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March 20, 2026
Ivy Tech Students and Faculty Had Educational Visit to CIVS
Students and faculty from Ivy Tech Valparaiso Campus visited CIVS on March 13th to learn about simulation and visualization research and uses of advanced computing. The group discussed a variety of topics with CIVS researchers and had hands-on demonstrations of the crane simulator, VR fire extinguisher, and VR flood simulator. Visits like these can help students see how simulation and visualization are used in real-world scenarios.
March 18, 2026
Record Turnout for PNW CES Students at Joint AIST/AWMI Women in Metal Industry Panel
Thank you to AIST and the AIST Midwest Chapter for organizing the epic Women in Metal Industry Panel on March 10, held in partnership with the AWMI Chicago Chapter. With the support of AIST, 49 PNW CES students attended and truly enjoyed the event and were warmly welcomed by more than 300 industry attendees. The panel included five high-achieving women leaders, Tara Carraro, Kara Orszula, Kelly Dallas, Liz Borges and our own Distinguished Professor and CIVS & SMVC Director Chenn Zhou, and was moderated by Ron Ashburn, AIST Executive Director.
March 6, 2026
CIVS & CS Staff Held Seminar on AI in Research
On February 27, CIVS staff members Ty Okosun and Nick Walla, joined by Computer Science Professor Yang Ni, hosted a seminar in the CIVS Theater to discuss the role of AI in research. The session included an open discussion among students and staff on several key topics surrounding AI use in academic work.
February 27, 2026
CIVS & MCE Host Distinguished Speaker Seminar – Subbarao Majety
CIVS had the pleasure of co-sponsoring a Distinguished Speaker Seminar with the PNW MCE department on February 20. Subbarao Majety, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Practice presented “System Reliability: From Design to Development” to CIVS and PNW students, staff, and faculty. His talk was very well received and concluded with a productive Q&A session.
February 26, 2026
Hobart Middle School Students Enjoyed Field Trip to CIVS
Over 25 students from Hobart Middle School’s Computer Science class toured CIVS on February 24. CIVS Sr. Research Scientist John “Jack” Moreland discussed how computer science ties into simulation & visualization, and real-world applications like steel industry simulations and developing VR and virtual training.
February 25, 2026
CIVS Hosted AIST President and Executive Director Highlighting Technologies and Collaborations
CIVS was honored to welcome AIST President and Executive Vice President of Raw Materials at Nucor Allen (Al) Behr and AIST Executive Director Ron Ashburn on February 11th. PNW Provost Dr. Marie Mora greeted the guests at the beginning of the visit. During their visit, the steel consortium SMSVC was highlighted, including its effective organizational structure, technology roadmap, unique methodology of integrating simulation, AR/VR visualization, AI and smart sensors, as well as the state-of-the-art models and simulators. Multiple projects were reviewed and discussed including those in collaboration with AIST, Nucor and other SMSVC companies.
February 18, 2026
CIVS & ECE Host Distinguished Speaker Seminar – Mohsen Saffari
CIVS had the pleasure of co-sponsoring a Distinguished Speaker Seminar with the PNW ECE department on February 13. Mohsen Saffari, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering, presented “Smarter Grids Through Deeper Learning: Spatiotemporal Graph Models for Distribution Systems” to CIVS and PNW students, staff, and faculty. His talk was very well received and concluded with a productive Q&A session.
February 18, 2026
CIVS Staff Visited Rea Magnet Wire for ManuFuture Collaboration
On February 6, CIVS Associate Director for Operations Armin Silaen and Sr. Research Engineer Nick Walla visited Rea Magnet Wire in Lafayette. CIVS is working together with ManuFuture Purdue to develop a project with Rea Magnet Wire Company focusing on application of data analytics, sensors, and physics-based modeling to improve production efficiency and remain competitive. The project will expand collaboration between Purdue and Rea Magnet Wire Company Inc.
February 13, 2026
PNW Record-Breaking Attendance at AIST Midwest Chapter Dinner Meeting
CIVS and PNW students, faculty and staff had a wonderful evening at the AIST Midwest Chapter Dinner. PNW had a record high of occupying 4 tables at the event and were recognized by the event organizers with a round of applause.
February 6, 2026
Student Success Story: Sathvika Kottapalli
Sathvika Kottapalli graduated with her MSME in Spring of 2025 and successfully defended her thesis “Impact of Oxygen Injection Parameters on Refining in Industry-scale EAF using CFD”. After graduating, she now works as a Design Release Engineer (DRE). She works on releasing and validating production-ready components of interesting automobiles like Dodge, Ram, Jeep, etc. The role is a mix of design, problem-solving, and real-world engineering, and discovering how concepts turn into vehicles on the road.