People

Director

Dr. Chang S. “CS” Nam received a Ph.D. from the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. Having held department-level leadership roles as chair and head, he currently serves as Interim Director of the Center of Excellence in Product Design and Advanced Manufacturing (CEPDAM), where he leads interdisciplinary, industry-engaged research and education programs that integrate advanced manufacturing testbeds, data-rich learning environments, and AI-enabled cyber-physical systems. He is also an affiliate professor of the UNC/NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Psychology and UNC-CH Brain Research Imaging Center (BRIC). 

His scholarship sits at the intersection of human-centered intelligent systems and engineering cyber–physical infrastructure, with an emphasis on trustworthy AI and decision intelligence for high-stakes, real-world operations. Core areas include neuro-inspired computing, human–AI–robot teaming (HART), and human-centered explainable AI (XAI), human-centric digital twins, industrial AI and smart manufacturing. He has published 83+ peer-reviewed journal articles, 24 book chapters, 93 refereed conference papers, and six edited books. His research has been supported by federal agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and National Security Agency (NSA). Nam is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2010), Outstanding Researcher Award (2010-2011), and Best Teacher Award (2010-2011). He is the HFES fellow, and the Editor-in-Chief of the Research in Biomedical Engineering and Technology.