Providing Breadth, Depth, and Expertise in Systems Engineering Education and Knowledge
The Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) leverages the research and expertise of senior lead researchers from 19 collaborator universities and not-for-profit research organizations throughout the United States. SERC is unprecedented in the depth and breadth of its reach, leadership, and citizenship in Systems Engineering.
Until the creation of the SERC, there was no single organization with the reach and depth to tackle the kind of systems engineering research needed in our rapidly changing world. Led by Stevens Institute of Technology, and principal collaborator, the University of Southern California (USC), the SERC provides a critical mass of systems engineering researchers – a community of broad experience, deep knowledge, and diverse interests. SERC researchers have worked with a wide variety of domains and industries, and so are able to bring views and ideas from beyond the traditional defense industrial base. Establishing such a community of focused SE researchers, while difficult, promises results well beyond what any one university could accomplish.
The following table lists all current SERC collaborators. For more information on Collaborator capabilities, please click on the collaborator name.
Stevens Institute of Technology
SERC Lead University
Lead Senior Researcher: Dinesh Verma, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Built broadest Systems Engineering research program in the nation with fundamental contributions in such diverse areas as systems thinking, architecture, systems of systems acquisition, and integrating SE and Software Engineering (SwE)
- Recently awarded DHS Research COE in Secure Maritime Systems
- Designated by NSA and DHS as COE in Information Assurance Education and COE in Information Assurance Research
University of Southern California
SERC Principal Collaborator
Lead Senior Researcher: Barry Boehm, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Broad contributions, including most influential life cycle model (spiral) and cost model (COSYSMO), and a leader in integrating SE and SwE
Air Force Institute of Technology
Lead Senior Researcher: David Jaques, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Runs primary institution responsible for educating Air Force officers on SE
Auburn University
Lead Senior Researcher: Alice Smith, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Developed NASA’s Academy of Aerospace Quality
- Designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by NSA/DHS
Carnegie Mellon University
Lead Senior Researcher: William Scherlis, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Fundamental contributions to architecture and engineering very large-scale software-intensive systems
Fraunhofer Center at the University of Maryland
Lead Senior Researcher: Forrest Shull, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Leading expert in empirical studies of MPTs
- Created DoD Best Practices Clearing House
Georgia Institute of Technology
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Missouri University of Science & Technology
Lead Senior Researcher: Cihan Gadli, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Developed Internet-based network centric interdisciplinary graduate program to educate SEs of defense contractors and Services
- Developed procedure to model network traffic on a global network-centric system
Naval Postgraduate School
Lead Senior Researcher: Jim Kays, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
Pennsylvania State University
Lead Senior Researcher: Allan Sonsteby, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Operates DoD UARC on naval science and technologies
- Created Center for Enterprise Integration and Informatics
- Implemented professional and on-line MS SE programs
Southern Methodist University
Lead Senior Researcher: Jerrell Stracener, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Founded, directed and led development of SMU's Systems Engineering Program
- Broad and long term contributions to aerospace and defence systems development
Texas A&M University
Lead Senior Researcher: Abhi Deshmukh, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Awarded two DHS Centers of Excellence
- Developed metrics for system complexity and predictive models of evolving complex systems
Texas Tech University
Lead Senior Researcher: Mario Beruvides, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Performs analytical and computational modeling of complex systems
- Developed techniques for qualitative/human aspects of complex systems
University of Alabama Hunstville
Lead Senior Researcher: Paul Componation, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Improved SE return on investment by tailoring SE processes to meet project characteristics
- Developed SE planning tool to enhance the SE planning process
- Designed army rotorcraft and missile system experts
University of California at San Diego
Lead Senior Researcher: Harold Sorenson, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Instituted unique graduate program on Architecture-Based Enterprise Systems Engineering with a mixture of MBA-level courses and graduate engineering courses with application to a problem of interest to a senior manager in a sponsoring company
University of Maryland - College Park
Lead Senior Researcher: Rance Cleaveland, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Leader in software and system verification and validation, model-based system design and development, testing strategies for systems of systems, and formal modeling and simulation
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Lead Senior Researcher: Leon Osterweil, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Developed unique technologies for precise visual process definition and rigorous process analysis
- Designated Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by NSA
University of Virginia
Lead Senior Researcher: Barry Horowitz, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Created NSF-sponsored Industry/University Cooperative Research Center on Rapidly Reconfigurable Systems
Wayne State University
Lead Senior Researcher: Walter Bryzik, Ph.D.
Key Collaborator Contributions to Systems Engineering (SE) Research and Education:
- Developed SE MPTs linking technical baselines to design architecture and enabling collaborative, distributed product development
