Presented by Notre Dame’s iNDustry Labs and the South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership

The South Bend-Elkhart Region has an unmatched, powerful legacy in manufacturing know-how and innovation. As a tier-one research University embedded in this leading manufacturing center, Notre Dame has a unique opportunity to partner with and support legacy businesses as they advance in the digital age. Hear from regional industry executives, Notre Dame faculty members, and students who are collaborating on a variety of digital transformation projects, giving businesses an advantage and students the opportunity to develop skills that complement and complete their university training.

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SPEAKERS:

David Go; Viola D. Hank Professor and Chair, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering; University of Notre Dame

Professor David B. Go was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana until he graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (2001). Upon graduation, Prof. Go joined General Electric Aviation (formerly G. E. Aircraft Engines) where he was a design engineer in the Edison Engineering Development Program (EEDP) — a rotations-based leadership development program. During his time at G.E., Prof. Go focused his rotations on design and analysis roles where he worked on thermal analysis of secondary flow systems, thermal analysis of high-pressure turbine blades, and low-pressure turbine mechanical design. He also spent time working in an on-wing repair shop. While working at G.E., Prof. Go also completed his M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati (2004) where his final project was a statistical analysis of the thermal performance of high-pressure turbine blades in industrial gas turbine applications (proprietary project). He graduated from the EEDP program and the University of Cincinnati in 2004, at which time he enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Purdue University.

Prof. Go completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2008) under the advisement of Dr. Timothy S. Fisher (currently at UCLA) and Dr. Suresh V. Garimella (currently President, University of Vermont) at the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University. Prof. Go's Ph.D. research focused on ionization and ion transport at both millimeter and micrometer scales for electrohydrodynamics applications. Prof. Go's research consisted of both microfabrication and material synthesis as well as device development and computational modeling.

Ian Lightcap; Research and Facilities Program Director, Materials Characterization Facility; University of Notre Dame

Ian Lightcap joined the Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy) in May 2012 as Senior Scientist and in February 2016 was promoted to Research and Facilities Program Director. In addition to conducting his own research and helping to grow the research in energy at Notre Dame, Ian is responsible for the development and management of ND Energy’s Materials Characterization Facility (MCF). The facility is designed to assist Notre Dame faculty and associated researchers in general materials characterization, photovoltaic and electrocatalyst characterization, and crystallographic characterization, while engaging all levels of students and teachers in sustainable energy education.

Under the direction of Prashant Kamat at the University of Notre Dame, Ian's Ph.D. work on graphene-nanoparticle composites has led to a number of significant contributions in the field of energy conversion. Selected works include graphene catalyst mats for semiconductor and metal nanoparticles, CdSe quantum dot-graphene composites utilized for 3-dimensional sensitizer loading in solar cells, and the development of semiconductor-graphene-metal (SGM) films as nanomolar-sensitive SERS sensors. In 2012, Ian received the Rohm and Haas Outstanding Graduate Student Award. He received his Bachelor's degrees in Chemistry and Science Education from Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN (2003).

A former high school chemistry teacher, Ian gained his first research experience as an RET participant during his time off in the summers. He has a broad range of research experience including surface analysis of semiconductors grown using molecular beam epitaxy, design of voltage multipliers, and chemical speciation of nuclear waste-contaminated soil from the Hanford Tank Superfund site.

John DeSalle; Executive Engineer-in-Residence; iNDustry Labs; University of Notre Dame

John DeSalle is an Executive Engineer-in-Residence at iNDustry Labs.  In this capacity, he serves as a translator and bridge builder for companies in the region.  He regularly visits companies, articulates industry challenges, and identifies available resources through the LIFT Network to help drive regional industry advancement.

John brings nearly 36 years of experience in the tire industry, with over 31 years of experience in increasingly responsible roles in engineering, manufacturing, senior management and retired as President at Hoosier Racing Tire Corp (HRT).  Began tire career as a five-year Engineering Co-op student at Cooper Tire and Rubber Company during the work/study program at Kettering University.  After earning a BSME degree worked full time at Cooper Tire as a Research Engineer and as a Passenger Tire Product Development Engineer.  He holds a BSME from Kettering University, and an MBA from Indiana University.

Matthew Dotson; Student; University of Notre Dame

Matthew Dotson is a senior at Notre Dame graduating in May with his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Seeking an opportunity to exercise his creativity, he declared the Collaborative Innovation minor through the College of Art, Art History, and Design. These extra classes have added a little color to the technical background of engineering and taught him how to imagine true innovation. Additionally, it was through these classes that Matt got exposure to industry in the region. He has had the opportunity to work directly with local companies such as Smoker Craft, Lippert, Steel Warehouse, and has collaborated extensively with iNDustry Labs.

Matt represented a university start-up last summer in the RaceToRevenue program through the IDEA Center and returned this semester and currently works for another startup, SafeShip. He is an officer on the Men’s Water Polo team and enjoys playing golf at Burke in his free time.