Seema Chopra

Seema has been intrigued by machines since she was a little girl growing up in Punjab, India. When she was in middle school, she took apart a broken ceiling fan and successfully repaired the burned-out motor. Pleased with her success, she became determined to study engineering. Her parents were teachers, and, at first, her father wanted her to enter teaching or banking because he thought they would be easier careers for a woman. But he could not ignore her passion for technology and was persuaded to support her studies.

After receiving a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the State Board of Technical Education in Haryana, India. She earned a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Instrumentation and Control Engineering from Kurukshetra University and a Master of Technology (M.Tech) in Control Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. She received a 2-year GATE Scholarship for her Masters. This was a merit scholarship offered to first-year M.E/M.Tech. candidates, who have been qualified through the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) exam.

Seema continued to pursue her education and in 2003, she was the only candidate selected for Ph.D. in Control Engineering out of 70 applicants. Also, she received The Ministry of Human Resource Development scholarship for her tenure. Despite these achievements, her pursuit of higher education wasn’t always easy. She credits her father with encouraging her to complete her Ph.D. despite the personal and societal pressures facing women in technology. She married shortly after starting her Ph.D. program and received full support and encouragement from her husband as she pursued this challenging course of study. During her doctoral studies, she became interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI). She has pursued her interest in AI and automation ever since. She loves studying and finding applications for AI because the field is in its early stages and flux, requiring her to keep learning and remain open to new ideas. She is driven by the possibilities of bringing AI technology to benefit human systems by combining the best of human knowledge with the capabilities of AI.

While in graduate school, Dr. Chopra worked as a Lecturer/Researcher for Instrumentation and Control Engineering at CAT Research Centre in Jagadhri, developing and designing fuzzy-based electric/electronic control systems. Later in her studies, she became a Research Scholar at the Electronics Department of IIT Roorkee, developing AI-based multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) controllers. She incorporated this work into her doctoral dissertation on the topic “Fuzzy Controller: Intelligent Design Approaches with Reduced Rule Set.”

After receiving her Ph.D., her first job was at MarkeTopper Securities in Delhi, where she worked for two years as a Research Analyst in the Research and Development AI group. She was responsible for designing and developing neural network, fuzzy, and clustering-based algorithms for equity research. She developed AI-based algorithms to predict stock market trends for online trading and worked with IIT Delhi software and trading teams to implement the product. This was Dr. Chopra’s first professional role in AI, it cemented her interest in the variety of applications of her education and passion for AI.

In 2008, Dr. Chopra joined General Electric (GE) in Bangalore, as a Research Engineer. She conducted the design and development of prognostic health management technologies to enable strategic growth for condition-based maintenance of gas turbine engines. Later at GE as Prognosis Health Management Technical Leader, Dr. Chopra led projects on gas turbine engine prognostics and diagnostics, specifically in the areas of fault diagnostics, advanced data mining, sensor/information fusion, and soft computing-based prediction systems, applying a variety of classification techniques. In 2014, she received an Expertise Award from the President/CEO of GE Power for her leadership and contributions to developing and implementing prognostic health management (PHM) at GE Power & Water. During this time, she was also recognized with the GE Analytic Engineer Award (2015) and the GE Silver Award for leading two technical conferences (2013).

After seven successful years at GE with the dream of bringing AI technology to benefit every system in the world. Dr. Chopra took a position as Advanced Technologist in Data Analytics with Boeing Research & Technology in Bangalore in Jan 2015. In this role, she is responsible for developing proposals and providing end-to-end solutions in disciplines including aviation Internet of Things, continuous analytics, fault diagnosis and prognosis, real-time streaming, big data platforms, data mining, machine learning, and natural language processing.

After just seven years with Boeing, she earned the role of Technical Fellow, a highly selective honor, only 1.5% of the Boeing workforce qualifies and only 0.25% of women get selected. This recognition and accomplishment put her on a career path where she can help set technical direction for the Company and be recognized as a subject matter expert in her field. She was the first Technical Fellow in the field of AI to be designated outside the US. Her responsibility as a Technical Fellow is to promote technical excellence and innovation and ensure sustained technical contributions by promoting technical depth, breadth, and innovation and demonstrating leadership, mentorship, and vision.

In her current role, she shapes/leads the AI strategy for all global teams (Japan, Korea, Middle East, Australia, China & Europe) by collaborating with industry experts, pulling global sources of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) knowledge into Boeing, leveraging state of the art technologies, and utilizing the best of the Boeing technical community. Her focus is on Human-Centric AI, Driving Advanced Analytics Solutions for Commercial and Defense customers.

Dr. Chopra believes that AI and ML technologies will bring in a revolution and will be possible only when we combine the best of human knowledge with AI. Her current and future research is based on Human-Centric AI and so far, she holds seven patents in this area.

2024

Computerized aircraft fault isolation

P Adhikari, SPS Yadav, BP Thakur, S Chopra

US Patent App. 18/310,908

 Automated tracking of aircraft loading and unloading

S Chopra, A Krishnan, VKR Bachili, A Govind, D Pandya

US Patent App. 18/307,683

 Text recognizer using contour segmentation

S Chopra, A Krishnan, VKR Bachili, KK Kumar

US Patent App. 18/302,493

Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods for machine-learning based hole plug validation

S Chopra, GP Saralikana, AV Shetty, SS ZAMAN

US Patent App. 18/155,001

Systems, Methods, and Apparatus For Fault Diagnosis Of Systems

P Adhikari, N Maiti, S Chopra, DD Margineantu, DB Macer

US Patent App. 17/973,012

Interface system for flight deck communications

S Chopra, KG Krishna, R Veeranna, US Patent 11,955,016

Machine learning model development with interactive feature construction and selection

S Chopra, AK Moharir, A Sundararaman, K Kaluskar US Patent 11,858,651

2023

• System and method for predictive product quality assessment

A Krishnan, S Chopra, KA Hoeppner, US Patent App. 17/662,984

• Predicting a repair and maintenance activity for an aircraft system

S Gautam, S Chopra, F Betz, AK Moharir, US Patent 11,816,935

• Closed-loop diagnostic model maturation for complex systems

TJ Wilmering, SC Ofsthun, S Chopra, N Bayen, R Kumar, G Singh, US Patent 11,776,330

• Machine learning model development with interactive model evaluation

S Chopra, AK Moharir, A Sundararaman, K Kaluskar, US Patent 11,761,792

• Onboard diagnosis and correlation of failure data to maintenance actions

TJ Wilmering, SC Ofsthun, S Chopra, N Bayen, R Kumar, G Singh, US Patent 11,760,507

• Machine learning for categorizing text

R Srinivasan, LE Sturlaugson, S Chopra, US Patent App. 17/382,148

• Machine learning model development with interactive exploratory data analysis

S Chopra, AK Moharir, A Sundararaman, K Kaluskar, US Patent 11,544,493

2022

• Aircraft performance analysis system and method

A Sadhu, S Chopra, KR Jonson, US Patent 11,518,546

• Interactive machine learning model development

S Chopra, AK Moharir, A Sundararaman, K Kaluskar, US Patent 11,501,103

• Machine learning model development with interactive model building

S Chopra, AK Moharir, A Sundararaman, K Kaluskar, US Patent 11,367,016

• Computing Platform to Architect a Machine Learning Pipeline

DD Margineantu, S Chopra, SP Mohapatra, AK Moharir, US Patent App. 17/376,993

• Machine learning model development with interactive model evaluation

S Chopra, AK Moharir, A Sundararaman, K Kaluskar, US Patent 11,263,480

• Data analytics for more-informed repair of a mechanical or electromechanical system

PA Kallappa, S Chopra, HS Subramania, R SUNDARESWARA, US Patent App. 17/337,002

• Real time streaming analytics for flight data processing

S Chopra, S Palyam, J Schimert, TJ Wilmering, B Thumati, US Patent 10,672,204

2020

• Machine learning model development with interactive feature construction and selection

S Chopra, AK Moharir, A Sundararaman, K Kaluskar, US Patent App. 16/170,887

2019

• Method and system for predicting wing anti-ice failure

S Chopra, US Patent App. 15/678,782

• Multiple failure behaviors identification and remaining useful life prediction of ball bearings

P Kundu, S Chopra, BK Lad, Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing 30, 1795-1807

2017

• Systems and methods for gas turbine operational impact modeling using statistical and physics-based methodologies

S Chopra, D Purnell, SR Powar, JR Korsedal, C Farral, J Yau, US Patent 9,852,240

2017

• Comparison of diagnostic machine learning models with physics-based models for predicting the lithium-ion battery degradation behavior

AK Moharir, NK Megharaj, S Gautam, S Chopra

2015

• Development of a risk-based maintenance strategy to optimize forecast of a gas turbine failures

P KUNDU, S CHOPRA, BK LAD

International Journal of Performability Engineering 11 (5), 407

2013

• Diagnostics and Damage Prediction Model for Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Combustor Hardware Failure

S CHOPRA, A AGARWAL

International Journal of Performability Engineering 9 (3), 261 1

2008

• Auto-tuning of fuzzy PI type controller using fuzzy logic

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

International journal of computational cognition 6 (1) 51

2007

• A Neurofuzzy Learning and its Application to Control system

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

International Journal of Computer and Information Engineering 1 (10), 3104-3110 18

• Neural network tuned fuzzy controller for MIMO system

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

International Journal of Computer and Information Engineering 1 (9), 1320-1327 24

2006

• A robust scheme for tuning of fuzzy PI-type controller

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

2006 3rd International IEEE Conference Intelligent Systems, 300-305 13

• Analysis of Fuzzy PI and PD type controllers using subtractive clustering

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

International journal of computational cognition 4 (2) 32

• Reduction of fuzzy rules and membership functions and its application to fuzzy PI and PD type controllers

C Seema, M Ranajit, K Vijay

International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems 4 (4), 438-447 56

2005

• Fuzzy controller: Choosing an appropriate and smallest rule set

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

International Journal of Computational Cognition 3 (4), 73-78 77

• Analysis and Design of Fuzzy Controller using Neurofuzzy Techniques

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

Proc. of the International Conference on Computer Applications in Electrical … 5

• Identification of Self-Tuning Fuzzy PI type controllers with reduced rule set

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

Proceedings. 2005 IEEE Networking, Sensing and Control, 2005., 537-542 18

• Analysis and Design of Fuzzy models using Fuzzy Curves

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

Proceedings of the Second National Conference on Intelligent systems … 5

• Neural Network Tuned Fuzzy Controller for MIMO System

VK, Seema Chopra, R. Mitra

International Journal of Intelligent Technology 2 (Number 1), 78-85

2004

• Identification of rules using subtractive clustering with application to fuzzy controllers

S Chopra, R Mitra, V Kumar

Proceedings of 2004 International Conference on Machine Learning and … 40

• Comparison of Conventional and Fuzzy PI Controllers

RS, Seema Chopra

Proceedings of the National Conference on “Recent Trends in Control System …

• Self-tuning Approach to PI type Neural and Fuzzy Controllers

RS, Seema Chopra

Proceedings of the National Conference on Intelligent Systems and Networks …

2003

• Fuzzy Approach to Increase Efficiency of Intelligent Systems

NB, Seema Chopra

Proceedings of the National Conference by Institute of Engineers (IE), Page 405

2002

• A FUZZY APPROACH TO SCADA SYSTEM DESIGN

SK, JO, Seema Chopra

Proceedings of All India seminar on Power and energy for sustainable growth 

1. Book on “Integrated Aircraft Health Management for Beginners”,  Dr Ravi Kumar, Dr Seema Chopra, Sri Adi Shesha, Sri Satish Thokala, Dr Sudhakar, by Aeronautical Society of India

2. Book on “Frontiers of Performability Engineering”  (in honor of Prof. K. B. Misra) by Springer, Singapore, edited chapter written on "Advancement in Smart Manufacturing: Trends and Directions" by Seema Chopra and Partha Adhikari

1. 1. Ph.D. Student Gaurav Singh on :Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) Compliant RORCM and Ontology-Based Model for Maintenance Task Plan" at Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Indore, India

   2. Ph.D. Student Indhumathi Parasuraman on "Vision Based Autonomous Landing Guidance for Fixed Wing UAV"  at Department of Aerospace Engineering IIT Madras, India

• 2024 Nasscom WIT Innovator Award 

• 2024 Women in Cloud ICON Award 

• IEEE CS Technologist of the Year: 2023

• SWE Prism Award: 2023

• NASSCOM/Aditya Birla Innovation Award 2022

• Boeing Technical Fellow 2022

• Boeing Special innovation award for Tech replication award 2021

• Boeing Safety and Quality Award 2021

• IEEE TEMS Achiever Award 2021

• BDS Global Team of the Year Award 2020

• Boeing Associate Technical Fellow 2019

• IEEE Women in Engineering – Achiever Award 2019

• 20+ Pride Awards: Industry & tech leadership, 2016-21

• Boeing Innovation Idea Award for Autonomy 2017

• Most Valuable Team Member Award 2017 

• General Electric (GE, prior employer) Analytic Engr. Award 2015 

• GE Impact Award from CEO 2014

• PHM expertise award from President & CEO, GE Power in 2014

• GE Silver Award for leading 2 technical conferences: 2013

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Award: 2014

• IEEE SPACE Vice Chair 2024-25

• Boeing Technical Liaison for Grace Hopper 2021

• IEEE Vice-chair & Execom member for Computer Society 2020-21

• VP SWE Local Conference 2019-21

• Invited Panelists for 10+ events 2017-21

• Keynote speaker at Women in Cloud US, IEEE, SAE, SWE, etc 2017-2021

• 20+ speaker invitations: 2016-2021

1.  NASSCOM Coffee Book Table 2025

2. CNBC TV18 Zetwerk Smart Manufacturing Summit 2024

3. SAEINDIA (Society of Automotive Engineers India 

4. SWE Global Ambassador Spotlight: Seema Chopra

5. SWE Magzine of the Society of Women Engeerisn (Conference 2023)  - Prism Award

6. The Machine Maker (2022): Breaking boundaries and voicing out loud ‘STEM for Women’

7. Industrial Automation - ‘As a country, we have made a lot of progress towards empowering women’

8. Gulf Times, Qatar -Artificial Intelligence to increase productivity, efficiency

9. Royal Patiala - IIT Ropar first to open up a Society of Women Engineers Chapter 

10. The Museum of Flights (Blog)- Boeing, Bots, and the Future of AI in Aviation

11. The Times of India - IIT to extend helping hand to women professionals

12. IEEE Computer society Magazine