Shoemaker possesses nearly a decade of experience in advanced industrial engineering that began in Ford Motor Co.’s engineering division. He most recently served as the inaugural program director for industry innovation at ., where he led a dedicated team of specifically recruited to support the iNDustry Labs platform. In addition to providing key support for pilot industry engagement projects, he was instrumental in the development and implementation of the iNDustry Labs service model. 

In this role, Shoemaker joins a team of talented professionals with deep technical and business experience, assembled to provide technical and strategic advisory services to local companies, bridging the gap between the local industry and the resources and capabilities of the University of Notre Dame. The engineers-in-residence lead project-specific industry advancement teams that include members of the enFocus Industry Innovation Team, in collaboration with faculty liaisons and core research facility staff.

“Michael’s leadership, ingenuity and commitment to the South Bend-Elkhart region has already made an indelible imprint upon the culture, aspirations and services of iNDustry Labs,” said Scott Ford, managing director of iNDustry Labs. “As an associate ENIR, his contributions are poised to scale our efforts even further, magnifying the capabilities of iNDustry Labs to unlock the beneficial collaborations between the University and the region’s businesses.” 

Since its inception in 2012, enFocus has proven to be a key resource for talent attraction in the region. Through a two-year fellowship program, recent graduates from a wide range of disciplines are paired with sponsored projects to drive innovation in local organizations. The launch of the in 2019 created an opportunity for enFocus to expand its activities to support innovation-based economic development, through iNDustry Labs at Notre Dame. 

“In many ways, Michael’s appointment to the iNDustry Labs team is indicative of the significant talent enFocus is bringing to the region for the direct benefit of industry,” said Mike Bieganski, chairman of the board of enFocus and former longtime executive at Bosch. “It signals our region’s deep commitment to talent development and furthering its vision of prosperity.”

Shoemaker holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering (manufacturing systems concentration) and Master of Science in engineering management, both from the University of Michigan.

iNDustry Labs is the University’s dedicated platform for collaboration with local industry partners, providing strategic insight, expertise and technical resources to regional businesses seeking to thrive in the digital age of manufacturing.  

An anchor of the South Bend-Elkhart LIFT Network, iNDustry Labs was launched with the support from the Lilly Endowment Inc. in 2019 to help unite the region’s chief economic drivers — its powerful manufacturing base and a global tier one research university, to unlock the region’s potential for a more productive, resilient and skilled future. 

For more information, visit .

Originally published by iNDustry Labs News at on March 8.

Together, these faculty affiliates represent a fundamental component of the University’s collaboration with businesses in the South Bend-Elkhart region, providing insights, technical expertise and research and development activities that, along with the engagement of talented undergraduate and graduate students, can help unlock a competitive advantage for regional businesses.

As mentors and advisers to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in applied learning courses and research activities, they also strengthen the University’s commitment to education. The expansion of applied coursework provides students with meaningful experience to apply and test classroom concepts in practice to advance a more complete understanding of a subject. 

“Collaborating with regional industry provides a tremendous benefit to everyone — it’s a win for the companies, a win for Notre Dame and a win for the region,” said , faculty director of iNDustry Labs and professor of . “I am thrilled that a group as accomplished and dedicated as these 14 will help us strengthen those regional connections. They bring world-class expertise in their respective fields, along with a history of and commitment to industry engagement.”

iNDustry Labs faculty affiliates:

• Paul Brenner, senior associate director of the Center for Research Computing and concurrent associate professor of the practice in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering
• Jay Brockman, director of the Center for Civic Innovation in the College of Engineering and professor of the practice in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering
• Ann-Marie Conrado, associate professor of industrial design
• Melanie DeFord, assistant vice president for research
• David Go, the Rooney Family Collegiate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, the chair of the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and a concurrent professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering
• Ken Kelley, senior associate dean for faculty and research, and the Edward F. Sorin Society Professor of IT, Analytics and Operations
• Edward Kinzel, associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering
• J. Nicholas Laneman, co-director of the Wireless Institute and professor and associate chair for graduate studies in the Department of Electrical Engineering
• Scott Nestler, academic director of the Master of Science in Business Analytics program and associate teaching professor in the Department of IT, Analytics and Operations
• Christian Poellabauer, professor of computer science and engineering and founding director of the Applied Analytics and Emerging Technologies Lab, a newly established initiative funded by iNDustry Labs as part of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society
• James Schmiedeler, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering
• Subhash L. Shinde, associate director, Center for Sustainable Energy (ND Energy)
• James Thompson, associate vice president for innovation at the IDEA Center
• Dong Wang, associate professor of computer science and engineering

Regional businesses that partner with iNDustry Labs benefit from engagement with the faculty affiliates as well as a who serve as technical liaisons to partners, aiming to match company needs to a holistic array of specific resources for talent, productivity and growth strategy. In addition, partners benefit from access to more than 40 Notre Dame core research facilities, as well as new innovation facilities in iNDustry Labs’, like the University’s, set to open in the spring of 2021.

About iNDustry Labs at Notre Dame:

iNDustry Labs is the University’s dedicated platform for collaboration with local industry partners, providing strategic insight, expertise and technical resources to regional businesses seeking to thrive in the digital age of manufacturing.  

An anchor of the South Bend-Elkhart, iNDustry Labs was launched with the support from the Lilly Endowment Inc. in 2019 to help unite the region’s chief economic drivers — its powerful manufacturing base and a global tier one research university, to unlock the region’s potential for a more productive, resilient and skilled future. 

For more information, visit.

Contact: Scott Ford, managing director, iNDustry Labs, sford1@nd.edu

Originally published by iNDustry Labs News at on November 12, 2020.