Schedule

KK Wang Day on Simulation and Design Education

Date: April 17
Location: Cornell University – The Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

8:00 AM – Breakfast
Duffield Atrium

9:00 AM – Welcome Remarks
Engineering Dean and Sibley School Director
Upson Lounge

9:15 AM – Democratization of Simulation: Results from the Swanson Program at Cornell

Rajesh Bhaskaran, Swanson Director of Engineering Simulation, Sibley School
Upson Lounge

10:00 AM – Panel 1: Simulation Education and Workforce Development
Upson Lounge

Panelists:

  • Dipankar Choudhury, Ansys Bio: Dr. Dipankar Choudhury is the Lead Chief Technologist and an Ansys Fellow, where he leads advanced R&D initiatives and oversees the company’s global Academic Program. He earned his Ph.D. in Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer from the University of Minnesota and previously served as CTO at Fluent Inc. Dr. Choudhury is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Notre Dame and a frequent lecturer at leading institutions worldwide.
  • Daniel Newman, Anduril Bio: the Chief Engineer of the Maneuver Dominance organization at Anduril Industries and previously held leadership roles at Honeywell, Boeing, and DARPA. He is a Fellow of AIAA, an Honorary Fellow of the Vertical Flight Society, and serves on advisory boards for Cornell and the University of Maryland, where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus. Dan holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell and an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland.
  • Paul Krause, eCornell Bio: The Vice Provost for External Education at Cornell University and Executive Director of eCornell, where he leads efforts to expand Cornell’s reach to non-traditional learners. He oversees professional development and online degree programs that support both individual career growth and organizational workforce development. Krause holds an MBA from the University of Rochester and a B.S. from Cornell and has been driving online learning innovation at Cornell since 2014.
  • Hubert Lobo, Bio: Hubert Lobo is the founder of DatapointLabs and Matereality, companies dedicated to strengthening the materials core of manufacturing through data management and testing solutions. A Cornell graduate with 25 years of experience in materials science, he is a recognized expert in polymer behavior for CAE and a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers. He is also an author and inventor, with published works and patents in test instruments and software.

11:15 AM – Panel 2: Design Education and Workforce Development
Upson Lounge

Panelists:

  • James Melfi, ASML Bio: Senior Analysis Architect at ASML, where he supports FEM analysts in delivering strategic simulation insights to design teams. He also leads ASML’s efforts in design optimization, advancing internal roadmaps and integrating new capabilities into the analysis workflow. James holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and a B.S. from the University of New Hampshire.
  • Sam Zoubi, Corning Bio: Director of Modeling, Simulation, and Analytics in the Science & Technology Division at Corning Incorporated, where he leads advanced modeling initiatives and is part of the Modeling and Computing Technologies leadership team. Since joining Corning in 2004, he has overseen the development of key capabilities in solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, and multi-physics. Zoubi holds engineering degrees from the University of Stuttgart and Damascus University, with expertise in structural engineering and numerical simulation.
  • Rob Sielaff, Moog Bio: Chief Engineer for Moog Military Aircraft Actuation, where he is responsible for actuation system definition and integrity. He has been with Moog for 19 years, previously serving as a Structural and Design Engineer. Rob earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University at Buffalo and lives in Holland, NY.
  • Maha Haji, Cornell Bio: Assistant Professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, where she leads the Symbiotic Engineering and Analysis (SEA) Lab focused on sustainable offshore technologies. Her research develops systems to harvest ocean resources like energy, water, and food, supporting the Blue Economy and climate change mitigation. She holds a Ph.D. from the MIT-WHOI Joint Program and has prior experience as a Postdoc at MIT and an engineering consultant at ATA Engineering.
  • Nanda Santhanam, Autodesk Bio: Senior Distinguished Architect at Autodesk, where he is the head architect for Design and Manufacturing Product Development that comprises Autodesk’s manufacturing solutions including Fusion, Inventor, Moldflow, Alias, and other products. He has worked in the areas of simulation, CAE and CAD for close to 40 years and has led product architecture for Moldflow, structural, CFD, and cloud-based simulation, optimization and DOE, and Generative Design at Autodesk. Nanda holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, working under Prof. K.K. Wang, in the Cornell Injection Molding Program, and a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from I.I.T. Madras.

12:30 PM – Lunch and Industry Tabling
Duffield Atrium

 

2:00 PM – Breakout Session: Recommendations for Closing the Skills Gaps
Upson 331, 431 & 531

3:30 PM – Student Poster Session, Student Showcase, and Reception
Duffield Atrium

5:00 PM – Prizes Awarded
Duffield Atrium