MODEL Group Members

Community Engagement Specialist

Selah Gardiner serves as a Community Engagement Specialist within the team led by Dr. Beshoy Morkos. In her role, Selah lead efforts to cultivate industry-sponsored collaborations for the lab. Further, she is focused on ensuring that underserved communities gain equitable access to advent technology developed by the lab.

Selah is dedicated to leveraging community engagement as a catalyst for impact and inclusivity. Her overarching objective is to integrate user and industry experiences into the forefront of engagement strategies. With over 15 years of experience spanning local government, for-profit businesses, and nonprofit organizations, Selah has emerged as a leader adept at forging relationships with stakeholders. Her expertise lies in creating environments that foster collaboration, innovation, and upliftment.

Community Engagement Specialist

Amanda, raised in the heartland of Boeing and Fluke, is a Community Engagement Specialist for the MODEL group. She drives collaborations in equity, entrepreneurship, and AI-driven manufacturing, focusing on educational initiatives and partnerships with community stakeholders. Her work uplifts women and underserved communities in manufacturing and agriculture.

With a master’s in entomology from Washington State University, Amanda has experience in agricultural research, farmer advocacy, K-12 education, small business ownership, and civic engagement. She also serves on the College of Engineering’s Inclusive Excellence Committee, supporting diversity in engineering.

Research Engineer and Lab Technology Director

Hunter is a research engineer working to help enhance and accelerate the research efforts of the graduate students. Having received an undergraduate degree in Computer Systems Engineering, Hunter works on instrumenting, maintaining, developing, and facilitating use of the research equipment across our lab spaces. Having always been a tinkerer at heart, Hunter happily seeks to find new ways to enhance and create tools to help achieve our research goals. 

Research Scientist

Dr. Michael Pagan is a materials scientist that explores the design, production, and performance of metals created through metal additive manufacturing (i.e. metal 3D printing). He designs advanced materials and components to bring tangible results to regional manufacturing partners while also developing the science and technology for long-term growth of national interests. His research couples experimental and computational techniques to understand the required application’s component properties, the material’s microstructural for these requirements, and the advanced manufacturing techniques or developments that are needed. By understanding and designing metallurgical components across length scales, advanced components and manufacturing technologies can be developed and implemented.

Postdoctoral Scholar

Dr. Singh is a postdoctoral associate at the MODEL group, focused on bringing data-driven solutions to manufacturing. She specializes in radio frequency sensing and holds a M.S. from University of Florida and a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, where she conducted her research under the mentorship of Dr. Neal Patwari. Her work explores how the increasing presence of various types of sensors expands the ability to study and understand surroundings. She is fascinated by the integration of sensors into everyday life to make home and work environments safer and more productive. While society may not yet be on the brink of creating cyborgs or achieving Superman-like capabilities, Dr. Singh believes that the data collected from these sensors serves as the foundation for integrating data science, signal processing, and computer engineering into innovative and customized products, including smart wearables and assisted living solutions.

Postdoctoral Scholar

Dr. Mathew Baby graduated with a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). He holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Production Engineering from the University of Calicut, India. After his Masters degree, he worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology, India, for 8 years. During his doctoral studies, he worked as an Instructor and Graduate Student Assistant in the Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, handling various undergraduate-level courses in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Mathew’s research interests are focused on decision support in designing manufacturing systems characterized by distributed decision-making, to ensure performance under conditions of uncertainties and disruptions.

Postdoctoral Scholar

Dr. Vaezi is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the MODEL lab. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Georgia, where he developed tools and algorithms to automate the analysis of biomedical images and videos. His doctoral work helps researchers understand the behavior of organisms and organelles to facilitate the development of new disease treatments. In collaboration within the College of Engineering, he assists on projects that apply computer vision and deep learning to challenges in agriculture and manufacturing, such as shell crack detection in pecans, and analyzing the facial expression and posture of assembly line operators to detect fatigue and cognitive load. Alireza also enjoys projects involving software development and deployment, the Internet of Things (IoT), and embedded systems.

Ph.D. Student and Lab Manager

Logan Smith was born in Athens, GA, and raised in Marietta, GA. He received his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from UGA in 2022 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering under the advisement of Dr. Beshoy Morkos. Logan is a member of ASME and ASEE. He won the NSF/ASME Student Design Essay Competition as well as the CIE Poster Competition at ASME IDETC/CIE 2022. Logan is currently pursuing a research interest in Human-AI interaction. Outside of engineering, he enjoys live music events, football, gaming, and traveling.

Ph.D. Candidate

Aiyana Mozaffar completed her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2022. She also worked on designing the exoskeleton glove for the pianist’s hand as her undergraduate thesis, and for her Ph.D. research, she focuses on the impact of music in manufacturing and how it can improve human-AI collaboration. Her doctoral studies involve exploring the potential of music to enhance collaboration between human workers and AI systems in manufacturing environments. In 2022, Aiyana won the NSF/ASME student design essay competition for an essay on “Trust optimization in human-AI interaction”. Moreover, besides her professional life, she enjoys playing guitar, writing, and doing calligraphy.

Ph.D. Candidate

Cody Carroll is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in at UGA. Cody has had a long-standing dream of working in the space industry and contributing to the advancements of high-tech planetary terrain vehicles and spacecraft. He hopes to utilize his skills and knowledge in mechanical engineering, mechanical design, and artificial intelligence to contribute to the progress of space technology and exploration. Since he began his graduate program, he has had the opportunity to work on various projects in the mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering discipline and space technology. He is enthusiastic about growing and learning in the field of engineering design and manufacturing. In free time, Cody enjoys playing the guitar and reading, and he believes that these hobbies integrate well with his creative nature as an engineer. Cody is always eager to connect with like-minded individuals who share his passion for design, AI, and space.

Ph.D. Candidate

Yang Meng is a Ph.D. student in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Georgia. He works as a researcher in the MODEL group lab under the guidance of Dr. Beshoy Morkos. He obtained his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in 2023, focusing mainly on AI and medical robotics. He completed his undergraduate studies at Florida Institute of Technology and WuHan Institute of Technology, graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. He previously worked at the Fraunhofer Intelligent Manufacturing Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where he was mainly responsible for weld seam identification and Industry 4.0 research. He is very interested in the application of control theory and AI in various emerging fields. He also good at musical instruments and has won several awards in the field of chinese bamboo flute.

Ph.D. Candidate

Charlotte raised in Beijing, China, is currently pursuing her Ph.D. degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Beshoy Morkos at the University of Georgia. Her research interests lie in Image Processing, Deep Learning, and Image Compression and Restoration. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Geophysics from China University of Petroleum (East China) in 2020, followed by a Master’s degree in Electronic and Information Engineering with Distinction from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2023. Outside of her studies, she finds joy in playing video games, watching musicals, and immersing herself in literature.

Ph.D. Candidate

Tathyana Moratti is a Ph.D. student in Engineering Education at the University of Georgia. She completed her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the College of Industrial Engineering in 2002. She pursued her Master’s degree in Technology and Production Management in Construction from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo in 2010. She has worked for 15 years in the Brazilian construction industry and 5 years as an engineering instructor in the same country. Her doctoral studies involve the improvement of engineering education by analyzing student emotions. Besides her academic and professional life, as she is certified in classical ballet, she loves to dance.

Ph.D. Candidate

Brandon is excited to be pursuing a PhD after a 15 year hiatus from academics. In the years between getting a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (with an emphasis on Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer) from Clemson University, he worked four years at the Savannah River Site for the nation’s Nuclear Weapons’ Complex, ten years for Bosch in the Automotive Sector, and locally at Carrier in refrigeration manufacturing. He is hoping to build on his experience in industry with the new AI technologies. 

When he is not working, he enjoys time with family, cooking, and watching reruns of Scrubs with his wife. When there’s time, travel, making barbecue, church activities, swimming, kayaking, and watching college football are also sources of fun. He has also recently taken up golf. His UGA grad wife is pleased that they will have one more thing in common, too.

Ph.D. Student

Runu Proma Das was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Production Engineering (IPE) in 2022 from the University Of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Now, she is a Ph.D. student with an emphasis on mechanical engineering under the supervision of Dr. Beshoy Morkos at the University of Georgia. She is also a graduate researcher in the MODEL Group lab. Her current research interest is in Engineering Education design emphasis with neuroscience, and she is also interested to explore Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). She wants to be a dedicated researcher with sincerity and persistence in her field. Besides her interest in engineering, she loves reciting poems, listening to music, watching cricket, and cooking.

Ph.D. Student

Mozhdeh is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Georgia, where she also serves as a Graduate Research Assistant in the MODEL Group under the supervision of Dr. Beshoy Morkos. She earned her master’s degree from UGA, where her thesis focused on leveraging artificial intelligence to support requirements generation in engineering design. Her current doctoral research explores how large language models (LLMs) can enhance requirements management by detecting conflicts between new proposals and existing documentation. Mozhdeh’s interests lie in natural language processing, semantic text comparison, and AI-assisted design processes. She is experienced in API development, prompt engineering, and Python programming. Before pursuing her graduate studies, Mozhdeh gained three years of professional experience with the Muri Group in Iran, where she specialized in designing and optimizing heating and cooling systems for sustainable buildings

Ph.D. Student

Kegeng Tian is a Ph.D. student at the College of Engineering at UGA. Now he is working as a researcher at MODEL Group Lab under the supervision of Dr. Beshoy Morkos. Kegeng finished his bachelor’s degree at the Beijing University Of Technology (BJUT). His undergraduate major was “Measurement and Control Technology and Instruments”, and his undergraduate thesis was on Laser tracker. His current M.S. research direction is the use of Virtual Reality in manufacturing

Ph.D. Student

Jiajia Xie is a Ph.D. student at UGA, working under the supervision of Dr. Beshoy Morkos in the MODEL group. She received M.S. degree from Hunan University, focusing on human trajectory prediction for autonomous driving and robotic navigation. She also served as a Research Assistant at Zhejiang Lab, involved in projects like Traffic Big Data Mining and Analysis and Large Scale Efficient Graph Learning Platform. Her research interests include AI-driven systems, spatial-temporal data mining, robotics, and optimization. Passionate about solving societal challenges through AI. She is driven by the belief that successful technology must not only address current needs but also adapt to future challenges. Outside of research, she enjoys dancing, swimming, traveling, and exploring something new.

Ph.D. Student

Han Jin is a Ph.D. student in Engineering Education at the University of Georgia. She completed her undergraduate degree in Translation from Chengdu University of Technology in 2020 and went on to earn a Master’s in Creative and Innovative Education from Johns Hopkins University in 2022, followed by a Master’s in Law from Chengdu University of Technology in 2024. She has two years of experience working in higher education in China. Outside of her academic pursuits, Han Jin is passionate about staying active, particularly through playing badminton.

Ph.D. Student

Claire is a first-generation student and a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Georgia. She completed her B.S. in Mechanical engineering at UGA, achieving summa cum laude. She is most interested in design and development such that she strives to one day get her masters in mechanical Engineering and be a Project Engineer. Currently, she is taking part in multiple research projects while she is also heavily involved on campus through TRIO-STEM, the FIELD campus ministry international chapter, and Tau Beta Pi.

Ph.D. Student

Bruna is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering iworking in the MODEL group.  She was previously a student in the double degree program of Master’s in Process Engineering at Offenburg University, in Germany, and the University of Warmia and Mazury, in Poland. She pursued her bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. Her passion for automatization started with her bachelor’s thesis on the simulation of artificial neural network controllers. It grew with her two years of work experience in data analysis, automatization, and system implementation. Now, she is working on her master’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Beshoy Morkos at the University of Georgia focusing on automatization and AI to solve problems in industry processes. Since childhood, she has loved disassembling, assembling, and fixing devices, and practicing sports.M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2015

Ph.D. Student

Tyler was born in Morristown, New Jersey but raised in Buford, GA. He attended Kennesaw State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechatronics Engineering and a minor in Computer Science. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr. Beshoy Morkos. His interests include robotics and control systems, and he enjoys working with ROS and Python to build and prototype intelligent systems. Tyler’s long-term goal is to build a career in industry before eventually transitioning into academia as a professor. Outside of research, Tyler enjoys building model kits, modifying and customizing 3D printers, and staying active through fitness. He brings a hands-on, curiosity-driven mindset to both his personal projects and academic work.

M.S. Graduate Researcher

David Joy is currently pursuing his Master’s in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Georgia. He completed his Bachelor’s degree from India in 2023, majoring in Electronics and Communication Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Calicut. His love for statistics, signal processing, and problem-solving is the key factor that motivates him to dive into the world of AI. His current research work involves developing algorithms in computer vision for the manufacturing sector, under the supervision of Dr. Beshoy Morkos at the MODEL Lab. He is naturally enthusiastic about developing new solutions for challenging problems that utilize artificial intelligence. Before enrolling for his Master’s, David worked as a machine learning researcher at the Indian Institute of Science – Bangalore, specializing in computer vision. Apart from academics and research, you can see him working out in the gym or playing the guitar in his free time.

M.S. Graduate Researcher

Emily is a Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Georgia. During her undergraduate studies, she gained diverse experience across industries such as biotech, manufacturing, and educational nonprofits, which have allowed her to cultivate a holistic approach to engineering design. Her experience in product UI/UX design, auditing, clinical studies, and optimizing production flow has enhanced her expertise in product development and process improvement. Emily is passionate about integrating AI-driven manufacturing processes and Industry 4.0 into system design, with a focus on making processes more efficient and adaptable.

M.S. Graduate Student

Varshini earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science in 2022 and went on to work as a full-time employee at State Street Corporation. During this time, she gained valuable industry experience before deciding to pursue her true passion for Artificial Intelligence. Currently  she is pursuing an M.S. degree in AI.  Her research interests focus on the integration of AI, Machine Learning, and Computer Vision across disciplines. Beyond academics, she enjoys reading books, hiking, and staying active in the gym, which helps her maintain balance and creativity in her research.

M.S. Graduate Researcher

Kathryn  is graduate student at UGA pursuing a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. She received her BS in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Northridge in May 2022 and decided soon after that she wanted to further her education. For her undergraduate senior design, she was a part of the Human Powered Vehicle team where she got to design and manufacture a carbon fiber fairing for a recumbent bicycle. Her areas of interest include automotive and aerospace design as well as human and AI interaction. In the future, she would love to work in the automotive or aerospace industries and eventually teach at the university level.

Manufacturing Engineer

Rivian 

(Former Post-Doc) Modeling and Design Optimization of Magnetoactive Elastomer Actuator, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 2024

Assistant Professor

Santa Clara University

Leveraging Manufacturing Human-AI team Interaction for Cyber Physical Social System Construction, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 2024

Post Doctoral Scholar

Arizona State University 

(Former Post-Doc) Thinking With Deleuze And Guattari: Learning From Experience Of Human-Machine Interaction and Future Of Work, Ph.D., Education, 2023

Research Project Manager 

Apple

A Multi-Modal Neurocognitive Study Examining Engineer’s Design Preferences, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 2023

Mixed Method Study on the Impact of Industry Sponsored Projects on Senior Capstone Design Student’s Motivational Factors, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2019

Assistant Professor

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Realization of Inter-Model Connections: Linking Requirements and Computer-Aided Design, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 2022

Assistant Professor

Florida Polytechnic University

Examining the Impact of Student Motivation on Performance in Mechanical Engineering Courses, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 2020

Senior Data Scientist

Florida Power and Light

Computational Support for Predicting Requirement Change Volatility in Complex System Design, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 2018 

Predicting Requirement Change Propagation through Investigation of Physical and Functional Domains, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2015 

AI Engineer

Transformer-Based Embedding Models for System Similarity: A Comparative Study of RoBERTa and GPT, MS, Artificial Intelligence, 2024

AI Engineer

Challenges Facing Industry Leaders In Implementing AI in Manufacturing Environments, M.S. Artificial Intelligence, 2024

A Comparative Study Between Humans and GPT for Trade Space Analysis, M.S. Artificial Intelligence, 2024

Electronics Engineer

Warner Robins Air Force Base

Leveraging Latent Textual Topology For Standards Identification in Engineering Design, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, 2024

Manufacturing Engineer

Lockheed Martin

A Network Topology Approach for Observing the Impact of External Disruptions on Mass Personalization Supply Chain Networks, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2022

Prototype Build Engineer

Stellantis

Utilizing Bayesian Inference for Data Driven Optimization in Facilities Configuration and Task Sequencing under Smart Manufacturing, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2022

Lyophilization Engineer

Boehringer Ingelheim 

 Efficacy of Deep Neural Networks in Natural Language Processing for Classifying Requirements by Origin and Functionality: An Application of BERT in System Requirements, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2022

Mechanical Engineer 

Celtic Engineering, Inc 

Investigating the use of 3D Printing Pens for Additive Manufacturing Component Repair M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2020

Senior Engineer

Oceaneering

Developing an Interview Protocol for an Engineering Design Capstone Course to Measure Student Motivation and Engineering Identity, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2019

Senior Engineer

Stanley Black & Decker

 A Game Theory Motivated Approach to Analyzing Modularity in Automotive Systems, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2019

Product Development Engineer

Embraer

Cost Model Evaluation for Large Scale Additive Manufacturing, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2018

Ph.D. Student

Florida Institute of Technology

Development of Recyclability Index: A Design for Assembly and Disassembly Approach, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2018

Structural Analyst

Harris Corporation

Investigating the Influence of Functional and Non-Functional Requirements on Change and Change Propagation, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2017

Control Systems Engineer

Ford Motor Company

Towards the Development of a Method to Utilize Gaze Data to Obtain Customer Feedback on Product Designs, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2016  .

Associate Director Robotics Resource Center

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Correlating Student Motivation to Performance in Engineering Design Courses, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2015

Mechanical Engineer

Michigan Spring and Stamping

Utilizing Complex Networks Theoretic to Requirement Change Propagation Models, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2015 

Mechanical Engineer

Optima Engineering

Utilizing Gaze Data to Develop Product Preference Design Models: Incorporating Eye Tracking in Product Design, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2015