Written by: College of Engineering July 25, 2024 UAH College of Engineering is proud to announce the arrival of five new faculty members this fall: Cheng Chen Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering and Engineering Management (ISEEM) Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Georgia, 2022 M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology, 2016 B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Century College of BUPT, 2012 Cheng Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering and Engineering Management (ISEEM). His multidisciplinary research encompasses requirement management, smart manufacturing, and the integration of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) into complex systems. He actively designs and develops digital thread architectures that enhance traceability of engineering changes across the product lifecycle. His current work in predictive maintenance, synthetic data generation, and topology optimization enhances the efficiency and sustainability of manufacturing processes and drives innovation in production techniques. Henrick Haule Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Florida International University, 2021 M.S. in Civil Engineering, University of North Florida, 2018 B.S. in Civil Engineering, University of Dar es Salaam, 2015 Dr. Haule is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He was an assistant research professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics and manager of the Center for Applied Transportation Sciences at the University of Arizona from September 2022 to September 2024. He also worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Florida Atlantic University from August 2021 to August 2022. His research interests include traffic incident management, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), traffic safety analysis and modeling, and applications of advanced statistical analysis in transportation. Dr. Haule has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed research articles and conference proceeding papers in traffic safety, traffic incident management, and Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) strategies. Jackson Lawrence Lecturer, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering M.E., Computer Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 2024 B.E., Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, 2018 Mr. Lawrence is a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Before joining the university, he worked as a control systems engineer for an industrial automation systems integrator. During that time, he worked on projects for customers in various manufacturing industries including ceramic matrix composites, oil refining, and reverse osmosis membrane production. Jeffery L. Williams Lecturer, Industrial & Systems Engineering and Engineering Management Ph.D. Applied Science, Southern Methodist University, December 2012 M.A. Mathematics, University of West Florida, July 1988 B.A. Mathematics, University of West Florida, March 1981 Dr. Williams is a lecturer in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering and Engineering Management in Huntsville. His research interests include Model Based Systems Engineering, Digital Engineering, Incorporation of Reliability in Model Based Systems Engineering, Application of Artificial Intelligence to Model Based and Digital Engineering. He has been active in professional organizations such as SAE and INCOSE. In INCOSE he has served in multiple leadership positions at the chapter level. Currently, he is a Co-Chair of the Requirements Working Group and leading a team of both graduate engineers and industry professionals in the development of the Guide to Model Based Needs and Requirements. During the 49 years he spent in the aerospace and defense and rail industries, he taught as an adjunct professor at Calhoun Community Colleger, Southern Methodist University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. During his career he performed many roles as a hands-on engineer, team lead, and manager. The diversity of his experience and his roles as a hiring manager valuable insight of industry needs for graduates of UAH. Natalie Click Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, 2024 B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 2020 Natalie holds experience from seven laboratories spanning two countries, four universities, a national laboratory and industry. Her past work encompasses renewable energy, critical materials, atmospheric plasmas, electrochemistry and hydrometallurgy. During her undergraduate degree, she founded her own research project on inkjet printable perovskite solar cells. This project inspired her to pursue lead recovery from solar panels for her Ph.D. In addition to her dissertation research, Natalie also spent a semester abroad researching silver recovery from solar cells, and a summer investigating the electrochemical response of polymer films at Sandia National Laboratories. Future research interests focus on sustainability in terrestrial and space environments. Research Interests: Recycling; Green Technology; Sustainability; Hydrometallurgy; Electrochemistry
