[Home] [Research] [Resume] [Personal]




Resume (.ps, .pdf, .txt)
Sikandar Samar

Research Scientist
Integrated Data Systems Department,
Siemens Corporate Research, Princeton, NJ
(609)-734-3668
sikandar@gmail.com
http://www.samars.net/sikandar

Education
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Ph.D., Aerospace, minor in Electrical Engineering, September 2006
Dissertation title: "Statistical Estimation via Convex Optimization for Trending and Performance Monitoring".
GPA: 4.0/4.0
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Aug. 2003
Dissertation title: "Model Reduction Error Bounds For Spatial Array Systems".
GPA: 3.75/4.00
National University of Science and Technology, Pakistan
B.E., Mechanical Engineering, Oct. 2001
Dissertation title: "Modeling, Simulation and Control of Aircraft Propulsion using Gas Turbine Cycles".
GPA: 3.99/4.00

Work Experience
  • Research Scientist, Siemens Corporate Research, Inc. (Nov. 2006 -- Present)
    • Current research topics include robust estimation, portfolio analytics, and time series analysis via statistical learning and nonlinear optimization
  • Research Assistant, Information Systems Laboratory, Stanford University. (Sep. 2003 -- Oct. 2006)
    • My research focused on statistical estimation, performance monitoring and fault diagnostics in large scale systems using numerical optimization. I worked on developing a moving horizon approach for real time estimation via embedded filters. We used model-based system trending techniques, developed  algorithms to get confidence bounds for estimates obtained under modeling uncertainty, used distributed optimization methods for state estimation via sensor fusion, applied convex optimization techniques to robust portfolio optimization, risk management, and robust binary classification
  • Summer Intern, Information & Decision Technology, Honeywell Labs. (Summer 2005)
    • I developed algorithms for real time estimation of incipient faults and reconfigurable mission planning for the Aerosonde unmanned aerial vehicle; see paper for results
  • Summer Intern, Aerospace Electronic Systems, Honeywell Labs. (Summer 2004)
    • I developed algorithms for on-line fault estimation in the guidance and control system of a space launch vehicle; see paper for results
  • Research Assistant, Department of General Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Aug. 2001 -- Aug. 2003)
    • I studied application of robust control techniques to distributed systems, and developed algorithms for model reduction of complex physical systems to aid in simulation, analysis and control design

Research Interests
Statistical estimation via convex optimization for engineering and financial applications; optimization-based data mining and machine learning algorithms; applied control design. Advisors: Stephen Boyd, Dimitry Gorinevsky

Publications

  • Distributed Estimation via Decomposition Methods. With S. Boyd. 9th European Control Conference, Island of Kos, Greece, July 2007. To Appear
  • Embedded Estimation of Fault Parameters in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. With D. Gorinevsky and S. Boyd. In Proc. 15th IEEE Conference on Control Applications, Munich, Germany, October 2006. IEEE CCA Best Student Paper.
  • Pareto Optimal Linear Classification. With S.-J Kim, A. Magnani and S. Boyd. In Proc. 23rd International Conference on Machine Learning, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 2006.
  • Model Predictive Estimation of Evolving Faults. With D. Gorinevsky. In Proc. 25th American Control Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 2006.
  • Likelihood Bounds for Constrained Estimation with Uncertainty. With D. Gorinevsky and S. Boyd. In Proc. 44th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Seville, Spain, December 2005.
  • Integrated Diagnostics of Rocket Flight Control. With D. Gorinevsky, J. Bain, G. Aaseng. In Proc. 26th IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2005.
  • Moving Horizon Filter for Monotonic Trends. With D. Gorinevsky and S. Boyd. In Proc. 43rd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Paradise Island, Bahamas, December 2004.
  • Model Reduction of Spatially Invariant-Array Systems. With C. L. Beck. In Proc. 42nd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Maui, Hawaii, December 9-12, 2003.
  • Model Reduction of Heterogeneous Distributed Systems. With C. L. Beck. In Proc. 42nd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Maui, Hawaii, December 9-12, 2003.

Awards and Honors

  • Recent paper on real time estimation in aircraft won the Best Student Paper Award in IEEE conference on Control Applications, Munich, Germany (July 2006)
  • President's gold medal for securing 1st position in Bachelor's of Mechanical Engineering in the National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan (Nov 2001)
  • Gold medal in engineering for the best academic performance in mechanical engineering in the College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Rawalpindi (Nov 2001)
  • Merit scholarship of the National University of Sciences and Technology (April 1998 -- Oct 2001)
  • 3rd position in Pakistan in the Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination conducted by the Federal Board of Education (June 1997)

Skills
  • Computer languages: C, C++, Java, FORTRAN, Visual BASIC, LaTeX
  • Engineering packages: MATLAB, Simulink, ANSYS, Pro/E, AutoCAD

References
  • Furnished upon request


[Home] [Research] [Resume] [Personal]



Sikandar Samar (sikandar@stanford.edu) / January 2007.