The University of Notre Dame’s iNDustry Labs has appointed seasoned engineers Natalie Medich and Jim Wittendorf to the Engineer-in-Residence (ENIR) role.
As ENIRs at iNDustry Labs, they join a team of professionals with extensive experience in advanced industry who serve as advisors and collaborators with regional manufacturing companies seeking to advance their businesses. They lead technical consulting projects with industry partners, helping identify challenges and opportunities for their businesses, and match industry needs with resources and talent at Notre Dame and throughout the region’s LIFT Network.
“Natalie and Jim bring invaluable experience, expertise and perspective to our growing team of ENIRs,” said Scott Ford, managing director of iNDustry Labs. “The leadership, ingenuity and mission-drive they have each demonstrated throughout their professional careers will amplify the capacity and capabilities of iNDustry Labs to forge innovative partnerships with the industry partners in the region.”
Natalie Medich has extensive experience in advanced industry, spanning a variety of roles. She has owned a successful manufacturing business, held positions in the industrial engineering field as a business process engineer, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black belt practitioner for advanced manufacturing. Most recently, Medich was assistant professor and department chair of advanced manufacturing for Ivy Tech Community College, spearheading the effort to bring The Larry & Judy Garatoni Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Automation to its South Bend - Elkhart campus. She received a bachelor of science in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, and holds a certification in engineering leadership from the Executive Education program at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. She received her Six Sigma Green & Black Belt certifications from Purdue University.
Jim Wittendorf brings over thirty years of experience in advanced manufacturing and electronics to the team, with engineering leadership and product design experience at several leading automotive sensor companies including American Electronic Components, Siemens VDO, and Continental Automotive. Most recently, Wittendorf was the director of engineering core competencies at CTS Corporation, where he was responsible for the global execution of core enabling technologies used by product lines for application in their end products. He also helped to significantly expand CTS’ cooperative education program through LIFT Network and EARN Indiana programs. Prior to joining CTS, he served as director of global process engineering at Harman International. He holds a bachelor of science in Electrical Engineering from Tri-State University and master of business administration from Bethel University.
About iNDustry Labs
The University of Notre Dame’s iNDustry Labs forges innovative partnerships between the South Bend - Elkhart Region’s industries and dedicated resources at the University to support a more prosperous region. An anchor of the South Bend-Elkhart region’s Labs for Industry Futures and Transformation (LIFT) Network, it was established through a $42.4 million grant awarded to Notre Dame in 2019 from Lilly Endowment, Inc.