People

Neera Jain, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Neera Jain is an Associate Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering and a faculty member in the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories at Purdue University. She directs the Jain Research Laboratory with the aim of advancing technologies that will have a lasting impact on society through a systems-based approach, grounded in dynamic modeling and control theory. Two major thrusts of her research include (1) optimal design and control of complex energy systems and (2) the design of human-aware automation through control-oriented modeling of human cognition. Dr. Jain earned her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009 and 2013, respectively. She earned her S.B. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006. She has held visiting research positions at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) (Aerospace Systems Directorate) and AFRL at Kirtland AFB (Space Vehicles Directorate). Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Air Force Research Laboratory, Office of Naval Research, as well as private industry, disseminated in over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and translated to industry in multiple patents. She is the recipient of the 2022 NSF CAREER Award, a National Research Council (NRC) Research Associateship Award and was invited to participate in the 2022 EU-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Dr. Jain and her research have been featured in NPR and Axios, and as a contributor for Forbes.com, she has written on the topic of human interaction with automation and its importance in society.

Graduate Students

Ara Bolander

• abolande purdue.edu
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University (expected 2024)
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and B.A. in Russian - Brigham Young University 2022
• Recipient of: Purdue University Winkelman Fellowship 2022
• Research Project: Graph-Based Modeling of Transient Thermal Management Systems

Pandu Dewanatha

• pdewanat purdue.edu
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University (expected 2024)
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2023
• Research Project: Hybrid Thermal Management Systems
• Resume

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Demetrius Gulewicz

• dgulewic purdue.edu
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University (expected 2025)
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2023
• Research Project: Control System Design for Thermal Systems

Jake Hunter

• hunte168 purdue.edu
• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University (expected 2025)
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2023
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - Brigham Young University 2020
• Co-advised with Dr. Tahira Reid Smith
• Curriculum Vitae

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Sibibalan Jeevanandam

• sjeevana purdue.edu
• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University (expected 2026)
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering - Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati (India) 2022
• Research Project: Enabling Human-aware and Responsive Automation through Cognitive State Modeling and Estimation
• Recipient of: ME Winkelman Fellowship 2022

Ethan Rabb

• erabb purdue.edu
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University (expected 2024)
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering – United States Military Academy at West Point 2022
• Research Project: Cognitive State Modeling for Human CPS

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Michael Williamson Tabango

• will2689 purdue.edu
• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University (expected 2026)
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering - Brigham Young Univerisity 2022
• Research Project: Enabling Human-aware and Responsive Automation through Cognitive State Modeling and Estimation
• Recipient of: Purdue University Ross Fellowship 2022
• Resume

Madeleine Yuh

• myuh purdue.edu
• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University (expected 2024)
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering - University of Illinois at Chicago 2020
• Research Project: Cognitive-based Control for Human CPS
• Recipient of: Purdue University Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship 2020
• Curriculum Vitae

Current Undergraduate Students

Arghya Sarkar

• arghya nyu.edu
• B.S. Computer Science - New York University (expected 2025)
• Research Project: Cognitive State Modeling of Human Automation Teaming Tasks

Xipeng (Alex) Wang

• wang4706 purdue.edu
• B.S. Computer Science - Purdue University (expected 2024)
• B.S. Game Development and Design - Purdue University (expected 2024)
• Research Project: Cognitive State Modeling of Human Machine Interactions in a Level II Driving Simulator

Recent Alumni

Jianqi Ruan

• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2024
• Research Project: Automation of Twin Roll Strip Casting

Trevor Bird

• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2022
• Dissertation: Hybrid Zonotopes: A Mixed-Integer Set Representation for the Analysis of Hybrid Systems
• Recipient of: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Herrick Assistantship 2018, and Purdue University Ingersoll-Rand Fellowship 2017

Matthew Konishi

• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2022
• Thesis: Inferring Takeover and Trust in SAE Level 2 Automated Vehicles

Michael Shanks

• Position Upon Graduation: Engineer Systems Architect - Northrop Grumman
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2022
• Thesis: Design, Control, and Validation of a Transient Thermal Management System with Integrated Phase-Change Thermal Energy Storage

Marcin Glebocki

• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2022
• Recipient of: Purdue University Ingersoll-Rand Fellowship 2020

Katherine (Katie) Williams

• Position Upon Graduation: Systems Engineer II - Lam Research
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2021
• Thesis: Cognitive Modeling for Human-Automation Interaction: A Computational Model of Human Trust and Self-confidence

Florian (Rian) Browne

• Position Upon Graduation: Carrier Graduate Hire Program - MBD Dynamic Modeling, Carrier
• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2020
• Dissertation: Robust Iterative Learning Control for Linear Parameter Systems with Time Delay
• Recipient of: Laura Winkelman Davidson Fellowship 2015

Kumar Akash

• Position Upon Graduation: Scientist - Honda Research Institute USA, Inc.
• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2020
• Dissertation: Reimagining Human-Machine Interactions through Trust-Based Feedback
• Recipient of: Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship 2019

Karan Gohil

• Position Upon Graduation: XR Thermal Engineer, Qualcomm
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2020
• Thesis: Reduced-Order Modeling and Design Optimization of Metal-PMC Composit Heat Exchangers

Ana Isabel Guerrero de la Peña

• Position Upon Graduation: Technical Specialist - Systems Performance Analysis Engineer, Cummins Inc.
• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2019
• Dissertation: Development of a Framework for Projecting Line-Haul Truck Technology Adoption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the U.S. using a System-of-Systems Methodology

Austin Nash

• Position Upon Graduation: Assistant Professor, Kettering University
• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2019
• Dissertation: Hierarchical Combined Plant and Control Design for Thermal Management Systems
• Recipient of: Purdue University Ingersoll-Rand Fellowship 2015 and Lambert Teaching Fellowship 2018

Aaron Tam

• Position Upon Graduation: Engineering Scientist, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering – Purdue University 2018
• Thesis: Optimal Design and Control of Residential Air-Conditioning Equipment with Integrated Thermal Storage

Yeshaswi Menghmalani

• Position Upon Graduation: Engineering Development Program - Senior IoT Systems Engineer, Cummins Inc.
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University 2017
• Thesis: Right Fidelity Dynamic Engine Modeling and Validation
• Recipient of Cummins-Purdue Fellowship 2015

Past Undergraduate Students

Bao Quoc Phan (Summer 2023)

Douglas Nyberg (Summer 2023)

Matthew Beecher (Summer 2023)

Kylie Sommer-Korht (Summer 2022 - Spring 2023)

Noah Michelini (Summer 2021 - Fall 2021, Summer 2022 - Fall 2022)

Falak Mandali (Summer 2022 - Fall 2022)

Darin Lin (Summer 2021 - Fall 2021, Summer 2022 - Fall 2022)

Kasidit Muenprasitivej (Summer 2022)

Soojay Jhugaroo (Summer 2022)

Henry Lewis (Summer 2021 - Fall 2021)

Alex Kokal (Fall 2021)

Nikita Sridhar (Summer 2021)

Ahmed Baraka (Summer 2021)

Apurva Badithela (Summer 2016)

William Senior (Summer 2016)

Woo June (Andrew) Jung (Spring 2017)

Katelyn Polson (Fall 2017 - Spring 2018)

Catherine Weaver (Summer 2017 - Spring 2019)

Anay Shembekar (Summer 2019)

Judy Park (Fall 2019)

Hayden Schennum (Spring 2020)

Griffon McMahon (Fall 2018 - Spring 2020)

Mohammed Matar (Fall 2019 - Spring 2020)

Brendan Gillis (Summer 2019 - Spring 2021)