Keynote Speakers

Chris Johnson, PhD

Abstract: The Digital Twin (DT) concept originated in the early 2000’s as a new method of product lifecycle management.  It is based on the idea that a digital informational construct about a physical system  would be a “twin” of the information that was embedded within the physical system itself and be linked with that physical system through the entire lifecycle of the system.  With the continuing improvement of imaging capabilities, coupled with advancements in computing and visualization, the notion of a DT can be expanded into the realm of high fidelity Dynamic Data Driven Application System (DDDAS).  Discoveries in data sciences including uncertainty quantification, deep-learning and uncertainty visualization coupled with the data underlying the DT concept will enable exploration of the performance space of a range of systems including those in aerospace, unconventional geologic energy extraction and production (both fossil fuels and geothermal energy), and manufacturing.  In this presentation, I will give examples of image-based modeling, simulation, and visualization DDDAS applications.

Bio: Chris R. Johnson is a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and founding director of the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute at the University of Utah. He also holds faculty appointments in the Departments of Physics and Bioengineering.  His research interests are in the areas of scientific computing and scientific visualization. In 1992, Dr. Johnson founded the SCI research group, now the SCI Institute, which has grown to employ over 200 faculty, staff and students. Professor Johnson serves on a number of international journal editorial and advisory boards to national and international research centers. He is a Fellow of AIMBE (2004), AAAS (2005), SIAM (2009), and IEEE (2014). He received a Young Investigator’s (FIRST) Award from the NIH in 1992, the NSF National Young Investigator (NYI) Award in 1994, the NSF Presidential Faculty Fellow (PFF) award from President Clinton in 1995, a DOE Computational Science Award (1996), the Presidential Teaching Scholar Award (1997), the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology from Utah Governor Michael Levitt, the Utah Cyber Pioneer Award, the IEEE Visualization Career Award, IEEE IPDPS Charles Babbage Award and the IEEE Sidney Fernbach Award, and the University of Utah’s most prestigious faculty award, the Rosenblatt Prize.

Sangtae Kim, PhD

Abstract: This presentation is the “latest episode” of the speaker’s previous presentations at DDDAS workshops, namely the storyline of the “top 10 countdown – list of ways that DDDAS can save the world.” In this presentation, we focus on two transformative opportunities: (1) the emerging role of epigenetics as a fundamental scientific pillar for health and medicine; and (2) the shale revolution in the energy sector featuring the emergence of the U.S. as a dominant force in oil and gas production. Both examples illustrate the pivotal role of DDDAS as the framework to realize the potential benefits for societal impact.

Bio: Dr. Kim’s impressive record of leadership in public and private sectors includes Division Director, NSF Division of Shared Cyberinfrastructure and Vice President for R&D IT at pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Warner Lambert. Hisfaculty career started at the University of Wisconsin where he made pioneering discoveries in microhydrodynamics and coauthored the 1991 book on this same topic. Dr. Kim is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the AICHE and AIMBE, a Trustee of the AICHE Foundation and past member of the Science Board of the Food and Drug Administration. His research recognitions include the 2013 Ho-Am Prize in Engineering, AICHE’s Allan P. Colburn Award (1993), and the Award for Initiatives in Research from the National Academy of Sciences (1992). Dr. Kim received concurrent BSc and MSc degrees (1979) from Caltech and his PhD (1983) from Princeton. Most recently, Dr. Kim was credited with solving a 140-year-old fluid mechanics mystery with potential implications for research and industry.

Frederica Darema, PhD

Bio: Dr. Frederica Darema, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director of Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Virginia. She guides the management of the entire basic research investment for the Air Force. Dr. Darema leads a staff of 200 scientists, engineers and administrators in Arlington, Virginia, and foreign technology offices in London, Tokyo and Santiago, Chile. Each year, AFOSR selects, sponsors and manages revolutionary basic research that impacts the future Air Force.  AFOSR interacts with leading scientists and engineers throughout the world to identify breakthrough opportunities; actively manages a $510 million investment portfolio encompassing the best of these opportunities; and transitions the resulting discoveries to other components of the Air Force Research Laboratory, to defense industries and to other federal agencies. The office’s annual investment in basic research is distributed among more than 200 leading academic institutions worldwide, 100 industry-based contracts, and more than 250 internal AFRL research efforts.

Erik Blasch, PhD

Bio: Erik Blasch  (S’98-M’99-SM’05) is a principal scientist at the the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in the Information Directorate at Rome, NY. From 2009-2012, he was an exchange scientist to Defence R&D Canada (DRDC) at Valcartier, Quebec.  From 2000-2009, Dr. Blasch was the Information Fusion Evaluation Tech Lead for the AFRL Sensors Directorate – COMprehensive Performance Assessment of Sensor Exploitation (COMPASE) Center supporting AF and DARPA evaluations.  Dr. Blasch was previously an Adjunct Electrical Engineering Professor at Wright State University and the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio teaching signal processing, target tracking, and information fusion (2000-2010).  He is also a reserve Lt. Col. with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) in Washington, DC supporting physics, electronics, and nanotechnology developments.