Ramavarapu S Sreenivas

Ramavarapu S Sreenivas
Ramavarapu S Sreenivas
Professor of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering
(217) 333-7735
201E Transportation Building

For More Information

Education

  • Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, 1990
  • M.S.E.E. Elec. & Comp. Engr. Carnegie Mellon 1987
  • B.Tech Electrical Engr. Indian Inst. of Tech. 1985

Biography

I received a B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Madras, India in 1985. I was at the IIT, Madras from 1980-1985. I have an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. I was at Carnegie Mellon between 1985 and 1990. I then moved to Harvard University, where I was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Decision and Control at what was then the Division of Applied Sciences. After a two-year stint at Harvard, I came to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I am a Professor with the Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering Department. I hold research appointments at the Coordinated Science Laboratory (CSL) and the Information Trust Institute (ITI). I am also an affiliate of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, and an Arthur Davis Faculty Scholar at the University of Illinois.

Academic Positions

  • Research Professor, Information Trust Institute
  • Research Professor, Coordinated Science Lab
  • Departmental Affiliate, Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • Professor, Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1990-1992
  • Research Assistant, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 1985-1990

Teaching Statement

At the undergraduate level, I have instructed various courses in the controls curriculum for the Systems Engineering & Design Program, including SE320: Introductory Control Systems, SE420: Digital Control of Dynamic Systems, SE423: Introduction to Mechatronics, and SE424: State Space Design Methods in Control. I have also advised multiple projects within the industry-sponsored Senior Engineering Project sequence (SE494: Senior Engineering Project I and SE495: Senior Engineering Project II). Moving onto graduate education, I have taught advanced courses in both the Controls and Industrial Engineering curricula in the College. These include AE555: Multivariable Control Design, SE525: Discrete Event Systems, IE511: Integer Programming, and IE531: Algorithms for Data Analytics. Since its inception in May 2006, I have been an integral part of the Master of Science in Financial Engineering (MSFE) Program at our university. This Cross-College Program involves faculty from multiple colleges, including Engineering and Business. Within this program, I have taught IE523: Financial Computing. The MSFE program is currently ranked 4th among FE-Programs nationally. Additionally, I have collaborated on the instruction of HT503: Hardware Engineering for Health Technology and HT 504: Software Engineering for Health Technology within the Health Technology (HT) program at UIUC. I have been recognized for my excellence in teaching twenty-five times across various courses, and in 2023, I was awarded the UIUC Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching.

Research Statement

My current research focus lies in the comprehensive analysis, control, and performance evaluation of a wide category of systems referred to as Discrete-Event/Discrete-State (DEDS) systems in the literature. These systems are prominent in various domains such as air-traffic control, automated manufacturing, computer networks, integrated command, control, communication and information (C3I) systems, and operations management of complex organizations with event-driven dynamics like shipyards, airports, hospitals, etc.

To address the unique challenges posed by DEDS systems, I employ the theories of Computation, Coding, Machine Learning, Approximate Algorithms, Online Algorithms, and Information Theory. By leveraging these advanced methodologies, I develop near-optimal supervisory policies tailored to various problems within the realm of DEDS Systems.

Research Interests

  • Coding and Information Theory for Control Applications
  • Product Development, Manufacturing Automation and Embedded Control
  • Modeling, Analysis, Verification, Performance Evaluation and Control of Discrete-Event/Discrete-State (DEDS) Systems

Centers

  • Health Care Engineering Systems Center

Research Areas

  • Decision and Control

Research Topics

  • Internet of Things

Chapters in Books

Selected Articles in Journals

Articles in Conference Proceedings

Patents

  • (Disclosure) Virtual Design Tools: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez and R.S. Sreenivas. (November 2000).
  • (Disclosure) Human Performance Modeling Using Fuzzy Logic: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez and R.S. Sreenivas. (November 2000).
  • (Disclosure) Virtual Interpreter and Trajectory Mapping: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez and R.S. Sreenivas. (November 2000).
  • (Disclosure) Adaptive Modulation Curve for Electrohydraulic Systems using Adaptive Optimization Functions: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez, R.S. Sreenivas and Q. Zhang. (November 2000).
  • (Disclosure) Neural Networks as a Modulation Surface for Electrohydraulic Systems: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez, R.S. Sreenivas and Q. Zhang. (November 2000).
  • (Disclosure) Adapative Modulation Curve for Electrohydraulic Systems using Neural Networks: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez, R.S. Sreenivas and Q. Zhang. (November 2000).

Service on Department Committees

  • Associate Head for Graduate Studies, Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, 2010-present

Other Outside Service

  • Host, S'ruti -- Music from the Indian Subcontinent, Sundays at Noon, 901.FM WEFT Champaign. (cf. http://new.weft.org/shows/)

Teaching Honors

  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Spring 2024, IE531: Algorithms for Data Analytics, MSAA Certification in the MS IE Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Spring 2023, IE531: Algorithms for Data Analytics, MSAA Certification in the MS IE Program
  • Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate & Professional Teaching, February 2023.
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2022, IE523: Financial Computing, MSFE Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2021, IE523: Financial Computing, MSFE Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2020, IE531: Algorithms for Data Analytics
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2019, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2018, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Spring 2018, IE531: Algorithms for Data Analytics
  • James Franklin Sharp Outstanding Teaching Award in Industrial Engineering, April 2017.
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2017, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2016, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Spring 2016, IE598ADA: Algorithms for Data Analytics
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2015, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Spring 2015, GE523: Discrete Event Systems
  • Department Head's Teaching Award, May 2015.
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2014, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2013, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program
  • James Franklin Sharp Outstanding Teaching Award in Industrial Engineering, April 2012.
  • Featured in the "List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2012, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program
  • Featured in the "Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Spring 2012, IE511: Integer Programming.
  • Featured in the "Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent" Fall 2010, IE523: Financial Computing, Professional Masters Program.
  • 2010 Outstanding Advisors List, College of Engineering, May 2010
  • Alpha Pi Mu and Gamma Epsilon "Excellence in Teaching Award," April 2010.
  • Featured in the “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent,” Spring 2009 for GE424: State Space Design Methods in Control.
  • Featured in the “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent,”Spring 2008 for GE424: State Space Design Methods in Control.
  • Featured in the “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent,” Fall 2007 for GE598RSS: Introduction to Discrete Event Systems.
  • Featured in the “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent,” Fall 2004, for GE424: State Space Design Methods in Control.
  • Featured in the “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent,” Fall 2003 for GE324: Digital Control of Dynamic Systems.
  • Featured in the “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent,” Spring 2003 for GE493RSS: Introduction to Discrete Event Systems.

Research Honors

  • Arthur Davis Faculty Scholar, April 2016 - Present
  • Senior Member, IEEE, June 2002

Recent Courses Taught

  • HT 503 - Hardware Eng Health Tech
  • HT 504 - Software Eng Health Tech
  • IE 523 - Financial Computing
  • IE 531 - Algorithms for Data Analytics
  • IE 590 - Industrial Engr. Grad Seminar
  • SE 420 - Digital Control Systems
  • SE 423 - Mechatronics
  • SE 590 (IE 590) - Seminar