Distinguished Lecture Series with Mary (Missy) Cummings, Ph.D.

Speaker(s): Mary (Missy) Cummings, Ph.D., Professor in the Departments of Mechanical & Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science — George Mason University

Presentation Title: The Pandora’s Box of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs)

Location: U-M Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) Collaborative Meeting Space
2901 Baxter Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (Room 139)

Date/Time: Wednesday, February 15th, 2023 | 1:00 PM ET

Continuing Education Units (CEU): .1*
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Abstract: Professor Cummings will detail lessons learned in her recent role as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Senior Safety Advisor, including an examination of the use (or lack thereof) of systems engineering principles, the need for formalized safety cultures, and what technology and policy mitigations are needed to advance autonomous vehicle (AV) applications.

Speaker Bio:

Professor Mary (Missy) Cummings received her B.S. in Mathematics from the US Naval Academy in 1988, her M.S. in Space Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1994, and her Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2004. A naval officer and military pilot from 1988-1999, she was one of the U.S. Navy’s first female fighter pilots. She is a Professor in the George Mason University Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science departments. She is an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow, and recently served as the senior safety advisor to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Her research interests include embedded artificial intelligence in safety-critical systems, assured autonomy, human-systems engineering, and the ethical and social impact of technology.