Resume

Academic resume and background.

Contact Information

Name Muhammad Umar Farooq
Professional Title Ph.D. Researcher in Mechanical Engineering | AI for Manufacturing
Email muf@umich.edu

Professional Summary

Ph.D. researcher in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan working on sustainable manufacturing, multi-fidelity AI, uncertainty-aware modeling, and industrial decarbonization, with industry-facing research spanning manufacturing processes through automotive supply chains.

Experience

  • 2024 - present

    Michigan, USA

    Research Lead, Sheet Metal Components: Process to Supply Chain Project
    Ford Motor Company
    • Lead research connecting sheet-metal manufacturing processes with supply-chain analysis and engineering decision support
    • Develop data-driven sustainability and carbon-accounting methods for automotive manufacturing applications
  • 2023 - present

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Graduate Student Research Assistant
    Resourceful Manufacturing and Design (ReMaDe) Lab, University of Michigan
    • Lead technical contributor on physics-integrated AI and carbon-accounting tools for manufacturing and supply chains
    • Develop reproducible workflows for validation, uncertainty reporting, and engineering decision support
    • Mentor and onboard new researchers in Python, version control, and research documentation
  • 2024 - 2024

    London, United Kingdom

    Visiting Researcher
    The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, University College London
    • Collaborated on explainable machine-learning methods for modeling and optimization under uncertainty in engineered systems
  • 2022 - 2023

    Södertälje, Sweden

    Research Student, TRIBOS+ Industry Project
    Scania AB
    • Studied tribological behavior of machine elements under electrified conditions with applications to electric-vehicle drivetrain durability
  • 2022 - 2022

    Nieuwegein, Netherlands

    Software Engineering Intern
    SKF Research Center
    • Developed an automated signal-processing tool with feature engineering for bearing diagnostics in high-speed rail applications
  • 2021 - 2021

    Lahore, Pakistan

    Research Associate
    Lahore University of Management Sciences
    • Contributed to empirical research on project leadership, external environmental factors, and project success
  • 2019 - 2020

    Lahore, Pakistan

    Graduate Teaching Assistant and Laboratory Instructor
    University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
    • Led Manufacturing Processes Laboratory instruction for more than 40 students and developed laboratory activities and assessment rubrics
    • Supported Industrial Materials and Production Planning and Control courses

Education

  • 2023 - 2026

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Ph.D.
    University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
    Mechanical Engineering
    • Dissertation: From Process to Supply Chain: Efficient AI for Manufacturing Decarbonization
  • 2021 - 2023

    Europe

    Erasmus Mundus Joint M.Sc.
    University of Leeds and TRIBOS+ Consortium Europe
    Tribology of Surfaces and Interfaces
    • Institutions: University of Leeds, University of Ljubljana, University of Coimbra, and Luleå University of Technology
    • Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree scholarship recipient
    • Thesis: Tribological Performance of Ball Bearing Subjected to an Electric Field
  • 2019 - 2021

    Lahore, Pakistan

    M.Sc.
    University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
    Engineering Management
    • Fully funded master degree scholarship recipient
    • Thesis: Assessing Technology (Industry 4.0 Transformation) Readiness of Industries to Combat Future COVID-19 like Disruptions: A Case of Pakistan’s Manufacturing Sector
  • 2015 - 2019

    Lahore, Pakistan

    B.Sc.
    University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
    Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
    • President’s Gold Medal
    • Fully funded degree scholarship recipient
    • Thesis: Parametric optimization of powder mixed electric discharge machining process for aeronautical alloys and composites

Awards

  • 2026
    Rackham Conference Travel Award
    University of Michigan

    US$1,400

  • 2025
    Rackham Conference Travel Award
    University of Michigan

    US$1,150

  • 2024
    Outstanding Reviewer Award
    Manufacturing Letters (SME)
  • 2024
    Rackham Conference Travel Award
    University of Michigan

    US$900

  • 2024
    Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant
    University of Michigan

    US$1,500

  • 2021
    Erasmus Mundus Scholarship
    European Commission

    EUR 47,000

  • 2019
    President’s Gold Medal
    UET Lahore

Certificates

  • Oxford Machine Learning Summer School - University of Oxford (2024)
  • 2D/3D Forming Process Modelling - Scientific Forming Technologies Corporation (2023)
  • McKinsey Forward Program - McKinsey & Company (2022)
  • 7th International Deep Learning School - Luleå University of Technology (2022)

Skills

Research Areas: Sustainable manufacturing, physics-informed and data-driven modeling, multi-fidelity learning, uncertainty quantification, optimization under uncertainty, life cycle assessment, supply chain decarbonization, and intelligent manufacturing systems
Programming and Software: Python, scientific computing, machine learning, optimization, reproducible workflows, and Git