My approach to service reflects a commitment to advancing engineering education, fostering inclusive excellence, and strengthening the broader scientific community through meaningful contributions at the institutional, professional, and community levels. Throughout my career, I have sought service opportunities that leverage my technical expertise while addressing critical needs in academia, industry, and society, with an increasing focus on strategic industry leadership and technology policy development.
My most significant recent appointment has been my election to serve on the Vision Technology Strategy Board for the Association for Advancing Automation, North America's largest automation trade association representing over 1,300 organizations. This prestigious appointment places me among seven industry leaders responsible for providing strategic direction for the machine vision and imaging industry, helping A3 stay current with industry trends and emerging needs, guiding policy development and advocacy for the $2+ billion machine vision market, and representing academic perspectives alongside industry leaders from 3M, SICK, Midwest Optical Systems, Pleora Technologies, and The Imaging Source. A3 serves as the umbrella organization for multiple technology sectors including robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision and imaging, and motion control and motors, and the Vision Technology Strategy Boardplays a critical role in shaping the future of machine vision technology and its applications across industries.
Complementing my A3 board service, I have maintained an ongoing series of educational webinars for Vision Systems Design, a premier machine vision trade publication, since 2009. This influential platform continues to reach thousands of engineering professionals worldwide and has established me as a recognized thought leader in the machine vision community. My recent presentations include "How to Develop Embedded Vision Applications with Off-the-Shelf Components" delivered in June 2017, "Current and Future 3D Imaging Applications and Methods" presented in November 2016, and "Understanding Applications and Methods of 3D Imaging" from October 2015. Each webinar consistently attracts over 700 registrants with 70-100 live participants per session across a global audience, with six-month rebroadcast reach extending the international impact. Despite receiving no compensation for these presentations, I have maintained this commitment to community education because this ongoing program has positioned me as a cornerstone resource for machine vision professionals worldwide and contributed directly to my recent selection for the A3 Vision Technology Strategy Board.
In my current institutional service, I maintain active Professional Engineer certification, providing continued expertise for engineering standards and professional development initiatives across the university and profession. As an active IEEE Senior Member since 2009, I contribute to professional society activities while maintaining connections with the broader electrical engineering community. I continue active mentorship of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, building on my successful completion of multiple Ph.D. dissertations and maintaining strong research training programs that develop the next generation of engineering leaders.
My ongoing community outreach maintains a commitment to high school student mentorship through research project sponsorship, contributing to the development of future engineers and scientists entering the STEM pipeline. I continue my involvement in diversity and inclusion efforts across the university, building on my extensive experience with the Office of Multicultural and Academic Affairs advisory board and contributing to initiatives that promote broad participation in engineering education and research.
Among my most significant historical leadership roles was serving as Co-Chair for the University-wide Learning Management System Review Committee from 2013 to 2015, where I represented the College of Engineering in leading a comprehensive evaluation of the university's educational technology infrastructure. This critical role involved conducting institution-wide assessment of Blackboard effectiveness and alternatives, coordinating campus-wide surveys and stakeholder consultations, organizing public town halls and formal presentations to the Faculty Senate, developing strategic recommendations for technology transitions affecting thousands of students and faculty, and managing a timeline-critical review process with university-wide implications.
From 2004 to 2015, I served on the advisory board for the University of Kentucky's Office of Multicultural and Academic Affairs, now the Office for Institutional Diversity, following my appointment by Associate Provost Dr. Laurretta F. Byars. This service emerged from collaborative work on NSF Career proposal development and mentoring activities and included advancing retention strategies for underrepresented students in engineering, developing inclusive practices and policies across the university, bridging engineering education with diversity and inclusion initiatives, and facilitating resource allocation for student success programs.
My professional service history includes successfully securing and managing NSF funding of $398,903 from 2006 to 2009 for the Research Experience for Undergraduates Site in Electrical and Computer Engineering, providing transformative research opportunities for undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. From 2005 to 2007, I served three consecutive years on the Program Committee for Space Technologies and Operations, Spaceborne Sensors for the SPIE Defense and Security Symposium, contributing to the advancement of defense-related imaging and sensing technologies. In 2001, I served as Publications Co-Chair with the University of Delaware's Charles Boncelet for the IEEE-EURASIP Workshop on Nonlinear Signal and Image Processing while also serving as session chair for Digital Halftoning.
Throughout my career, I have provided extensive service as a reviewer for premier journals and conferences, including IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, SPIE Electronic Imaging, and serving as a conference paper reviewer for SIGGRAPH in 2004, along with multiple other IEEE and OSA publications. My professional recognition includes achieving IEEE Senior Member status in 2009 and obtaining Professional Engineer Certification in 2014.
My graduate student mentoring success includes successfully advising multiple Ph.D. students to completion. Wei Su completed "Axial Motion Stereo Vision and Structured Light Illumination for 3-Dimensional Acquisition of the Human Ear" in 2006, Jan Bacca Rodriguez finished "Blue-Noise Digital Multitoning" at the University of Delaware in 2007, and Yongchang Wang completed "Novel Approaches in Structured Light Illumination" in 2010. Previously, I served as Faculty Mentor for multiple students in the University's Freshman Summer Program Research Experience, a six-week residential enrichment program designed to enhance first-year student success and academic preparation.
My service contributions have been recognized through multiple University of Kentucky Wethington Awards received in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014, acknowledging excellence in service, teaching, and research contributions to the University of Kentucky community. These awards reflect sustained commitment to institutional citizenship and professional excellence across multiple dimensions of academic service.
My recent service contributions demonstrate an evolution toward high-impact strategic leadership that shapes industry direction through my A3 Vision Technology Strategy Board role, where I now directly influence policy and strategic direction for the North American machine vision industry while representing academic perspectives in critical industry decisions. I maintain educational excellence through my ongoing Vision Systems Design webinar series that continues to bridge academic research and industrial practice, serving as a trusted educational resource for thousands of professionals globally. My current service positions allow me to advance technological innovation by advocating for emerging technologies and research-driven solutions in both academic and industry settings, while developing future leaders through continued mentoring and educational outreach that prepares the next generation of engineering professionals and researchers.
Through my dual roles as Director of Graduate Studies and A3 board member, I am uniquely positioned to bridge academic and professional communities, facilitating knowledge transfer between university research programs and industrial applications while ensuring our graduate education remains relevant to industry needs and advances fundamental research. My service activities shape academic excellence by directly influencing the quality and direction of graduate education, ensuring our programs meet the highest academic standards while preparing students for successful careers in academia and industry.
Building on current momentum and strategic positioning, I am committed to expanding my service impact through enhanced academic leadership by expanding graduate program excellence through innovative curriculum development, enhanced industry partnerships, and continued growth in research funding and student outcomes, building on my current Director of Graduate Studies experience. I plan to leverage my A3 board position to expand influence on automation and machine vision policy, standards development, and technology advancement initiatives. My unique position bridging both academic and industry communities as Director of Graduate Studies and A3 board member enables me to strengthen university-industry partnerships while facilitating technology transfer and collaborative research initiatives that benefit both graduate education and industrial innovation. I am committed to contributing to policy development for emerging technologies including AI integration in machine vision, autonomous systems, and advanced manufacturing applications.
My service philosophy centers on the belief that meaningful service creates value for multiple constituencies while advancing the mission of the university and the profession. Through my current strategic leadership roles and sustained commitment to excellence, I aim to continue contributing to the advancement of engineering education, research, and industrial practice at the highest levels. This approach ensures that my service activities not only fulfill institutional obligations but also create lasting impact that benefits students, faculty, industry partners, and the broader engineering community while positioning the University of Kentucky as a leader in both academic excellence and industrial innovation.
My most significant recent appointment has been my election to serve on the Vision Technology Strategy Board for the Association for Advancing Automation, North America's largest automation trade association representing over 1,300 organizations. This prestigious appointment places me among seven industry leaders responsible for providing strategic direction for the machine vision and imaging industry, helping A3 stay current with industry trends and emerging needs, guiding policy development and advocacy for the $2+ billion machine vision market, and representing academic perspectives alongside industry leaders from 3M, SICK, Midwest Optical Systems, Pleora Technologies, and The Imaging Source. A3 serves as the umbrella organization for multiple technology sectors including robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision and imaging, and motion control and motors, and the Vision Technology Strategy Boardplays a critical role in shaping the future of machine vision technology and its applications across industries.
Complementing my A3 board service, I have maintained an ongoing series of educational webinars for Vision Systems Design, a premier machine vision trade publication, since 2009. This influential platform continues to reach thousands of engineering professionals worldwide and has established me as a recognized thought leader in the machine vision community. My recent presentations include "How to Develop Embedded Vision Applications with Off-the-Shelf Components" delivered in June 2017, "Current and Future 3D Imaging Applications and Methods" presented in November 2016, and "Understanding Applications and Methods of 3D Imaging" from October 2015. Each webinar consistently attracts over 700 registrants with 70-100 live participants per session across a global audience, with six-month rebroadcast reach extending the international impact. Despite receiving no compensation for these presentations, I have maintained this commitment to community education because this ongoing program has positioned me as a cornerstone resource for machine vision professionals worldwide and contributed directly to my recent selection for the A3 Vision Technology Strategy Board.
In my current institutional service, I maintain active Professional Engineer certification, providing continued expertise for engineering standards and professional development initiatives across the university and profession. As an active IEEE Senior Member since 2009, I contribute to professional society activities while maintaining connections with the broader electrical engineering community. I continue active mentorship of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, building on my successful completion of multiple Ph.D. dissertations and maintaining strong research training programs that develop the next generation of engineering leaders.
My ongoing community outreach maintains a commitment to high school student mentorship through research project sponsorship, contributing to the development of future engineers and scientists entering the STEM pipeline. I continue my involvement in diversity and inclusion efforts across the university, building on my extensive experience with the Office of Multicultural and Academic Affairs advisory board and contributing to initiatives that promote broad participation in engineering education and research.
Among my most significant historical leadership roles was serving as Co-Chair for the University-wide Learning Management System Review Committee from 2013 to 2015, where I represented the College of Engineering in leading a comprehensive evaluation of the university's educational technology infrastructure. This critical role involved conducting institution-wide assessment of Blackboard effectiveness and alternatives, coordinating campus-wide surveys and stakeholder consultations, organizing public town halls and formal presentations to the Faculty Senate, developing strategic recommendations for technology transitions affecting thousands of students and faculty, and managing a timeline-critical review process with university-wide implications.
From 2004 to 2015, I served on the advisory board for the University of Kentucky's Office of Multicultural and Academic Affairs, now the Office for Institutional Diversity, following my appointment by Associate Provost Dr. Laurretta F. Byars. This service emerged from collaborative work on NSF Career proposal development and mentoring activities and included advancing retention strategies for underrepresented students in engineering, developing inclusive practices and policies across the university, bridging engineering education with diversity and inclusion initiatives, and facilitating resource allocation for student success programs.
My professional service history includes successfully securing and managing NSF funding of $398,903 from 2006 to 2009 for the Research Experience for Undergraduates Site in Electrical and Computer Engineering, providing transformative research opportunities for undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. From 2005 to 2007, I served three consecutive years on the Program Committee for Space Technologies and Operations, Spaceborne Sensors for the SPIE Defense and Security Symposium, contributing to the advancement of defense-related imaging and sensing technologies. In 2001, I served as Publications Co-Chair with the University of Delaware's Charles Boncelet for the IEEE-EURASIP Workshop on Nonlinear Signal and Image Processing while also serving as session chair for Digital Halftoning.
Throughout my career, I have provided extensive service as a reviewer for premier journals and conferences, including IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, SPIE Electronic Imaging, and serving as a conference paper reviewer for SIGGRAPH in 2004, along with multiple other IEEE and OSA publications. My professional recognition includes achieving IEEE Senior Member status in 2009 and obtaining Professional Engineer Certification in 2014.
My graduate student mentoring success includes successfully advising multiple Ph.D. students to completion. Wei Su completed "Axial Motion Stereo Vision and Structured Light Illumination for 3-Dimensional Acquisition of the Human Ear" in 2006, Jan Bacca Rodriguez finished "Blue-Noise Digital Multitoning" at the University of Delaware in 2007, and Yongchang Wang completed "Novel Approaches in Structured Light Illumination" in 2010. Previously, I served as Faculty Mentor for multiple students in the University's Freshman Summer Program Research Experience, a six-week residential enrichment program designed to enhance first-year student success and academic preparation.
My service contributions have been recognized through multiple University of Kentucky Wethington Awards received in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014, acknowledging excellence in service, teaching, and research contributions to the University of Kentucky community. These awards reflect sustained commitment to institutional citizenship and professional excellence across multiple dimensions of academic service.
My recent service contributions demonstrate an evolution toward high-impact strategic leadership that shapes industry direction through my A3 Vision Technology Strategy Board role, where I now directly influence policy and strategic direction for the North American machine vision industry while representing academic perspectives in critical industry decisions. I maintain educational excellence through my ongoing Vision Systems Design webinar series that continues to bridge academic research and industrial practice, serving as a trusted educational resource for thousands of professionals globally. My current service positions allow me to advance technological innovation by advocating for emerging technologies and research-driven solutions in both academic and industry settings, while developing future leaders through continued mentoring and educational outreach that prepares the next generation of engineering professionals and researchers.
Through my dual roles as Director of Graduate Studies and A3 board member, I am uniquely positioned to bridge academic and professional communities, facilitating knowledge transfer between university research programs and industrial applications while ensuring our graduate education remains relevant to industry needs and advances fundamental research. My service activities shape academic excellence by directly influencing the quality and direction of graduate education, ensuring our programs meet the highest academic standards while preparing students for successful careers in academia and industry.
Building on current momentum and strategic positioning, I am committed to expanding my service impact through enhanced academic leadership by expanding graduate program excellence through innovative curriculum development, enhanced industry partnerships, and continued growth in research funding and student outcomes, building on my current Director of Graduate Studies experience. I plan to leverage my A3 board position to expand influence on automation and machine vision policy, standards development, and technology advancement initiatives. My unique position bridging both academic and industry communities as Director of Graduate Studies and A3 board member enables me to strengthen university-industry partnerships while facilitating technology transfer and collaborative research initiatives that benefit both graduate education and industrial innovation. I am committed to contributing to policy development for emerging technologies including AI integration in machine vision, autonomous systems, and advanced manufacturing applications.
My service philosophy centers on the belief that meaningful service creates value for multiple constituencies while advancing the mission of the university and the profession. Through my current strategic leadership roles and sustained commitment to excellence, I aim to continue contributing to the advancement of engineering education, research, and industrial practice at the highest levels. This approach ensures that my service activities not only fulfill institutional obligations but also create lasting impact that benefits students, faculty, industry partners, and the broader engineering community while positioning the University of Kentucky as a leader in both academic excellence and industrial innovation.
