Virginia Tech expands industrial and systems engineering faculty with focus on AI and manufacturing

Virginia Tech’s Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has appointed four new faculty members, strengthening research and teaching in systems, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.

From left: associate professor of practice Kelsey Coleman, assistant professor in systems engineering Alkim Avsar, assistant professor in systems engineering Eric Brubaker, and assistant professor in manufacturing engineering Yuhao Zhong. Photo credit: Jordi Shelton for Virginia Tech.

The Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech has added four new faculty members for 2025, part of a strategy to expand expertise in high-demand fields such as data-driven decision making, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.

The department prepares students for careers in engineering through research, teaching, and industry collaboration.

New faculty join the department

The new appointments are Alkim Avsar, assistant professor in systems engineering; Eric Brubaker, assistant professor in systems engineering; Kelsey Coleman, associate professor of practice and Learning Factory director; and Yuhao Zhong, assistant professor in manufacturing engineering.

Eileen Van Aken, professor and department head, says: “We’re thrilled to welcome these outstanding faculty to our team. Our students will benefit from their perspectives, and their work will expand our capabilities in areas critical to the future of engineering and the success of our graduates.”

Research and teaching areas

Avsar, who joins from Arizona State University, earned a Ph.D. in systems engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. Her work combines systems engineering, behavioral science, game theory, and human factors to examine how social factors influence engineering decision making. She is currently teaching a graduate course in systems engineering.

Brubaker, previously a senior complex systems engineer at NASA, holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. His research addresses human-AI collaboration and designs for complex systems that tackle challenges in water, energy, transportation, and healthcare. He is teaching AI for systems engineering.

Coleman, formerly at Eaton Corporation, manages workforce development programs and directs the Learning Factory, which provides students with hands-on training in areas such as additive manufacturing, robotics, and digital factory systems.

Zhong, who completed his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University, focuses on data science applications in manufacturing. His research develops explainable AI and computer vision tools to improve quality, safety, and performance in Industry 5.0 environments.

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