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Chinedum Okwudire

Chinedum Okwudire

Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Professor, Integrative Systems and Design
Miller Faculty Scholar

Smart and Sustainable Automation Research Lab

Address

2656 GGB
2350 Hayward, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Email: okwudire@umich.edu
Phone: (734) 647-1531

Degrees

PhD, Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 2009
MASc, Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 2005
BSc, Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, 2003

Research Interests

Manufacturing Automation: with key applications in additive manufacturing (or 3-D printing), nano-positioning, machining, distributed manufacturing, and smart manufacturing systems

Research Areas

Controls, Design, Dynamics & Vibrations, Energy, Manufacturing, Mechatronics & Robotics

Honors & Awards

  • IEEE/ASME Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics Best Paper Award, 2022
  • Recognized by SME as one of the 25 Leaders Transforming Manufacturing, 2022
  • Integrative Systems and Design (ISD) Distinguished Faculty Award, 2022
  • IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics Best Transaction Paper Award Finalist, 2021
  • Distinguished International Visiting Scholar Award, University of Waterloo, 2020
  • Raymond J. and Monica E. Schultz Outreach and Diversity Award, 2020
  • Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award, 2019
  • Russell Severance Springer Visiting Professorship, UC Berkeley, 2018
  • ASME Best Conference Paper on Mechatronics Award, 2017
  • Mechanical Engineering Department Achievement Award, 2017
  • Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, Society of Manufacturing Engineering, 2016
  • Ralph Teetor Educational Award, SAE, 2016
  • Young Investigator Award, International Symposium on Flexible Automation, 2016
  • Best Oral Paper Award, American Society for Precision Engineering, 2015
  • Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium Invitee, National Academy of Engineering, 2014
  • CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 2014

Faculty Type

Tenured and Tenure-Track

Related News

NASEM welcomes U-M ME associate professor to committee on smart manufacturing
09/22/2022
Chinedum Okwudire, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Miller Faculty Scholar, was selected to serve on a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) ad-hoc committee formed to develop options for a national plan for smart manufacturing technology development and deployment.

U-M ME associate professor awarded prestigious Miller Faculty Scholar title
08/17/2022
The Miller Faculty Scholarship, endowed by Engineering alumnus Leonard G. Miller, is an honorary title awarded to the most accomplished assistant and associate professors in the College of Engineering.

ME associate professors identified as two “leaders transforming manufacturing”
06/27/2022
ME associate professors Kira Barton and Chinedum Okwudire have been identified by SME - a professional organization dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and resources that generate solutions to manufacturing industry challenges - as two of the 25 leaders transforming manufacturing.

University-developed software that doubles 3D printing speeds hits the market
05/19/2022
Ulendo's software solution for printing parts compensates for vibrations without slowing down.

Smarter 3D printing makes better parts faster
04/11/2022
Software for powder bed fusion printers optimizes laser's printing path.

NASEM welcomes Chinedum Okwudire to Committee Serving National Defense
10/06/2021
The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has put together a committee on "Strengthening the Talent for National Defense: Infusing Advanced Manufacturing in Engineering Education." Chinedum Okwudire has been chosen to serve on this committee. 

A paradigm shift in manufacturing with benefits for many
05/18/2021
A recent article written by Chinedum Okwudire and Harsha Madhyastha for Science Magazine delves into the benefits of massively distributed manufacturing.

Six College of Engineering Awards Accepted by ME Faculty
01/22/2020
ARC Team, Shanna Daly, Karl Grosh, Wai Lu, Chinedum Okwudire, Michael Umbriac, all have accepted College of Engineering Awards.

Okwudire selected as 2018/2019 Russell Severance Springer Visiting Professor at UC Berkeley
10/22/2018
The Visiting Professorship is an endowment for the purpose of inviting distinguished scholars to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley for an extended stay to facilitate collaboration with their faculty and students.

Smarter 3D Printers: Improving Precision, Speed and Reliability at Low Cost
08/30/2018
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is about to get smarter.

Five ME Students Receive 2018 NSF GRFP awards
04/04/2018
The purpose of the NSF GRFP (National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States.

Okwudire's research gaining media coverage
12/06/2017
Okwudire has developed an algorithm that allows 3-D printers to deliver high-quality results at speeds up to two times faster than those in common use, with no added hardware costs

Cui, Okwudire, and Awtar receive ASME Best Conference Paper on Mechatronics Award
09/12/2017
Leqing Cui, Chinedum Okwudire, and Shorya Awtar has been selected as the winner of the 2017 ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division (DSCD) Best Conference Paper on Mechatronics Award

Okwudire and Johnsen receive ME Department Achievement Awards
01/23/2017
Okwudire and Johnsen will be honored at the ME Spring Banquet

Okwudire receives MLK Spirit Award
01/23/2017
This award honors students, student organizations, and faculty members at the University of Michigan North Campus who exemplify the leadership and vision of Dr. King through their commitment to social justice, diversity, and inclusion

Okwudire selected to receive the ISFA 2016 Young Investigator Award
06/03/2016
This award was introduced to recognize outstanding young contributors to flexible automation who are 35 years old or younger at the time of awarding

Okwudire receives an SAE Ralph Teetor Educational Award
02/05/2016
This award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to SAE’s engineering education initiatives. It also seeks to stimulate contacts between younger engineering educators and practicing engineers in industry and government

Okwudire selected for 2016 SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award
11/25/2015
Chinedum is recognized for his research on novel mechanical design and control techniques that help improve the precision and productivity of manufacturing machines while maintaining high energy efficiency and low cost

Okwudire and students win Best Oral Paper Award at 2015 American Society for Precision Engineering Conference
11/17/2015
The paper was titled "A Novel Approach for Reducing the Settling Time of Roller Bearing Nanopositioning Stages using High Frequency Vibration"

Duan wins Best Paper Award at the 2015 Dynamic Systems and Controls Conference
11/06/2015
The paper was chosen for the award amongst 56 nominations and 6 finalists. It was co-authored by fellow ME Ph.D. student, Keval Ramani, and ME Assistant Professor, Chinedum Okwudire

Yoon selected for first-ever 3M/ASPE Scholarship and places 2nd in Student Design Competition
07/22/2015
Yoon is advised by Prof. Chinedum Okwudire at the Mechatronics and Sustainability Research Lab.

Duan and Yoon Win Best Poster Awards at 2014 International Forum on Sustainable Manufacturing
09/18/2014
Molong Duan presented a poster titled, “Novel Hybrid Feed Drive for High Performance and Energy Efficient Machining” and Deokkyun Yoon presented a poster on a “Magnet Assisted Stage for Efficient Scanning.”

Okwudire Selected for NAE Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium
09/08/2014
The FOEE Symposium brings together some of the nation’s most engaged and innovative engineering educators in order to recognize, reward, and promote engineering education through a sustained dialogue within the emerging generation of innovative faculty

Okwudire selected as an NSF CAREER awardee
01/20/2014
CAREER awards recognize junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research and education