In my journey through various roles as a university educator and researcher, in government and in science and technology policy, and in higher education leadership including in engagement, global affairs, research and partnerships, and presidency, I have been impressed by the profound power of partnerships. At a time of unprecedented transformation in higher education and in federal funding avenues in particular, I will share my experience with building a long-standing and resilient industry consortium for thermal management that has stood the test of time and offers a robust partnership model for conducting fundamental research and supporting student mentorship and training, while making lasting contributions to technology advancement. 

So much of the challenge in electronics thermal management comes from the resistances to transport at solid, liquid and gas interfaces, and our Cooling Technologies Research Center has worked over nearly three decades to overcome these resistances. I will highlight how the Center came into being, the challenges in establishing a common understanding of precompetitive research and its goals among fierce competitors, and the very significant contributions that emerged from this work, including a cohort of fantastic graduates who are the Center’s true legacy. I will illustrate the nature of the research we conducted by elaborating on the work done through a large DARPA project as one example. Rapid leaps in AI, biomedicine, space sciences and national security applications have only further underlined the critical need for thermal management in enabling these advances. 

I gratefully acknowledge the sustained support of my research group’s work over the years from many companies and federal agencies. The members of our Cooling Technologies Research Center, in particular, have enriched and informed our work with their counsel and collaboration since 1999. And I am grateful to all the partners in university leadership across three universities – Purdue, Vermont and Arizona – without whose collaboration, wisdom and resilience the resistances would have won out. 

Suresh Garimella serves as the 23rd president of the University of Arizona and University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, positions he assumed on October 1, 2024. He was unanimously appointed by the Arizona Board of Regents following a robust national search. On selecting Garimella to lead the university, Board Chair Cecilia Mata praised his collaborative leadership, experience, and vision, calling him a "tireless champion for students" who is well suited to lead the university into a bright future.

Previously, he was president of the University of Vermont (UVM) from 2019 to 2024. Under his leadership, the university underscored its reputation as a premier flagship research university dedicated to providing a world-class student experience and committed to fulfilling its land-grant mission, a focus he brings to the U of A as well.

Throughout his career, Garimella has emphasized the importance of access and affordability for students, and he has worked to promote excellence in the student learning experience. A professor of mechanical engineering, he is both a highly cited scholar and researcher and a passionate educator, mentoring over 90 graduate students and 50 post-doctoral scholars, 29 of whom were placed in prestigious faculty positions across the world. During his tenure as UVM’s president, he led an annual undergraduate seminar class devoted to engaging students in civil discourse on multifaceted contemporary issues.

As a researcher, Garimella has made seminal contributions to the field of electronics thermal management and energy efficiency at micro and nano scales, and in sustainable energy systems technology and policy. He is co-author of over 625 refereed publications and 16 issued patents, and he has been recognized as an elected Member of the National Academy of Engineering and elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Garimella also has made important contributions in national and international policy matters. He served as a member of the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation and acts as an independent body of advisers to both the President and Congress on policy matters related to science and engineering. He also chairs the research advisory board of Sandia National Laboratories, is a member of the board of directors at Modine and the executive committee for the Council on Competitiveness, and previously served as a Jefferson Science Fellow at the U.S. Department of State and as Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas.

Prior to his time leading the University of Vermont, President Garimella served at Purdue University as the Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships. Under his leadership of Purdue’s $660 million research enterprise, the university achieved five consecutive record years in sponsored funding and seeded approximately 50 startups annually. He developed strategic and comprehensive partnerships with major corporations, NGOs, and national governments in Colombia, India, and the Middle East, conceived and implemented ambitious campuswide initiatives in life sciences and integrative data science, and oversaw Purdue’s Discovery Park, a unique set of facilities and institutes where the convergence of disciplines helped solve global challenges related to health and life sciences, sustainability, food, energy, and defense and security.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.S. from The Ohio State University, and a bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Demand for decarbonization is accelerating across public and private sectors as well as domestic and international markets, creating a powerful pull for scalable, durable climate solutions. In this plenary, I’ll discuss how widespread decarbonization pressures across supply chains—from agriculture to heavy industry—are driving rapid development of new technologies and carbon pathways. These forces are creating strategic opportunities to integrate engineered and nature based solutions, expand carbon management capabilities, and deliver value in emerging low carbon markets.

Matt Kaloupek is Vice President of Carbon Capture and Storage at ADM, where he leads strategy and execution in one of the company’s most dynamic growth areas. With a background spanning engineering, operations, finance, and commercial leadership, Matt brings a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective to industrial decarbonization. He holds a BSE in Mechanical Engineering from Duke and an MBA from Millikin University. Matt also serves on the Illinois State University Mechanical Engineering Industry Advisory Council, helping shape the next generation of technical leaders. His work focuses on bridging technical innovation with commercial viability in the carbon economy.

In a world defined by rapid innovation, building a better tomorrow requires not just new technology, but a strategic evolution of engineering itself. This talk presents a maturity model for the future, mapping the convergence of digital, physical, and quantum worlds across three critical horizons:

Horizon 1: The Foundation of Now (Resilience & Efficiency) The journey begins with mastering the present. To ensure sustainable infrastructure, we must adopt an integrated CAPEX and OPEX mindset, where Digital Twins serve as the essential bridge for lifecycle efficiency. Simultaneously, as we navigate the energy transition, we must solve the immediate challenge of the hybrid grid. This requires realigning base load by balancing the mechanical momentum of physical flywheels with the emerging "virtual flywheel" of renewables to ensure grid stability today.

Horizon 2: The Acceleration of Tomorrow (Industrial AI) Moving to the next phase, we enter the Industrial AI era. This horizon is defined by the "true collaboration of minds"—a synergy where human expertise is augmented by AI and generative engineering. This collaboration will break traditional linear constraints, driving an accelerated pace of innovation and enabling the circular economy principles required for a truly sustainable future.

Horizon 3: The Vision of the Future (Quantum & Hybrid Intelligence) Finally, we look to the horizon where classical and quantum engineering converge. This "Hybrid Intelligence" will act as a turbocharger for classical systems, unlocking discoveries currently beyond our reach—in metallurgy, catalysts, semiconductors and the hydrogen economy. It paves the way for the ultimate engineering frontiers: precise fusion and fission, securing clean energy for generations to come.

Before becoming the MD, Amit was the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of TCE from July '12 onward and on the EcoFirst Services Private Limited board from March '13 onwards.

Amit's experience spans Design and Engineering Consulting with a focus on Product Development, Project and Plant Engineering and Design & Asset Lifecycle Management across Process, Discrete and Infrastructure sectors. He has championed the creation and implementation of enabling governance, business models, change management, program management and solutions.

Amit strongly believes in leveraging people, process and computer-aided design & engineering digital toolsets to promote transformation and collaboration. He is a promoter of the next generation of lean thinking, innovation, agility and optimization across the engineering and design value chain.

Prior to Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), Amit served as the Resident Director of Atkins India Pvt Limited, part of the global engineering and design firm WS Atkins PLC. In this role, he was responsible for the Global design centre of excellence and Atkins India business spanning Energy, AEC, Rail, Transportation, Aerospace, Water & Environment and Infrastructure related engineering consulting.

Before joining Atkins in London, UK, Amit was with Infosys based in London. He spent close to a decade spearheading the Engineering & Design, Product Lifecycle Management and Embedded Systems offerings across the globe. At Infosys, Amit managed clients worldwide, spanning sectors ranging from Automotive, Aerospace, Retail, Energy to Heavy Engineering, Agro-Chemical, Pharmaceuticals and Hi-Tech.

He started his professional career at Tata Motors before moving to the US. He did his higher studies and worked with Sapient Technologies in their Collaborative technologies practice, and led the creation of the Product Lifecycle Management offering.

At TCE, Amit works closely with the team to charter TCE's growth, scale, and evolution into an innovative and leading Design & Engineering Consultancy across selected sectors and International markets, leveraging its glorious 60 years of proven excellent track record. Amit is also leading industry trends like energy transition, sustainability. industry 5.0 etc.

He also is a Central Governing Council Member of the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) and Chairs the Design, Engineering and Construction sector.

As the General Council member of Consulting Engineers Association of India (CEAI), he champions the cause of the Indian Consulting Engineers fraternity. 

Cooling demand worldwide is projected to triple by 2050, driving an urgent need for high-efficiency, low-carbon solutions, particularly in hot and humid climates. This keynote will present recent research on advanced cooling and dehumidification technologies, including membrane-based dehumidifiers, hybrid desiccant–vapour compression systems, and heat-driven adsorption processes. Emphasis will be placed on how these innovations enhance moisture removal, reduce energy consumption, and improve system reliability. The talk will also highlight the role of thermodynamic optimisation, system integration, and novel materials in achieving scalable solutions. Collectively, these developments provide a practical framework for high-performance cooling in buildings, data centres, and urban infrastructure, addressing the pressing challenges of climate-sensitive thermal management.

Dr. Chua Kian Jon is an internationally recognized expert in clean thermal energy systems. His research spans thermal energy recovery, hybrid cooling, desiccant dehumidification, solar-assisted systems, and thermal energy storage for buildings and industrial applications. He is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in dew-point evaporative cooling, membrane dehumidification, and waste heat recovery, enabling low-energy solutions for sectors such as buildings, data centres, EVs, and district cooling. Dr. Chua has published over 280 SCI-indexed journal papers, eight monographs, and holds more than 10 patents. A Fellow of the IMechE and IET, he ranks among the top 1% of scientists globally (USERN) and top 2% of energy researchers per Stanford since 2021, with 18,000+ citations and an H-index of 71. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Thermal Science and Engineering (Nature Portfolio) and serves as Associate Editors of numerous journals in Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and Taylor & Francis. A two-term NUS Dean’s Chair holder, he has received multiple international awards and leads major competitive research projects and is frequently invited to deliver plenary and keynote lectures and serve on technical committees at major international conferences. His work continues to shape the future of sustainable thermal energy systems across Asia and beyond.

Burgeoning worldwide energy demand and its impact on global climate are driving a transition toward electrification in the energy utilization sector.  In the push toward decarbonization, electrification alone may not yield immediate reductions in carbon emissions because fossil-free renewable options are still in the ramp up phase.  Innovations in heat pumps provide a suite of options to complement renewable electricity and progress toward this goal.  The role of sorption in space-conditioning through innovative heat and mass transfer processes driven by renewable energy sources or waste heat will be presented.  Waste heat driven sorption heat pumps to provide cooling in severe ambient conditions will be shown to reduce the carbon footprint at kW to MW scales.  Application of adsorption-based thermal storage and heating pumping to enhance the performance of commercial dryers will be discussed.  A combination of adsorption and absorption systems for the development of diurnal and seasonal thermal storage systems will be discussed.  Likewise, thermochemical adsorption-based thermal storage to augment the performance of vapor compression heat pumps and better utilize intermittent renewable energy or address varying electricity costs will be discussed. Adsorption chillers driven by biomass, solar or waste heat for use in the cold chain to reduce food spoilage in developing countries with uncertain electricity infrastructure will also be presented.  Other applications include novel multi-purpose systems that achieve simultaneous space-conditioning and water purification at the distributed residential scale using absorption heat pumps.  Further extensions inspired by thermal wave heat pump technology to exploit fast heat and mass transfer kinetics in hollow sorbent loaded microchannel fibers to enable rapid temperature swing adsorption (RTSA) for CO2 capture from power plants will also be discussed. These representative applications demonstrate the continued vast potential for innovations in heat pumps to address a wide range of essential human needs such as food, water, clothing, thermal comfort, and the environment.

Dr. Srinivas Garimella is the Hightower Chair in Engineering and Director of the Sustainable Thermal Systems Laboratory at Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a Fellow of the ASME and of ASHRAE. He is Editor of the Int. J. Air-conditioning and Refrigeration, and past Associate Editor of the ASME J. Heat Transfer and ASME J. Energy Resources Technology, and of the ASHRAE SBTE Journal. He is Past Chair of the Advanced Energy Systems Division of ASME and was on the ASHRAE Research Administration Committee. He has mentored over 75 students pursuing their M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, postdoctoral researchers, and research engineers, with his research resulting in over 400 archival journal and conference publications, a textbook on Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow in Minichannels and Microchannels (2nd Ed., Elsevier 2014), and books on Condensation Heat Transfer (World Scientific Publishing, 2015) and Adsorption Heat Pumps (Springer Nature, 2021.) He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (1999), the ASHRAE New Investigator Award (1998), the SAE Ralph E. Teetor Educational Award for Engineering Educators (1998).  He received the ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award (2024) and the Georg Alefeld award (2024) for outstanding and lifelong contributions to the field of sorption chillers and heat pumps.  He also received the ASME Award for Outstanding Research Contributions in the Field of Two-Phase Flow and Condensation in Microchannels (2012) and the Prominent Researcher Award at the Micro Flow and Interfacial Phenomena Conference 2022 for sustained and outstanding contributions to the fundamentals of phase change heat transfer at mini‐ and micro‐scales and coupled heat and mass transfer in binary fluids.  He was recognized with the Thomas French Distinguished Educator Achievement Award (2008) from The Ohio State University, and the Zeigler Outstanding Educator Award (2012) and the Sigma Xi Sustained Research Award (2023) from Georgia Tech.

To ensure fire safety in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) used for utility power, a multi-layered approach, including fire-resistant materials, advanced detection systems, and effective suppression methods, along with adherence to industry standards like NFPA 855.

The fire safety measures for BESS include:

1. 1. PREVENTION AND DESIGN:
   • Fire-Resistant Materials: Utilize fire-resistant materials in the design and construction of BESS facilities.
   • Fire Barriers: Install fire barriers between battery units to prevent fire spread.
   • Containerized Systems: Many BESS facilities use battery racks enclosed in containers, which can isolate malfunctioning batteries and are equipped with integrated fire suppression and explosion prevention systems.
   • Site Layout: Consider site layout to ensure easy access to BESS equipment and prevent fire spread to other areas or the wider environment.
   • Electrical Protection: Implement robust electrical protection schemes to prevent faults that could lead to thermal runaway. 
   • Adherence to Standards: Follow industry standards like NFPA 855 and UL 9540 for the installation and safety of stationary energy storage systems.
2. 2. DETECTION AND EARLY WARNING:
   • Advanced Monitoring Systems: Implement advanced monitoring systems that provide real-time data on battery conditions, such as temperature, voltage, and state of charge. 
   • Thermal Imaging Cameras: Use thermal imaging cameras to detect temperature anomalies and potential fire hazards. 
   • Off-Gas Detection: Employ off-gas detection technologies to alert operators to the initial stages of battery failure, before thermal runaway occurs.
   • Very Early Warning Smoke Detection: Install very early warning smoke detection systems to provide early warning of an impending fire event. 
3. 3. FIRE SUPPRESSION AND CONTAINMENT:
   • Total Flooding Condensed Aerosol Fire Suppression Systems: Install total flooding condensed aerosol fire suppression systems, which are effective in suppressing fires in BESS. 
   • Fire Suppression Agents: Use fire suppression agents like Stat-X to quickly suppress fires in the event that other measures are unsuccessful. 
   • Ventilation: Install exhaust ventilation to remove smoke and hazardous gases in the event of a fire. 
   • Sprinkler Protection Systems: Consider sprinkler protection systems, especially in areas where traditional fire suppression methods may not be effective.

Dr. Jay P. Gore is the Reilly University Chair Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. He has been the Associate Head of Graduate Studies within the School of Mechanical Engineering, the Director of the campuswide Discovery Park Energy Center, and the Associate Dean of Engineering for Research and Entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering.

Professor Gore received the U. S. Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1991, the ASME Best Paper in Heat Transfer Literature Award in 1986 and the AIAA Best Paper Award in 1987. His honors include the 2021 Advisor to Sustainable Development and Campus Cloud Networks award, and the 2012 Purdue College of Engineering Outstanding Team Award for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF). Jay received his B. E. from College of Engineering, Pune, India, his M.S. and Ph.D. from Penn State and his Post-Doctoral certificate from the University of Michigan. He is a Fellow of the AIAA, the International Combustion Institute and the ASME and has served as an Associate Editor of the AIAA Journal, the ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, and the 26th International Combustion Symposium. Dr. Gore has authored/co-authored over 300 publications and directed the work of over 50 researchers. His research team utilizes advanced laser diagnostics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to address the grand challenge problems of energy, climate, human health and the environment.

Since 2012, Southwest Solar has performed several R&D prototype activities requiring high concentrated solar energy.  These include concentrating photovoltaics (CPV), and solar thermal R&D projects with others including supercritical CO2 generation, air-based turbine generation and storage, and methane separation to produce high quality graphite and hydrogen.  With the efficiency and low cost now achieved in PV products, the commercial use of solar concentration will require the inclusion of energy storage and higher efficiency, or the production of higher value products or materials.  Small scale demonstration and refinement is essential prior to commercial scale up of new concepts.

Herb created Southwest Solar Technology LLC (SST) in 2012 to develop distributed-scale solar dish-based systems, including advanced Dish Concentrating PV (CPV), and related high efficiency combined heat-and-power (CHP) and solar thermal applications. The current SST CPV dish development is designed for a target rating 15 kW electric output, with 20-25 kW of byproduct heat available, using advanced integrated optics, thermal management and power conversion in a proprietary CPV module. An alternative application of the SST dish is 40 kW thermal power at higher temperatures. SST also includes expertise in advanced hybrid electronic/thermal power module R&D and manufacturing, dba Omni Power Modules.

Prior to SST LLC Herb created SST Inc in 2008 to develop and manufacture a solar dish-based air turbine technology. A key accomplishment of that activity was the world’s largest commercial solar dish, over 320m2 collector area required for size of the turbine engine, and onsun proof of concept demonstration and test of the solarized-turbine design, one of the few teams in the world that has operated an air turbine on sun. After the US economic slowdown in 2010 with a decline in US utility interest in large scale solar, the large dish-turbine development was halted in favor of the current distributed scale CPV Dish / CHP activity, leveraging the technology lessons-learned.

From 1992 to 2008 Herb managed the Solar Test and Research (STAR) center for Arizona Public Service (APS), the largest electric utility in Arizona. This unique research facility was devoted to real-world demonstration of solar technologies and innovation. Herb led the development and installation of over six megawatts of innovative solar generation technology at multiple sites across Arizona. Much of this pioneering work lead directly to present day designs in PV trackers and CPV systems. 

Cooling technologies have underpinned industrial and commercial innovation for more than five decades. With the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, modern computing platforms increasingly rely on high-performance GPUs and TPUs operating at unprecedented power densities. As a result, the need for efficient, compact, and scalable thermal management solutions has become more critical than ever. Among emerging approaches, various types of microchannel-based cooling devices have gained prominence for their ability to dissipate extremely high heat fluxes within tightly constrained footprints. These technologies are now widely regarded as key enablers of next-generation electronic systems in the AI era.

In this keynote lecture, I will provide a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art cooling devices based on microchannel architectures, encompassing both active and passive cooling approaches. We will delve into recent innovations—including microchannel heat sinks and micro pulsating heat pipes—developed at the Applied Heat Transfer Lab at KAIST. Through selected examples and design insights, the presentation will highlight how microchannel technologies are shaping the future of thermal management in high-performance electronics.

Sung-Jin Kim received the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA, in 1989.,He is a Professor with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea. Before joining KAIST in 1997, he was been a Group Leader of the Thermal Engineering Center, IBM, Tucson, AZ, USA, for seven years. His research group at KAIST held the National Research Laboratory status from 2006 to 2011. He edited a book entitled Air Cooling Technology for Electronic Equipment.,Dr. Kim is a member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology and an ASME Fellow. He was a recipient of the Scientific Achievement Award from the Korea Society of Mathematical Education, the Excellent Teaching Awards from KAIST, two Invention Achievement Awards and five Author Recognition Awards from IBM. In 2012, he was awarded a prestigious nine-year grant by Korea's Creative Research Initiative to develop flexible and thin thermal superconductors.

All electrical energy going into a data center must eventually be rejected as heat to the environment through a cooling system. Data center cooling can be energy intensive; it may account for up to 33—40% of overall data center energy usage and consumes hundreds of billions of gallons of fresh water per year. With chip manufacturing processes reaching fundamental limitations for scaling ever-smaller transistors, it is anticipated that processor power will rise, increasing data center power density. In addition, recent weather events have caused extreme heat, droughts, and other challenges, limiting the availability of sometime scarce resources for cooling purposes. Cooling energy for data centers is significant today, and these trends make it an even more important energy area in the future. In this talk, I will discuss our highly collaborative work to develop transformational, highly efficient, and reliable cooling technologies for data centers. We target to reduce total cooling energy expenditure to less than 5% of a typical data center’s IT load at any time and any U.S. location for a high-density compute system. This reduction of data center cooling energy will reduce the operational CO2 footprint of data center operations. We achieve these goals by working with key stakeholders such as Nokia Bell Labs, Meta, and Wiwynn to dramatically reduce the thermal resistance of heat rejection (< 0.01 K/W), allowing for coolants to exist at temperatures much closer to operating temperatures of the latest generation of chips (targeting <10°C difference between chip and 42⁰C outdoor ambient). This results in more efficient heat removal from the facility. I will discuss our independent single-phase and two-phase cooling solutions and design methods which both enable high volumetric compute density systems such as the 1MW server rack, equivalent to >25kW per 1U server. I will also discuss how these methods can be used to develop next generation data centers which optimize for energy efficiency.

Miljkovic's research intersects the multidisciplinary fields of thermo-fluid sciences, interfacial phenomena, and renewable energy. He aims to bring about transformational efficiency enhancements in energy (power generation to oil and gas to renewables), water, agriculture, transportation and electronics cooling by fundamentally manipulating heat-fluid-surface interactions across multiple length and time scales. The focus of his research are directed towards both: 1) fundamental research on micro/nanostructured surfaces for phase change, interfacial phenomena, and electrokinetics, and 2) applied research on devices and systems including solar thermal energy conversion and atmospheric energy harvesting.

Education:

BASc, Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2009

M.S., Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2011

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2013

Foundational thermal and fluid phenomena continue to drive transformative advancements across energy systems and the built environment, including heat pumps, building controls, refrigerants, and more. This keynote explores the multiscale interactions spanning micro-level phenomena to macro-scale impacts, highlighting how innovations in materials, sensors, refrigerants, and controls optimize performance and reliability while unlocking new value propositions such as grid services. We review key interactions and couplings between these scales, efforts underway by the Department of Energy to advance and verify these solutions, and the impact potential at the national scale. Looking ahead, this presentation outlines emerging trends and technologies reshaping the future of built environments, and identifies key challenges and opportunities.

Dr. Karma Sawyer is the Director of the Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings (EI&B) Division, responsible for shaping and managing a vision and strategy to assure that PNNL addresses DOE's most important energy efficiency, clean energy and electricity infrastructure challenges. The EI&B Division consists of more than 400 staff members in six technical groups. 

Prior to joining PNNL, Karma served as the Program Manager for Emerging Technologies at DOE's Building Technologies Office. In this role, she developed and executed multi-year R&D strategies across a range of building technologies. She also worked collaboratively with the national labs and external stakeholders to advance cross-cutting initiative, such as the Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings, Advanced Building Construction and Grid Modernization Initiatives. From 2010-2013, Karma served as an Assistant Program Director and Fellow at ARPA-E, focusing on carbon capture and thermal storage technologies.

Dr. Sawyer earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. She also holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Syracuse University.

Over the past two decades, Arizona State University has undertaken a deliberate transformation centered on the New American University - a model that challenges the traditional trade-off between excellence and access. Within this framework, the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (FSE) have evolved to become the largest engineering school in the United States. This scale was not the primary objective, but the inevitable consequence of a commitment to provide world-class engineering education at the pace of societal demand. Today, FSE serves as a distinct embodiment of the New American University, demonstrating how the model’s principles can be translated into a high-impact engineering context.

This talk traces the evolution of FSE, examining the strategic choices and organizational innovations that enabled rapid scaling while simultaneously strengthening research productivity and educational rigor. The presentation highlights the organizational and cultural shifts required to build deep partnerships and integrate interdisciplinary research at scale. Key topics include reimagining entry pathways to move from gatekeeping to talent development, maintaining quality within a large-scale system, and the ‘win-win’ of aligning school initiatives with a broader institutional vision. The discussion will also address the urgent challenges facing the field: the integration of artificial intelligence, shifting workforce demands, and the imperative to broaden participation amid funding constraints - the future of engineering education will be defined by how effectively institutions align mission and structure to move from being excellent at what they do to being essential to the societies they serve.

Kyle Squires serves as the dean for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and Senior Vice Provost for Engineering, Computing and Technology at Arizona State University. Previously, he served as the vice dean and interim dean for the Fulton Schools and as director of the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy (SEMTE), one of the eight Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. As SEMTE director, he oversaw degree and research programs in aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering and the professional science master’s program in solar energy engineering and commercialization. 

Professor Squires leads the advancement of the Fulton Schools, focused on global leadership in engineering education and research and innovation at scale. Central to the student experience is the “Fulton Difference” – opportunities beyond the classroom that include signature undergraduate and graduate research, peer mentoring, entrepreneurship, student organizations, internships, and community service. The Fulton Schools research enterprise is characterized by discoveries of fundamental value and advancement of technologies for immediate impact, as evidenced by the fact that FSE is among the top 5 schools in the country for licenses and options, startups and invention disclosures per $10 million in research expenditures.

He has held numerous visiting appointments in the U.S., Japan and France and was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2008. A professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Professor Squires’ research expertise encompasses computational fluid dynamics, turbulence modeling of both single-phase and multi-phase flows, and high-performance computing. Specific interests include the use of direct numerical simulation and large eddy simulation applied to particle-laden turbulent flows and the development of hybrid Reynolds-averaged and large eddy simulation techniques for high Reynolds number wall-bounded flows. Squires applies his expertise to exploration of ways to improve the aerodynamics of aircraft, ground vehicles and sports equipment.

Education

• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University 1990
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University 1985
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Washington State University 1984

Icing affects a wide range of systems-from aircraft and drones to marine structures, power lines, and energy infrastructure-where it degrades performance, disrupts operations, and creates major safety risks. Despite its broad impact, developing coatings that can both shed ice effectively and endure harsh conditions remains a major materials challenge, as low ice adhesion and high durability rarely coexist. Here, we present the physics of ice–material interactions and introduce new design strategies that overcome this trade-off, enabling a new generation of highly durable, high-performance ice-shedding coatings.

We tackle this long-standing challenge by introducing fracture-controlled surfaces (FCSs), a new materials paradigm that simultaneously enables ultra-low ice adhesion and unprecedented mechanical durability. In FCSs, the chemistry and architecture of the material are engineered so that interfacial cracks nucleate at predefined locations and propagate rapidly with minimal energy loss. By directing how and where fracture occurs, FCSs shed ice with remarkably low force while maintaining durability improvements of more than three orders of magnitude over existing materials. We also establish a predictive mathematical framework that quantifies solid–surface adhesion on FCSs, providing a foundation for the rational design and synthesis of next-generation ice-shedding materials. 

We also examine the practical challenges and real-world experiences involved in bringing this technology from the lab to the market. This includes navigating material scale-up and long-term field testing. Along the way, we share the key lessons, unexpected obstacles, and success stories that have shaped the commercialization journey of this technology.

Hadi Ghasemi is J. Willard Gibbs Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston and director of Nanotherm research group. He received his PhD degree in 2011 from the University of Toronto. He continued his studies as a Postdoctoral Associate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 2012 to 2014. He is the recipient of the several awards in the field of heat transfer and surface physics including Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors, Texas New Venture Competition award, AFOSR Young Investigator Award, top-three innovator award of NASA iTech, University Research Excellence Award. He is a co-founder of Elemental Coatings company. His research works are highlighted in Nature, Economists and Popular Science among others. His current research interests are in surface physics, thermal sciences and energy systems

With the drive for higher performance and new functionalities, advanced electronic devices use 2.5D and 3D packaging approaches to integrate multiple electronic components within a single package. The closely integrated components often have different thermal limits – for example, memory must be maintained at much lower temperatures than processors, in order to prevent damage and degradation. Controlling heat transfer pathways within the heterogeneously integrated systems can enable high performance in all the components. This presentation focuses on two strategies for controlling heat transfer in heterogeneous packages: (1) passive thermal isolation approaches based on aerogels and (2) active thermal switching elements based on graphene and other foams. The structure and properties of these materials are engineered through a combination of experimental and computational analyses to optimize performance. Ultimately, thermally-informed design of the package can lead to higher performance and more reliable systems.

Dr. Amy Marconnet is a professor of Mechanical Engineering and professor of Materials Engineering (by Courtesy), as well as a Perry Academic Excellence Scholar, at Purdue University. She received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2007, and an M.S. and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Her dissertation focused on thermal phenomena in nanostructured materials. She then worked briefly as a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, before joining the faculty at Purdue University in August 2013. At Purdue, she has developed an interdisciplinary research program to evaluate, understand, and control the physical mechanisms governing the multi-functional properties of materials, machines, and systems with an emphasis on thermal management of electronic devices. Her work has won outstanding/best paper awards several times at IEEE ITherm and ASME InterPACK, and from IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology - Components, Characterization & Modeling. In 2017, she won the Woman in Engineering Award from the ASME Electronics & Photonics Packaging Division (EPPD). In 2020, she won the Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer and the Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor from the Official Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association (OMEGA) and the College of Engineering. Winning the Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers, she conducted research at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in the 2021-22 academic year. She is a fellow of ASME and a member of the Scientific Council of the International Centre for Heat and Mass Transfer.

This talk highlights our recent advances in ultrawhite and colored radiative cooling paints and elastomeric coatings formulated from optimized pigments including CaCO3, BaSO4, and hBN nanoparticles and polymer binders including acrylic and silicone. These coatings achieve record-high solar reflectance and sky window emissivity, cool surfaces by up to 4.5 °C below ambient in daytime, and deliver over 100 W/m2 of cooling power. Their cost effectiveness, durability and environmental friendliness point to substantial energy saving potential for buildings and transportation.

Dr. Xiulin Ruan is a professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering and the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Engineering Mechanics from Tsinghua University in 2000 and 2002, followed by an M.S. in Electrical Engineering (2006) and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2007) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, before joining Purdue. Dr. Ruan has made significant contributions to predictive simulations and machine learning approaches for phonon and photon thermal transport, the processing of radiative cooling nanocomposites, and scalable thermal and energy technologies. He has published more than 180 journal articles, holds 2 issued patents with 10 pending, and has delivered over 100 invited talks and seminars. As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Ruan places strong emphasis on student development and success. He has supervised more than 45 graduate students and 11 postdoctoral researchers, with 20 of them now serving in faculty positions in the US and around the world. His honors include the 2024 ASME McDonald Mentoring Award, the 2023 Brillouin Medal from the International Phononics Society for his seminal work on four phonon scattering, recognition in Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2023, the 2022 Guinness World Record for the world’s whitest paint, the 2022 Purdue College of Engineering Excellence in Research Award, and the 2012 NSF CAREER Award. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Lack of cold chain access forces small growers of fresh produce and other perishables into low‑value markets, undermines their economic viability, and drives food waste that can exceed 50% of potential harvests in some developing regions. This talk introduces an integrated precooling, transport, and storage solution — mini-containers — designed to close this gap for small farmers and a wide range of other applications.

Mini-containers are 4 × 4 × 4 ft³, stackable, insulated, and environmentally controlled units that function as cyber-enabled, Lego-like building blocks. Each unit can operate independently or be incrementally connected to others to create the exact volume and environmental conditions required for heterogeneous, small, or mixed loads.

By enabling shared capacity across multiple growers — each with different products, temperature needs, origins, and destinations — mini-containers support safe consolidation without cross‑contamination. They also allow any dry vehicle to be converted into a partially or fully refrigerated carrier with minimal capital investment, expanding cold chain access where it has historically been out of reach.

Some technical challenges still need to be resolved before mini-containers can reach their full operational efficiency. This talk offers a preview of those challenges and how they are being addressed.

René Villalobos is an Associate Emeritus Professor in the Industrial Engineering Program at Arizona State University (ASU). He earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tecnológico de Chihuahua, a master's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. His research interests encompass food logistics, energy efficiency, applied operations research, automated quality assurance, and manufacturing systems.

Currently, he serves as the president of Freshkube Inc. (www.freshkube.com), Terra Integrated Solutions (www.tisconsulting.org), and Vica Delicias (www.vicadelicias.com). At Freshkube, he is engineering modular logistics systems that deliver the efficiency of large-scale shipments to small, distributed payloads—bridging the gap between bulk transport and last-mile delivery. Sponsors of this work include National Science Foundation, the City of Phoenix and the US Air Force.

During his tenure at Arizona State University, Villalobos led the International Logistics and Productivity Improvement Laboratory (ILPIL, http://ilpil.asu.edu), where he deployed advanced analytical frameworks—including discrete event simulation, statistical inference, data mining, and mathematical optimization—to solve complex industrial challenges. His methodologies were applied across diverse projects, driving measurable improvements in workforce productivity, capacity planning, and logistics performance.

From 2016 to 2021, Villalobos served as Director of the Arizona State University site of the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC), a U.S. Department of Energy–sponsored initiative focused on advancing energy efficiency in small to mid-sized U.S. manufacturers. Under his leadership, the ASU IAC delivered data-driven assessments and actionable recommendations to improve operational sustainability and reduce energy consumption across diverse industrial sectors. https://iac.engineering.asu.edu

Dr. Villalobos established and directed the Center for Electronics Manufacturing at the University of Texas at El Paso, focusing on applied research and industry collaboration to resolve pressing issues in electronics assembly.

Sponsors of Dr. Villalobos’ research include the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, National Science Foundation, the US Department of Energy, Texas Advanced Technology Program, the Arizona Dept. of Transportation, US Army, the US Department of Homeland Security, Howard G. Buffett Foundation.  He was the recipient of the 1993 IIE Doctoral Dissertation Award and a 1995 NSF Career Grant.  In 2016 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct educational and research activities in Chile.