Dr. Sheng-Jen ("Tony") Hsieh, professor and director of the Rockwell Automation Laboratory in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University, was named Honorary International Chair professor by National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech) in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2015. Hsieh also holds a joint-appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
This is recognition of his overall contributions in the area of industrial automation and control, especially in the area of remote control, diagnosis and preventative maintenance of automated assembly systems.
The international chair professor is the institution's highest scientific recognition. Taipei Tech was founded in 1912, and is a top-ranked public university in Taiwan with a longstanding history in educating and cultivating top technical professionals. A recent teaching excellence evaluation by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education rated Taipei Tech first among all the other technological universities.
Hsieh’s research interests lie in the fields of automated system integration and cyber-enabled control/diagnosis of machines and systems; optical and infrared imaging for characterization and failure prediction; micro/nano device fabrication; and design of technology for engineering education.
Currently, he leads a $900,000 NSF project to develop innovative curricula and instructional technologies such as tele-labs and intelligent tutoring systems for industrial automation. He served as Chair of SPIE's ThermoSense XXXVII Conference and ASEE's Manufacturing Division in 2014-15.