Team

Maria Gibbs serves as the Executive Director of iNDustry Labs. In her role, she supports the advancement of Notre Dame faculty research agendas by catalyzing new research partnerships with companies in the South Bend - Elkhart Region and accelerates regional investments in talent and technology by making industry-relevant research legible and actionable to regional firms.

Prior to joining iNDustry Labs, Maria spent eight years in venture capital and private equity, primarily focused on technology companies driving economic impact for people and businesses that call small cities home. Maria co-founded and served as Managing Partner at INVANTI, an early stage investment firm. She raised a pre-seed venture fund with an investment thesis focused on advancing economic vitality in small cities and built relationships with over 100 small business owners in the South Bend region to help make their problems legible to startup founders and connect them to pilot opportunities with tech-enabled startups. She also served as a value creation and operations consultant for several private equity firms in California, Illinois, Indiana, and Texas, where she built out investment decision-making frameworks and operational infrastructure and worked with mid-market companies to expand margin and grow revenue.

Maria earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Duke University and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Notre Dame, where her research focused on developing a novel sensing and system identification approach to wind mitigation in long span footbridges. She has also served as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame and Director of Operations for Bridges to Prosperity, an international footbridge building organization.

Dave Hemler is an accomplished business leader with success leading organizations both large and small. Hemler joins Industry Labs to expand and enhance experiential learning opportunities for Notre Dame students through deep engagement with regional companies, serving Notre Dame’s educational mission as well as its strategic goals for regional economic development.

His large enterprise experience includes roles as President of Microsoft Canada and President of Best Buy for Business, and he founded, led, and invested in several small technology companies after getting bitten by the entrepreneurial bug.

Dave holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Nick Berente serves as Faculty Director of iNDustry Labs at Notre Dame; he is also the Viola D. Hank Associate Professor of  IT, Analytics, and Operations. Prof. Berente studies how digital innovations like artificial intelligence technologies drive change in organizations and institutions. He teaches courses on Strategic Business Technology and is Co-Director of the GAMA Lab and affiliated faculty in Notre Dame's Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society and also Notre Dame's Technology Ethics Center. Prof. Berente received his PhD from Case Western Reserve University and conducted postdoctoral studies at the University of Michigan. He was an entrepreneur prior to his academic career, founding two technology companies. He is the principal investigator for a number of U.S. National Science Foundation projects and has won multiple awards for his teaching and his research. Prof. Berente is a senior editor for MIS Quarterly.

Michael Shoemaker is the Director of Industry Strategy at iNDustry Labs. At his core, Michael is a connector, someone who's constantly learning about the companies and people around him, looking for dots to connect. Ask his family: he's been known to work a plant tour into a vacation.

That passion shows up in how he works with regional manufacturers. He has spent years building relationships across the region's manufacturing community, with a particular soft spot for owner-operators. He's driven by turning those relationships into real outcomes, new programs, new funding, and new opportunities for the companies and students he works with.

Michael's experience wasn't a straight line into economic development; he started as an engineer, launching his career at Ford Motor Company on Global Powertrain assembly lines. That hands-on manufacturing background is part of what makes him effective today: he speaks the language of the shop floor and the boardroom, and he's just as comfortable talking about a bill of materials as he is about strategy.

He holds a dual degree from the University of Michigan, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering Management. 

Alex Topalovic serves as Director of AI & Digital Transformation at iNDustry Labs at the University of Notre Dame. In his role, Alex helps regional industry partners navigate the practical adoption of emerging technologies, with a focus on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, operational excellence, and university-industry collaboration. His work bridges business strategy and technical implementation, helping companies identify meaningful opportunities for innovation and translate them into actionable initiatives.

Before stepping into this role, Alex served as Engineer-in-Residence and Strategic Operations Coordinator at iNDustry Labs, where he supported strategic partnerships, digitalization efforts, and the development of services connecting Northern Indiana companies with Notre Dame expertise. He has also worked across consulting, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, supply chain, and IT, giving him a cross-functional perspective on how organizations can modernize operations while building long-term capability.

Alex has taught analytics courses across different academic programs at Notre Dame and serves as a board member for Liftco Inc., where he contributes to strategy development and operational improvement. Alex holds a Master of Science in Information Technology Management from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts in Global Management from Earlham College. Originally from Belgrade, Serbia, Alex is fluent in English and Serbian and speaks a bit of German. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family and coaching basketball.

Jean Crumlish leads the Regional Careers Initiative at iNDustry Labs, where she connects Notre Dame faculty/staff spouses, mid-career alumni, and graduate students with high impact career opportunities in the South Bend area. She works directly with executives and HR leaders at regional companies to understand their strategic hiring needs and match them with talent from the Notre Dame network.

Jean is uniquely qualified for this role through her deep personal and professional roots in the region. Prior to joining iNDustry Labs, she spent three decades at a privately held printing company based in South Bend, where she was known for her ability to connect with people and solve complex problems. Her lived experience in industry, combined with her passion for regional growth, fuels her commitment to the continuance and expansion of industry in northern Indiana.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management and an Associate Degree in Computer Science, both from Purdue University.

Jim Wittendorf is the Regional Industry Engagement Manager at iNDustry Labs. In this capacity, he serves as a problem solver, translator, and bridge-builder for companies in the region. He regularly visits companies, articulates industry challenges, and identifies available resources through the LIFT Network to help drive regional industry advancement. 

Jim’s extensive experience in advanced manufacturing and electronics spans over 30 years with engineering leadership and product design roles with several leading automotive sensor companies including CTS, American Electronic Components, Siemens VDO, and Continental Automotive. 

Most recently, Jim 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. 

Jim holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tri-State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Bethel University.

In her new role, Jadin will amplify and extend the Regional Careers team's work through storytelling, outreach, and events. She will help shape how regional companies are perceived, highlighting what exists today, what's being built for the future, and why Notre Dame-affiliated talent should see our region as a destination for long-term career success.

O’Brien’s previous experience working with Hesburgh Women of Impact and Basepath makes her well-suited for our team.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and a Master's in Nonprofit Administration, both from the University of Notre Dame.

You may also recognize her as a Division 1 record holder in the Heptathlon and Pentathlon for Notre Dame track and field, and a Team USA Olympic Bobsled athlete.

Christina Clark joined iNDustry Labs as a Research Communications Specialist in October 2024, and is the Notre Dame Research Communications Shared Services Program Director.

She joined Notre Dame Research in 2021 as a Communications Specialist, and serves multiple research grants. In her role with Industry Labs, she works to tell the story of its impact and build the teams' networks through writing stories and press releases, creating and managing social media content, managing the website, supporting outreach efforts and student programs, and more.

She is passionabe about the importance of communications, especially for nonprofit and research initiatives, and holds a BA from Indiana University in Communication Studies, with a focus in journalism and a minor in photojournalism, and MS in Strategic Communication with Purdue University. She earned her Graduate Certificate in Communication and Leadership from Purdue Univeristy in 2024.

Before joining NDR, Christina worked as a newspaper reporter and contributing writer for multiple publications, including NDWorks. She serves as Secretary for Thrive! - Inspiring ND Women, and is a member of NDR Cares. She serves on the Board of Directors and Development Committee of Health Plus Indiana, and is an inducted member of Zonta International's eClub of USA-3.

Brad Sandberg is the AI Engineering Manager within DAC DOME (Data, AI, and Computing Initiative - Deployment, Operations, Modeling, and Engineering), where he leads the development and implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to support advanced scientific research.

Since joining the CRC in 2019 as a research programmer, Brad has specialized in software support, middleware, and interface development. In his current leadership role, he bridges the gap between complex scientific data and cutting-edge AI engineering, utilizing his deep technical expertise in Python, Java, C/C++, and SQL.

Prior to joining Notre Dame, Brad served as Technology Manager & Senior Developer for ABI Attachments.

Charles F. Vardeman II is a computational scientist at the Center for Research Computing (CRC) and a research assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He graduated from Notre Dame with a B.S. in chemistry and Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry, with a research focus on molecular dynamics simulations of nano-metallic and glassy-metallic systems. Since joining the CRC in 2009, Vardeman has pursued a research program focused on connecting data to computational models using linked data and semantic web principles. As part of this research, he has explored using an artificial intelligence-based approach called Ontology Design Patterns that aids in conceptualizing data and computational models facilitating greater integration and discovery. He is additionally interested in connecting knowledge representation to machine learning approaches via the application of emerging research in symbolic neural networks.

Shaun Whitfield is an AI Engineer within DAC DOME (Data, AI, and Computing Initiative - Deployment, Operations, Modeling, and Engineering).

Shaun’s journey at Notre Dame began as an intern at the Center for Research Computing before he transitioned to a full-time developer, and he now focuses on designing and deploying machine learning models and artificial intelligence solutions to support advanced research. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Indiana University South Bend.

Prior to joining Notre Dame, Shaun worked in IT for the non-profit Church World Service and volunteered as an instructor for the South Bend Code School, teaching introductory web design to local youth. A lifelong resident of the area, Shaun lives in Mishawaka with his wife and two daughters.

In his spare time, he enjoys games of all kinds and spending time with his family.

Jason Carley is an Associate Faculty Director of iNDustry Labs and an Assistant Professor of Design. Jason is an industrial designer, entrepreneur, and educator working to improve the sustainability of designed objects and built environments. Through his practice, Jason examines consumer behavior and combines experimental biomaterials, alternative service models, digital prototyping techniques, and data visualizations to propose novel solutions to industrial challenges. His current research on circular economies explores how systems design can enable empowering experiences with drastically lower environmental impacts.

During his 15 year career as a design and engineering consultant, Jason has helped bring dozens of products to market and generated patents in healthcare, optics, and electronics. He has conducted UX research in the United States, Canada, and Europe, working with respected clients such as Philips, Disney, The Home Depot, Dell, Abbott, and Whirlpool.

Jason’s work has been recognized by the prestigious IDEA award, MDEA Gold, Core77 Design Awards, and CES’ “Best in Innovation”. He was named a finalist for the Forbes "30 Under 30 Manufacturing & Industry List" for his service in Chicago’s hardware and entrepreneurship communities. His products have been featured in Forbes, The Verge, Crains, Wallpaper, Yanko Design, Apartment Therapy, and the Alliance for American Manufacturing, and have appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank, America's Greatest Makers, and in installations at Disneyland Parks, Madame Tussauds in Times Square, and The Four Seasons Resort in Oahu.

Joe and Jane Giovanini Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations; Academic Director of the Ph.D. Program in Analytics
IT, Analytics, and Operations

Biography

Ahmed Abbasi is the Joe and Jane Giovanini Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations. He serves as Director of the Analytics Ph.D. program and Co-Director of the Human-centered Analytics Lab (HAL). Ahmed completed his Ph.D. work in Information Systems at the University of Arizona’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab. He attained an M.S. in Operations Research from Columbia University and M.B.A./B.S. degrees from Virginia Tech. His research interests relate to text and predictive analytics. Ahmed has published over one hundred articles in journals and conferences, including several in top-tier outlets such as MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research (ISR), Journal of MIS, ACM TOIS, IEEE TKDE, IEEE Intelligent Systems, ACL, EMNLP, and NAACL. He won best paper awards at AIS, INFORMS, MISQ, ISR, and WITS, and was a finalist for the AMA’s Hunt/Maynard Award. His work has been funded by over a dozen grants from the National Science Foundation and industry partners such as AWS, Microsoft, eBay, Deloitte, and Oracle. He has also received the IEEE Technical Achievement Award, INFORMS Design Science Award, IBM Faculty Award, and Kemper Professor Award for his work on human-centered AI. Ahmed’s work has been featured in various media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, the Associated Press, WIRED, CBS, and Fox. Ahmed serves as Senior Editor for ISR and Associate Editor for ACM TMIS and IEEE Intelligent Systems, and Department Editor for Trustworthy and Responsible AI at IEEE Intelligent Systems. He was a past elected Chair of the INFORMS College on AI and currently serves as elected President for WITS.

Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Areas of Interest

Our research group uses multimodal materials characterization approaches, custom developed Liquid Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy (LPEM) methods, and advanced electron microscopy techniques to study structural evolution, assembly, and function of soft and biological materials. Our work is motivated by mechanisms, kinetic pathways, and visualization of molecular interactions and soft material organization at the smallest of length scales.

• Automated Materials Synthesis – Manufacturing nanomaterials of the future with hydrodynamically directed and machine learning assisted soft confinement of polymers
• Synthesis of Soft Matter Organelles – Designing and visualizing confined soft matter vesicles that simulate biological communication and transport
• Tau Protein Foldopathies – Mechanisms of healthy and unhealthy tau protein assembly, disassembly, and misfolding

Websites

Education

Coyle Mission Collegiate Professor of Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Areas of Interest

The research of the Savoie group is focused on the interface of machine learning with chemistry and materials science. We develop new computational methods to predict and optimize materials’ properties in advance of costly synthesis and characterization. Examples include new battery materials, semiconductors, and plastics that are robust, inexpensive, and innocuous when they degrade, respectively.

His lab works to integrate machine learning with the processes of knowledge generation. In this area, he is working to bring about a paradigm of AI-enabled science where experiments are data-driven and optimized for information content and reproducibility.

Education

Ph.D., Theoretical Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2014
B.S., Chemistry and Physics, Texas A&M University, 2008

Post-doctoral research, California Institute of Technology, 2014-2017

Faculty Director

Biography

Jarek Nabrzyski is the founding director of the Center for Research Computing at Notre Dame (CRC), and a concurrent professor of Computer Science and Engineering. His research is focused on distributed ledger technologies and quantum computing. In the CRC he directs the Quantum Computing Lab and, together with Ian Taylor, co-directs the Blockchain Research Lab. He enjoys building and managing teams and engaging in complex science and industry collaborations. He has been a Principal Investigator on over 50 national and international research and development projects developing cyberinfrastructure for both science and industry.