Systematic methods for navigating coupled decisions in physical engineering system design

By James Allison on 09/25/2025 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in 1611 Titan Dr., Rantoul, IL 61866

Join James Allison of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as he presents in person at the Fall 2025 Kent Seminar Series Thursday, September 25 from 2-3 p.m. (CT).

The Fall 2025 semester is set to feature 13 presentations, each addressing a topic related to electrification in mobility. 

Pizza and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the ICT Classroom. 

All presentations will be held on Zoom, but some speakers will present in person at ICT.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://go.illinois.edu/KentSeminar

Meeting ID: 881 1157 1273
Passcode: 462549

Abstract and Bio

Engineering breakthroughs emerge not only within disciplines but also at their interfaces. Methods to navigate interdisciplinary and intrasystem couplings are needed, as design decisions in one area influence others. Recent research has advanced strategies for addressing such complexity. Control co-design integrates physical and control system design. New holistic approaches for spatial packaging of interconnected systems (SPI2) automate component placement and routing while accounting for thermal, electrical and structural constraints. These advances are removing bottlenecks in systems engineering, are being adopted by industry, and have led to innovations in renewable energy, vehicle electrification, spacecraft control and other domains.

Allison is a professor and the Jerry S. Dobrovolny Faculty Scholar at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering). He earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and holds degrees in Automotive Technology and Industrial Engineering. He creates, studies and implements advanced methods for integrated engineering system design, such as control co-design. He has published more than 160 papers and his methods are shaping engineering practice in renewable energy, aerospace, automotive and other fields by enabling discovery of high-performance, non-obvious system designs.