People
Leadership Team
Chinedum (“Chi”) Okwudire
Director
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
Jeff Abell
Co-Director
Professor of Practice, Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
The Director and Co-Director provide strategic leadership for UMAMI’s research initiatives, translational programs, and industry and government partnerships.
Yugo Ashida
Managing Director
The Managing Director oversees the institute’s operation, coordinates research programs, and leads stakeholder engagement, working closely with faculty leaders, students, and industry partners to advance UMAMI’s mission.
Leadership Advisory Board (LAB)
LAB members are seasoned leaders from each of the academic units participating in UMAMI. They provide strategic guidance to UMAMI and champion UMAMI within and beyond their units.
Program Leads
UMAMI’s core initiatives are guided by faculty Program Leads who help shape key research and translational activities.
Artificial Intelligence for Manufacturing
Program Lead: Raed Al-Kontar, Associate Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering
Doctor of Engineering (DEng)
Program Lead: Wenda Tan, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Experiential Learning and Work-Study
Program Lead: Dan Cooper, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Sustainable Manufacturing
Program Lead: Parth Vaishnav, Associate Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability
Additional faculty affiliates from across the University of Michigan contribute to UMAMI’s research and educational initiatives.