The Office of Dean-Research & Department of Mechanical Engineering jointly organises the 7th Eminent Guest Lecture on December 08, 2025. Prof. Vittaldas V Prabhu, Director of Penn State’s Service Systems Engineering Program, resource person for the Guest Lecture will deliver an insightful session on “Engineering the 21st Century Service Economy”.
Abstract
Service Systems Engineering (SSE) provides a rigorous analytical foundation for improving the performance of complex service enterprises across retail, healthcare, logistics, financial services, and digital operations. Building on recent advances such as fusion-learning Bayesian networks for diagnostics, distributed and data-driven control of logistics networks, and cash-flow bullwhip modeling in capital-intensive supply chains, this lecture outlines a research agenda that strengthens efficiency, resilience, and human-centered decision making in modern service operations. A complementary education agenda highlights how experiential projects, interdisciplinary pathways, AI-enabled decision tools, and affordable cyber-physical platforms can prepare engineers to model, optimize, and innovate within the rapidly expanding service economy.
About the Speaker
Prof. Vittaldas V Prabhu is Professor of Industrial Engineering and the Charles and Enid Schneider Faculty Chair in Service Enterprise Engineering at Penn State University. His research advances service systems engineering through contributions to Bayesian network diagnostics, smart logistics, distributed control, decision support systems, and cash-flow bullwhip analytics across manufacturing, healthcare, IT, and financial operations. He is the Director of Penn State’s Service Systems Engineering program, integrating service-focused curricula, experiential industry partnerships, AI-enabled projects, and affordable cyber-physical learning platforms. Prof. Prabhu earned his graduate degrees and Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is an IISE Fellow.