I am a Professor at The University of South Carolina and globally recognized as one of SME’s 20 most influential professors in smart manufacturing.My areas of interest include Smart and Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning in Manufacturing and along the Product Lifecycle, Hybrid Analytics, Product Service Systems, Entrepreneurship, and multi-stage Smart Manufacturing Systems.In addition to publishing my work in the premier academic outlets of the field, it was featured by Forbes, IndustryWeek, Futurism, the World Economic Forum, CBC Radio, and World Manufacturing Forum, etc. I am involved in several professional societies in my field, among others, I am a member of IFIP WG 5.1 and 5.7, IFAC TC 5.3, SME, a senior member of IISE, and research affiliate of the CIRP. I gave invited talks at top universities in the Americas, Europe, and Asia and published three books and over 170 peer-reviewed articles in international archival journals and conferences gathering over 10,000 citations to-date, while serving as a reviewer for many. In addition, I serve as Vice-Chair Americas for the IFIP WG 5.7, as an Associate Editor for Robotics & Computer-integrated Manufacturing (RCIM), ASTM's Journal Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing Systems (SSMS) and the International Journal of Manufacturing Research (IJMR) and on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Manufacturing Systems (JMSY) and Production & Manufacturing Research (PMR). I am a former member of the Strategic Core Transformation Team at WVU, Provost's academic transformation committee, and the Statler College Glen H. Hiner Dean search committee 2019. I was recognized as an award-winning teacher and currently serve on the WVU faculty senate and the Provost's Academic Advisory Council. I serve on several advisory boards for companies and startups, incl. Maven Machines, Veepio, Sustainment, The Knudsen Institute, and the WVU Industrial Extension.