PhD General Examination: Solomia Dzhaman
Committee Members: Alberto Aliseda | Faculty Advisor | Department of Mechanical Engineering , John Kramlich | Departmental Representative | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Juan Carlos del Alamo | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Joe Powers | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Solomia Dzhaman. Event Types: Academics.
Thursday, February 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
Leadership Seminar: Wade Marquette | From PhD to Industry
Wade Marquette, Innovation Engineer, Amazon
Wade Marquette is a 2025 PhD graduate from the University of Washington's Mechanical Engineering department, where his research focused on robotics for confined space manufacturing in collaboration with the Boeing Advanced Research Center (BARC). During his PhD work, he developed and patented robots while conducting controls research to simplify robot teleoperation. Wade joined Amazon as a Postdoctoral Scientist in early 2025 and is now an Innovation Engineer in the Worldwide Engineering & Innovation team, where he develops automated material handling equipment and robotic technologies for Amazon's delivery stations. He owns projects from conceptual design through implementation, delivering innovative solutions that drive efficiency and reliability across Amazon's delivery station networks.
Location: Winkenwerder Forest Science Lab – Room 201.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Winkenwerder Forest Sciences Laboratory (WFS). Accessibility Contact: NaEun Kim nkim95@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Friday, February 13, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
PhD Qualifying Examination: Julian Reis
Committee Members: Alberto Aliseda | Faculty Advisor | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Juan Carlos del Alamo | Departmental Representative | Department of Mechanical Engineering , John Palmore Jr. | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Robert Wood | Committee Member | Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Julian Reis. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
A&A Distinguished Speaker Seminar with Joe Armas, President, Otis Americas
Reception following the seminar.
Bio:
As President, Otis Americas, Joe Armas is responsible for driving growth in our New Equipment and Service businesses throughout North and South America, while focusing on safety, quality and exceptional customer service.
During his 20-plus year Otis career, Joe has held several leadership roles in the U.S. and Asia, most recently having served as President of U.S. and Canada. He has been involved in numerous projects that have introduced innovative technology in the industry, including several iconic projects around the world. Joe is well respected by his colleagues and professional network for his knowledge of diverse markets and customers. He was proud to serve as Chairman for the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong in 2022.
"In each city I've lived and worked, I am always reminded of the powerful role that Otis has in people’s daily lives,” he says. “Whether it’s a small apartment building or commercial skyscraper, an iconic tourist landmark or a bustling metr…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/97745008428. Campus room: 145. Accessibility Contact: aafrontdesk@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, February 23, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
PhD General Examination: Bahetihazi Maidu
Dissertation Title: Physics-Informed and Data-Driven Inference of Cardiovascular Hemodynamics, Thrombosis Risk, and Model Parameters, Supervisory Committee Members: Juan C del Alamo | Committee Chair| Department of Mechanical Engineering , Patrick Boyle | GSR | Department of Bioengineering , Alberto Aliseda | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Nazem Akoum | Committee Member | UW Medicine, Division of Cardiology.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Bahetihazi Maidu. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
PhD Final Examination: Michelle Katz
Dissertation Title:
Material and Processing Strategies to Enable 3D Printed Lithium-Ion Batteries
Supervisory Committee Members: Corie Cobb | Committee Chair| Department of Mechanical Engineering , Lilo Danielle Pozzo| GSR | Department of Chemical Engineering , John Kramlich | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Jie Xiao | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Michelle Katz. Event Types: Academics.
Thursday, February 26, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:45 AM.
PhD General Examination: Ruofan Liu
Supervisory Committee Members: Eric Seibel | Committee Chair |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Alshakim Nelson | GSR | Department of Chemistry , Devin MacKenzie |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Leonard Y Nelson | Committee Member | Human Photonics Lab and Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Ruofan Liu. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
PhD General Examination: Xiaohai (Bob) Hu
Dissertation Title: Learning-based Control and Perception: From Tactile-Informed Grasping to Reinforcement Learning-Driven Agile Humanoid Behaviors, Supervisory Committee Members: Xu Chen| Committee Chair |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Amir Taghvaei | GSR | Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics , Santosh Devasia |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Steve Shen |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Bob Hu. Event Types: Academics.
Thursday, March 5, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
PhD Qualifying Examination: Qixuan Jiang
Committee Members: Jie Xiao | Faculty Advisor | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Xu Chen | Departmental Representative | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Mohmmad Malakooti | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Ting Cao | Committee Member | Department of Materials Science & Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Qixuan Jiang. Event Types: Academics.
Thursday, March 5, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Yiwen Zheng
Dissertation Title: Computational Design and Modeling of Vitrimers, Supervisory Committee Members: Aniruddh Vashisth | Committee Chair| Department of Mechanical Engineering , Navid Zobeiry | GSR | Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Steve Brunton | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Vikram Iyer | Committee Member | Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Yiwen Zheng. Event Types: Academics.
Monday, March 9, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
PhD Qualifying Examination: Bob Buchanan
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Bob Buchanan. Event Types: Academics.
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
PhD Qualifying Examination: Solomia Dzhaman
Committee Members: Alberto Aliseda | Faculty Advisor | Department of Mechanical Engineering , John Kramlich | Departmental Representative | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Juan Carlos del Alamo | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Joe Powers | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Solomia Dzhaman. Event Types: Academics.
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
PhD Qualifying Examination: Syed Sulman Ahmad
Committee Members: John Palmore Jr. | Faculty Advisor | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Michelle Hickner | Departmental Representative | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Alberto Aliseda | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Brian Polagye | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Syed Sulman Ahmad. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM.
PhD Qualifying Examination: Shineui Hwang
Committee Members: Jie Xiao | Faculty Advisor | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Junlan Wang | Departmental Representative | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Corie Cobb | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Bo Zhang | Committee Member | Department of Chemistry.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Shineui Hwang. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
PhD General Examination: Nicole Gunderson
Supervisory Committee Members: Eric Seibel | Committee Chair |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Paul Kinahan| GSR | Department of Bioengineering , Steven Brunton | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Michelle Hickner | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Mehmet Kurt | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Nicole Gunderson. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
PhD General Examination: Agamdeep Chopra
Supervisory Committee Members: Mehmet Kurt | Committee Chair |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Ranjay Krishna | GSR | Department of Computer Science and Engineering , Krithika Manohar | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Joe Powers | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Hesam Jahanian | Committee Member | Department of Radiology.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Agamdeep Chopra. Event Types: Academics.
Thursday, March 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.