CIVS Updates
May 22, 2026
Keynote on EAF Research Presented at International European Steel Conference
On May 11-13, CIVS Research Scientist Orlando Ugarte presented a Keynote at the EEC & EMECR Conference held in Milan, Italy with over 600 participants from all around the world in attendance. His Keynote "Optimization of Electric Arc Furnace Refining via CFD Simulation of Steel, Slag, and Freeboard Dynamics" was very well received by the audience.
May 20, 2026
CIVS Showcases Cutting-Edge Steel Research at AISTech 2026
On May 4–6, CIVS staff and students delivered a variety of technical presentations at AISTech 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AISTech is the premier annual international iron and steel technology conference and exposition, attracting more than 9,000 attendees from around the world.
May 15, 2026
CIVS Recognized with 6 Awards at International Steel Conference – AISTech 2026
Congratulations to the CIVS students who earned 4 competition awards at the premier annual iron and steelmaking conference, AISTech 2026.
May 6, 2026
PNW CE Students Had Virtual Flood Modeling Lab in CIVS
On April 28th and 30th, PNW Civil Engineering students had a virtual lab in the CIVS Immersive Theater as part of the CE 34200—Engineering Hydrology and Hydraulics course. Students used the CIVS Virtual Flood Simulator to learn about flood mitigation strategies.
April 18, 2026
Quantum Expert Jean-Luc Cambier Visits CIVS and Roberts Impact Lab
CIVS welcomed Dr. Jean-Luc Cambier to PNW on March 19. Jean-Luc is the Regional Innovation Officer of The Bloch Quantum, the US Economic Development Administration–designated Tech Hub that is led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange. Jean-Luc started the visit in CIVS to tour and learn more about CIVS/SMSVC roadmap, projects, and impacts. He also had hands-on experience on our Crane simulator at the Visualization Lab. Discussions were made for future directions and potential collaborations on quantum sensing test bed, multi-physics simulations, and digital twins.
April 18, 2026
Regional Leaders Join to Shape Northwest Indiana’s Economic Future
In February, CIVS Director Chenn Zhou and a group of nearly 40 One Region members and leaders of partner organizations traveled to Phoenix to study one of the most successful regional economic transformations in the country, anchored by the ongoing $165 billion foreign direct investment by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). CIVS has recently become a member of OneRegion.
April 18, 2026
On February 24-26, CIVS Director Chenn Zhou and Associate Director for Research Ty Okosun attended the workshop hosted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) program, which also celebrated its 10-year anniversary. CIVS, in collaboration with steel companies and national laboratories, has conducted five projects funded by this program. Two of these were pilot projects launched at the start of HPC4EI.
April 18, 2026
CIVS Hosted Distinguished Speaker Seminar – Joe Morey, Morey Industrial Consulting, LLC
CIVS had the pleasure of hosting a Distinguished Speaker Seminar on April 10. Joe Morey, Sr. Industrial Consultant at Morey Industrial Consulting, LLC, presented “Decarbonizing the Blast Furnace: Why Lower Carbon Can Also Mean Better Economics” to CIVS and PNW students, staff, and faculty. His talk was very well received and concluded with a productive Q&A session.
April 10, 2026
In February, CIVS Director Chenn Zhou presented “Smarter Manufacturing Enabled by Digital Simulation, Visualization, and Artificial Intelligence” at the IEEE/NSPE Calumet Chapter Dinner. Her talk was very well received followed by productive Q&A.
April 10, 2026
CIVS Staff Present Research at ArcelorMittal CFD and Thermomechanics Days
On March 25, CIVS Director Chenn Zhou and Research Engineer Sam Nielson presented simulation research at ArcelorMittal CFD and Thermomechanics Days, the 9th edition of this biennial event. Their presentations highlighted how computer simulation, visualization, and artificial intelligence are driving smart steel manufacturing, enabling tools such as digital twins for real-time decision-making and improved efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. They also showcased cutting-edge modeling approaches applied to key steelmaking processes, including blast furnaces, electric arc furnaces, and direct reduced iron (DRI) systems, with a focus on decarbonization strategies and operational optimization through advanced computational fluid dynamics.