Justus Nwoke's home page

Justus Nwoke

PHD CANDIDATE · MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA

                      jnwoke@ucmerced.edu  | mechatronics.ucmerced.edu/jnwoke                   | linkedin.com/in/justus-nwoke-8b22757a

Education

University of California, Merced                                                                  CA, USA

PHD ‑ MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, ADVISOR: PROF. YANGQUAN CHEN                                                                                                    August 2021 ‑ Present

  • Expected graduation in Dec 2025
  • Thesis: Smart Control for Power Electronics Enabled by Digital Twins and Physics Informed Smart Big Data
  • Highlights: System ID, Modeling and Control, Smart Big Data, Digital Twins, Fault Diagnosis, Health Monitoring, Predictive Maintenance, Anomaly Detection, Smart Control Engineering, Industrial Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
  • Graduate Coursework: Structural Vibration & ID, Linear Multivariable and Nonlinear Control, Complex Adaptive Systems

Midwestern State University                                             Wichita Falls, Texas, USA

BS ‑ MECHANICAL ENGINEERING                                                                                                   Jan 2010 ‑ Dec 2014

  • Highlights: Mathematics and Physics, Mechanics and Materials, Dynamics and Control, Design and Manufacturing, Mechatronic Systems, Mobile Robotics, Signal Processing, Automotive Engineering.
  • Received 100% comprehensive scholarship from the university according to SAT exam performance.
  • Received 3 honors and 2 high‑honor certificates at the end of semesters.

Professional Experience

Control System Engineer collaboration        LAM RESEARCH, Fremont, CA, USA

SEMICONDUCTOR ETCHING                                                    May 2021 ‑ Present

  • Working on modeling, control, anomaly detection, fault diagnosis and safety awareness of plasma etching chamber.

Quality Engineer Candidate                                       Space X, Hawthorne, CA, USA

QUALITY ASSURANCE                                                         April 2020 ‑ May 2020

  • Work on verifying Rocket’s parts with vendors, technicians, engineers, and HR.

System Design Engineer                                                     Wichita Falls, Texas, USA

CONTROL SYSTEMS ENGINEER                                                                                                      Aug 2013 ‑ May 2014

  • Part of the team who worked on developing a more efficient wind turbine system.
  • Redeveloped the gear system to an experimental quasi continuous variable gear system.
  • Published a paper on this project after building a prototype.

 

Research Experience

Research Assistant ‑ University of California, Merced                               CA, USA

MECHATRONICS, EMBEDDED SYSTEMS AND AUTOMATION (MESA) LAB                                                                                                          Jan 2021 ‑ Present

  • Identification and Modeling Mechatronic Systems, Control Engineering and Machine Learning.
  • Fault Diagnosis and Health Monitoring for Power Electronics, Smart Control Engineering
  • Smart Predictive Maintenance, Big Data, Digital Twins, Anomaly Detection, Industrial AI and Machine Learning
  • Adaptive and nonlinear control strategies.
  • Nonlinearity identification and compensation on dynamic structures with friction and backlash.
  • Safety-aware self-optimizing control system for Power Electronics

 

 

 

Undergraduate Researcher ‑ Midwestern State University                   Texas, USA

MCCOY SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING                                   May 2013 ‑ June 2014

  • Designed and worked with automated robot arm.
  • Worked on 3D printing and assembling wind turbine gear parts.
  • Analyzed gear train principle to maximize wind power usage.
  • Mechanical design, sensor integration and control of robot.

 

Research Interests

Mechatronics and Control: Mechatronic systems, Advanced motion and process control, Adaptive control and reinforcement learning, Smart control engineering, Safety-Awareness.

Complex Nonlinear Systems: Nonlinear system identification, Data‑driven methods, Signal processing, Industrial Artificial Intelligence, Smart Predictive Maintenance, Digital Twins, Big Data, Fault Diagnosis and Health Monitoring.

Robotics: Bio‑inspired robotics, Miniature robotics, Flexure‑based mechanisms, Printed‑circuit MEMS fabrication, Novel actuators, sensors, and mechanisms, Autonomous robots, Motion and path planning.

Power Electronics: Flyback Converter, tailored-wave form configuration for bias voltage control for plasma etching chamber and power converter controller design and optimization and safety critical optimization for power electronics elements.

Awards, Fellowships, & Grant

2021‑2025 MESA Lab Research Fellowship, University of California, Merced

Student Success Initiative (SSI) ‑ Project Manager and Mentor, University of California, Merced.

2023‑2023 Best Paper, IEEE Conference proceedings

Digital Twin and Parallel Intelligence 2023 (DTPI), University of California, Merced.

Skills & Abilities

Engineering Tools and Equipment: Signal and Image Processing, Real‑time Control Systems, Complex Mechatronic and Robotic Systems, Agile Software Development, Data Acquisition Systems, Laser Micromachining, Micro/Nano Manufacturing.

Programming and Software: C/C++, Python, AutoCAD, Solidworks, ANSYS, LabVIEW, LaTeX, MATLAB/Simulink/Simscape and MS office suite.

 

Teaching Experience

Spring 2023

ME 142 Mechatronics, Teaching Assistant ‑ Lab Coordinator

UC Merced

Spring 2022

ME 142 Mechatronics, Teaching Assistant ‑ Lab Coordinator

UC Merced

Fall 2021

ME 140 Vibration and Control, Teaching Assistant

UC Merced

Summer 2021

ENGR 065 Electric Circuit, Teaching Assistant

UC Merced

Spring 2021

ME 142 Mechatronics, Teaching Assistant

UC Merced

Undergraduate Researcher Mentoring

Jan 2022 ‑ Aug 2022, Basheer Hussins, Daniel Fierro, University of California, Merced.

Aug 2023 ‑ Dec 2023 Pedro Caro, University of California, Merced.

Graduate Courses Taken

  • ME211 – Nonlinear Controls
  • ME210 – Linear Multivariable Control
  • ME245 – Advanced Structural Dynamics and Vibration Analysis
  • MATH221 – Advanced ODEs
  • MATH292 – Special Topics: Machine Learning
  • ES292 – Scientific Writing
  • ME280 – Fractional Order Mechanics
  • ME290 – Data Science in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME299/ME252 – Advanced Digital Twin Independent Study

 

Presentations

IN-PERSON CONFERENCES

  1. Nwoke, J., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. (2022). Asymmetric Barrier Lyapunov Function Self Optimizing Control For Brushless DC Motor With Globalized Constrained Nelder-Mead Algorithm. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 55(27), 96–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IFACOL.2022.10.494.
  2. Nwoke, J., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. Q. (2023). Online Self Optimizing Posicast Controller Framework for Smart Process Control. 2023 11th International Conference on Control, Mechatronics and Automation, ICCMA 2023, 421–426. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCMA59762.2023.10374884 (REMOTE)
  3. Nwoke, J., Milanesi, M., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. Q. (2023). FPGA-Based Digital Twin Implementation for Power Converter System Monitoring. 2023 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Digital Twins and Parallel Intelligence, DTPI 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/DTPI59677.2023.10365466
  4. Nwoke, J., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. (2023). PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF FRACTIONAL-ORDER CONTROL OF NON-MINIMUM PHASE POWER CONVERTER SYSTEMS. http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IDETC-CIE/proceedings-pdf/IDETC-CIE2023/87356/V007T07A018/7061705/v007t07a018-detc2023-116336.pdf

 

 

Publications

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

  1. Nwoke, J., Milanesi, M., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. Q, Visioli, A (2024). A Reduced-order Digital Twin FPGA-Based
    Implementation with Self-Awareness Capabilities for Power Electronics Applications. 2024 IEEE 3rd International Conference on RFID.

 

WORKSHOPS

[1] Justus Nwoke, Jairo Viola, and YangQuan Chen, Smart Control Engineering for Power Electronics Applications: A Digital Twins Enabled Self-Optimizing Framework, 6th NorCal Control Worshop, held at University of California, Merced on April 26, 2024 – Student Organizer.

 

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

  1. Nwoke, J., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. (2022). Asymmetric Barrier Lyapunov Function Self Optimizing Control For Brushless DC Motor With Globalized Constrained Nelder-Mead Algorithm. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 55(27), 96–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IFACOL.2022.10.494
  2. Nwoke, J., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. Q. (2023). Fractional-Order Modeling and Controls of a Flyback Converter for Voltage Regulation Tasks. 2023 International Conference on Fractional Differentiation and Its Applications, ICFDA 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICFDA58234.2023.10153352
  3. Nwoke, J., Milanesi, M., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. Q. (2023). FPGA-Based Digital Twin Implementation for Power Converter System Monitoring. 2023 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Digital Twins and Parallel Intelligence, DTPI 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/DTPI59677.2023.10365466
  4. Nwoke, J., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. Q. (2023). Online Self Optimizing Posicast Controller Framework for Smart Process Control. 2023 11th International Conference on Control, Mechatronics and Automation, ICCMA 2023, 421–426. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCMA59762.2023.10374884
  5. Hernandez, K, Wilson, D, Ressel, K, Nwoke, J, Soto, M, & Azzouz, MS. "Gear Based Quasi-Continuous Variable Transmission for Wind Turbines." Proceedings of the ASME 2015 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Volume 6B: Energy. Houston, Texas, USA. November 13–19, 2015. V06BT07A040. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2015-50683
  6. Nwoke, J., Viola, J., & Chen, Y. (2023). PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF FRACTIONAL-ORDER CONTROL OF NON-MINIMUM PHASE POWER CONVERTER SYSTEMS. http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IDETC-CIE/proceedings-pdf/IDETC-CIE2023/87356/V007T07A018/7061705/v007t07a018-detc2023-116336.pdf

 

Activities

President (1 Year), Project Coordinator (1 Year), Volunteer Wichita Falls, Texas, USA

SOCIAL AWARENESS PROJECTS ‑ DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION                                                                                                      Jan 2012 ‑ Dec 2016

• Participate in the Social Responsibility Projects based on voluntariness for helping the children in village schools, nursing home residents, leukaemia patients and children with mental and physical disabilities, organizing activities to raise an awareness of being a volunteer and a university student.

LAst updated 4/13/24