Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronic Engineering, CSU-Chico Dr. Varahamurti received his B.E. in Mechanical from University of Bombay, India and worked in the industry in India for a couple of years. Later he received his Ph.D. from Washington State University, Pullman. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering & Manufacturing Technology at California State University, Chico. He developed an ABET accredited B.S. in Mechatronic Engineering program at CSUC in 1996. He has been involved in automation of farming for the past eight years. He currently teaches dynamics, control system design, while supervising some funded senior projects (or capstone design projects).
	Dale Word , Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, CSU-Chico Dale Word is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at California State University, Chico. Mr. Word has an extensive industry background, having spent 17 years as a Embedded Systems Developer and Consultant before joining the faculty at CSU Chico. His primary teaching and research focus is in the area of Embedded and Real-Time Systems design and development.
	Ed Nicolson , Ph.D., Director, Development, Yaskawa Ed Nicolson, Director of Development, has been involved in many different projects at Yaskawa, including servo drive design, servo network design, motion control systems, automated vision-guided assembly systems, NC machine tool controls and application programming environments for automation systems. The company's recent developments include a multi-axis networked servo drive, a script-based motion controller and an IEC 1131-based motion controller.
	Gabriel Hoffmann , Ph.D. Candidate, Hybrid Systems Lab, Stanford Racing Team Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University Gabriel received his B.S. and M.S. in Engineering Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. At Stanford, Gabriel develops hardware, flight software and control laws for a fleet of quadrotor helicopter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He has been the team lead for control systems for the Stanford Racing Team since 2004. He designed the control system that ran the autonomous unmanned vehicle Stanley through a 132-mile race across off-road desert terrain to win the DARPA Grand Challenge in 2005. He also designed the control system that ran the autonomous unmanned vehicle Junior through 56 miles of urban terrain to place second in the DARPA Urban Challenge. Gabriel interned at Boeing Space Systems, Houston, working on the International Space Station. He interned at the NASA Ames Academy, working on astrobiology. He worked with Mitek Analytics LLC on a NASA autonomous rendezvous and docking project.
	Brian MacCleery , Product Manager for Industrial-Embedded Design, National Instruments Brian MacCleery is the Senior Product Manager for Industrial-Embedded Design at National Instruments in Austin, Texas. He manages worldwide product management operations for National Instruments graphical system design, mechatronics and industrial automation technologies. His other positions in the company have included CompactRIO Product Manager, Industrial Control and Signal Conditioning Group Manager, Industrial Digital I/O and Counter/Timer Product Manager, Compact FieldPoint Product Manager, and Applications Engineering Team Leader. MacCleery holds a B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a focus on control design, dynamic system simulation, electric motor drives and electromagnetics. Prior to National Instruments, MacCleery led the development of novel switched reluctance magnetic levitation and propulsion technology as student President of the Personal Electric Rapid Transit Systems (PERTS) research group at Virginia Tech.
	Hari Padmanabhan , Product Specialist, SolidWorks Corporation Hari Padmanabhan has over six years of experience in the CAD/CAE industry. Currently, he is working as a Product Specialist on the SolidWorks Product Definition team mainly focusing on simulation products inside SOLIDWORKS, COSMOSWorks and COSMOSMotion. Padmanabhan joined COSMOS (part of SolidWorks since 2003) in 2001 as an intern in technical support and worked on different projects in documentation, consulting, QA, training manuals and customer support. In 2006 he moved to the COSMOS product management group with a dual role of managing the COSMOSMotion product and writing product specifications for COSMOSWorks and COSMOSMotion. He received his Master’s degree in CAE from the University of Southern California in 2002.
	Jason Petersen , Senior Generalist Application Engineer, PTC Jason Petersen has been an Application Engineer at PTC for the past 10 years focusing on high-tech companies in the Bay area. Jason is supporting customers like Cisco, Novellus, Lam Research, Asyst, NVIDIA and Intel. In these accounts he supports best practices, tips, training and mentoring around the core PRO/Engineer suite of products.
	Satish Ponnaluri , Senior Technology Application Engineer, PTC Satish Ponnaluri is a Sr. Applications Engineer at PTC with over eight years of Product Development Experience. His expertise is in PTC's Windchill Suite. During his tenure at PTC he has assisted numerous large and small companies in the Hi-Tech space to implement PLM systems with a variety of product and service industries.
	John Stewart , Business Development Director, PTC John Stewart is a business development director at PTC. He has over 20 years experience developing, marketing and managing product portfolios at a number of Silicon Valley companies. He has a masters degree in engineering from Stanford and an MBA from UC Berkeley.