Joseph Piacenza
Ph.D. Candidate, MBA
piacenzj@engr.oregonstate.edu
Complex Engineered Systems Design Lab
Dearborn Hall 102
School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering
Oregon State University

Research

I have just begun my fourth year as a Ph.D. student in the Complex Engineered Systems Design lab at Oregon State University, working under Irem Y. Tumer and Christopher Hoyle, with an expected graduation of Spring 2014. My primary research focus is a design framework that integrates robust optimization methods and social network analysis in complex infrastructure systems to design for failure resilience. This work has been motivated by reliability issues in the North American power grid.

In addition, I am also working on sustainable building design strategies including net-zero energy, energy efficiency, and life cycle assessment (e.g., environmental, economic, and social impact).  Specifically, I am investigating the post occupancy social impact of sustainable building designs (e.g., LEED, Living Building).

Before moving to Oregon, I founded and managed an automotive small business in Tampa Bay Florida specializing in restoration, service, and retail parts sales for European vehicles. Motivated by the thrill of entrepreneurship, I concurrently completed my MBA at the University of South Florida with a focus on management, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Although I really enjoyed the collaborative environment of a small business, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of my undergraduate training, I was ready to further my education and pursue my passion for engineering design.

Research

•  Robust Design of Complex Infrastructure Systems: A topological physics based approach for robust optimization of complex infrastructure systems to design for failure resilience.
• Social Impact of Sustainable Building Design: A structural modeling method to capture post occupancy effects on building users, to support sustainable engineering design.
• Power Grid System Optimization: A model based optimization tool to determine the feasibility of energy conservation strategies based on existing power generation resource appropriation.
• Sustainable Building Life Cycle Assessment: A comparative sustainability assessment approach for building design materials capturing economic, environmental, and social impact.

Technical Skills & Expertise

• Key Software: MS Office, CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, Edgecam, SolidWorks, Delmia, MatLAB, ModelCenter, R, StatGraphics, SimaPro, QuickBooks
• Technical Skills: System Optimization, Robust Design, System Modeling, Risk and Reliability Methods, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA/FMECA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Event Tree Analysis (ETA), Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD), Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA), CNC Machining Operations, Automotive Engine and Transmission Assembly, Welding and Fabrication, Automotive Fuel Injection and Electrical System Service and Diagnostic

Publications

Journal Publications:

J. R. Piacenza, J. J. Fields, C. Hoyle, and I. Y. Tumer, "Quantification of User Preferences for Sustainable Building Design," In Review: Journal of Mechanical Design.

J. R. Piacenza, Mir Abbas Bozorgirad, C. Hoyle, and I. Y. Tumer, "Robust Design of Complex Infrastructure Systems to Mitigate Cascading Failures" In Review: Journal of Engineering Design.

J. R. Piacenza, S.H. Seyedmahmoudi, Karl R. Haapala, C. Hoyle, and I. Y. Tumer, "Sustainability Performance for Cross Laminated Timber in Sustainable Building Designs", In Preparation: Journal of Mechanical Design.

Conference Publications (Peer Reviewed):

J. R. Piacenza, I. Y. Tumer, R. Stone, J. Knighton, and I. Elzeyadi, 2011, "Towards a System Analysis and Integration Framework for Early Design Trades in Sustainable Building Design", 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, Denver, Colorado.

J. R. Piacenza, I. Y. Tumer, and C. Hoyle, 2012, "Lighting Optimization for Sustainable Building Design Considering User Productivity", International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, Chicago, Illinois.

J. R. Piacenza, I. Y. Tumer, C. Hoyle, and J. Fields, 2012, "Power Grid System Design Optimization Considering Renewable Energy Strategies and Environmental Impact", International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, Houston, Texas.

J. R. Piacenza, S.H. Seyedmahmoudi, Karl R. Haapala, C. Hoyle, and I. Y. Tumer, 2013, "Comparison of Sustainability Performance: Cross Laminated Timber Versus Concrete", International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, Portland, Oregon.

J. R. Piacenza, J. J. Fields, Mir Abbas Bozorgirad, C. Hoyle, and I. Y. Tumer, 2013, "Robust Design of North American Power Grid to Mitigate Cascading Failures", International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, San Diego, California.

Teaching/GTA

• Introduction to Design (ME 382)

• Mechanical Component Design (ME 383)

• Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (IE 413)

• Decision Based Design (ME 519 - graduate course) 

Curriculum Vitae

Links