Assistant Professor
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
Email: axleie@rit.edu
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MZMFRPUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Research Interests:
Machine learning and optimization for additive manufacturing processes
Distributed intelligence, federated learning, and collaborative robotics
Smart sensing, robotics, and cyber-physical manufacturing systems
Education & Professional Experience
2021-2026, Ph.D., Industrial and Systems Engineering, Auburn University, AL, USA
Dissertation topic: Physics-informed Hierarchical Learning for Defect Characterization and Fatigue Life Prediction in Metal Additive Manufacturing
2016-2020, B.S., Automation (Jiluan Academy), Nanchang University, China
Selected Honors & Awards
1st place in Additive Manufacturing (AM) Bench 2025 Measurements and Challenge Problems: S-N Curve Prediction, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 2025/11
1st place in AM Bench 2025 Measurements and Challenge Problems: Applied Stress Prediction, NIST, 2025/11
Magna Cum Laude Award, INFORMS Student Chapter, 2025
ALEPSCoR-Graduate Research Scholars Program (GRSP) Award, 2022-2023
Selected for a competitive state-funded program supporting research excellence in Alabama
NSF Student Travel Award - International Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) Symposium, 2024
Institute for Printed Circuits (IPC) Scholarship & Award, 2023
Modeling and Data Analytics for Operations Graduate Certificate, Auburn University, 2025
Outstanding Undergraduate Student and Excellent Thesis, Nanchang University, 2020
Best Poster Award in the 5th Intelligent Signal Processing Summer School on INFIERI, China, 2019
Honorable Mention of Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM), USA, 2019
Personal
Be loving to family, passionate to the world, and resilient to yourself.
Big things start small.
Don't be afraid to take a chance.