Department of Mechanical Engineering launching speaker series
Published: Jan 20, 2026 1:00 PM
By Jeremy Henderson
The Department of Mechanical Engineering is launching a new speaker series to bring prominent faculty, researchers and subject matter experts from top-tier institutions across the country to the Plains.
The first two seminars align with the department's internationally recognized work in autonomous vehicle research through the the GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, or GAVLab.
On Thursday, Jan. 23, Nicholas Broadbent, a mechanical engineering doctoral candidate from Stanford University, will present on "Neural Network Vehicle Dynamics Modeling, Motion Planning, and Control at the Limits of Handling."
"Nicholas was a part of the Stanford team that executed the first autonomous tandem drift along with Toyota researchers," said George Flowers, department chair and Dan H. Arnold Jr. Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering. "His research contributed significantly to the understanding of autonomous vehicle control in hazardous situations, including emergency stop and avoidance maneuvers."
While Broadbent's presentation focuses on where autonomous vehicle technology is heading, Bharat Balasubramanian, executive director of the University of Alabama's Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies, will focus on how it got to where it is.
"Dr. Balasubramanian is an internationally acclaimed leader in the field of transportation, with a focus on vehicle technologies," Flowers said. "He was Mercedes-Benz' first non-German vice-president of R&D and his work has led to global advancements in vehicle connectivity, automated driving and electric vehicles."
Broadbent will present Jan. 23 from 2-3 p.m. in the Brown-Kopel Center’s Grand Hall No. 1. To register, visit https://aub.ie/broadbent
Balasubramanian will present Jan. 30 from 2-3 p.m. in Mell Classroom Building, Room 2510.
Bharat Balasubramanian, left, and Nicholas Broadbent lead off a new speaker series hosted by the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
