Sesh Commuri
Professor- Phone: (775) 682-8247
- Email: scommuri@unr.edu
- Building: SEM
- Room: 337C
- Mailstop: 0260
Dr. Commuri is a professor of electrical and biomedical engineering. Prior to joining the University in January 2016, he worked at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., where he was the Gerald Tuma Presidential Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He holds a bachelor's degree from JNT University in Hyderabad, India; a master's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India; and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas, Arlington, all in the area of electrical engineering.
He is the past editor-at-large of the International Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems and has served on the editorial board of International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks and as a member of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) Task Force on Intelligent Compaction.
Dr. Commuri has over 30 years' experience in the areas of embedded controls, automotive control and control of off-road equipment. Prior to joining the University of Oklahoma in 2002, Dr. Commuri held positions at Motorola, Vermeer and Xerox and consulted for leading Fortune 500 companies including Ford Motor Company, Mitsubishi, Emerson Electric, Caterpillar and John Deere.
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 1996 Dissertation: A Framework for Intelligent Control of Nonlinear Systems. Advisor: Prof. Frank L. Lewis
- Master of Technology, Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, 1989
- Bachelor of Technology, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, India, 1985
Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, Nevada 2018 – 2023
Professor, Member, Institutional Advisory Council
University of Nevada, Reno 2016 -
Professor, Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering
Member – UNR Faculty Senate (2022 - )
Member - UNR Research and Grants Committee (2018 - 2022)
Member - UNR Academic Integrity Committee (2018 -)
EBME ABET Coordinator (2017-)
Chair, Search Committee (Advanced Manufacturing)
- Developed, patented, and licensed Retrofit Intelligent Compaction Analyzer for quality control of asphalt pavements during their construction. This technology is currently marketed as RTDensity, by G4Technology, a subsidiary of George Reed International, CA.
- Development of low-cost Digital Colposcope for screening and early detection of cervical cancer.
- Industry liaison and technology transfer.
Technical Director, Nevada Advanced Autonomous Systems Innovation Center (NAASIC) 2016 - 2017
- Advancing autonomous technologies including unmanned aerial vehicles, driverless cars, autonomous boats for different applications ranging from infrastructure inspection to underwater sensing and monitoring at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Associate Editor, ASME Open Journal of Engineering (AOJE), New York, NY, 2021-
Chief Editor: Michael G. Pecht
University of Oklahoma, 2002-2015
Gerald Tuma Presidential Professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Associate Professor 2002 - 2011, tenured 2008, Professor 2010, Presidential Professor 2013.
- Invented Intelligent Compaction Analyzer that can be mounted on Vibratory
Compactors for compaction control during the construction of asphalt pavements and
soil/aggregate subgrades. Was responsible for all aspects of development from identifying
market need, problem formulation, conceptualization and demonstration of proof of
concept, development of ruggedized solution and support of post product rollout
activities. In addition, developed the technology, patented it, and was closely
involved in all aspects of licensing and distribution of the technology. This technology is
currently marketed as DensityDirect, Volvo Construction Equipment. - Engineering design and analysis of computerized prosthetic ankle and knee joints.
Member, University Research Council, Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Oklahoma, 2014 - 2015
- Evaluation of research proposals for internal funding by the University Vice President for Research
- Evaluation of faculty nominations for university-wide awards by the University Vice President for Research
Chairman, Graduate Studies Committee, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, since August 2013
- Managed the transition to CollegeNET for electronic processing of graduate applications
- Compiled metrics and assessment report of ECE graduate program (2014 and 2015)
- Implemented mechanisms for Fellowships to recruit quality graduate students
Chair, Dean’s Committee for updating CoE Faculty Policies and Procedures Manual, 2015
Member, Committee 'A', School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, 2010 - 2012
- Responsible for annual performance evaluations of ECE faculty
- Mentoring and evaluating performance of tenure track faculty
Member, Undergraduate Studies Committee, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, 2007-2010.
Editor-at-Large, Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, Springer, Netherlands, 2014.
Chief Editor: Dr. Ing. Prof. Kimon P Valvanis (Senior Editor 2012-2014; Area Editor 2006-2012)
Staff Engineer, Motorola, Champaign, Illinois, 2000 - 2001
- Coordinated international teams located in Sydney Australia; Beijing, China; Hyderabad, India; Libertyville, Illinois, USA; Luton, UK; Paris, France for the development of 3G cellular phone
- Implemented Protocol Test Platform and tested functionality of 3G WCDMA phone hardware
- First 3G Voice Call accomplished using hardware base station simulator
- Championed software development methodologies and helped PTF group in Motorola Urbana-Champaign Software Development Center get CMM level 3 certification
Senior Systems Engineer, Vermeer Manufacturing Co., Pella, Iowa, 1999 - 2000
- Controls design for Horizontal Directional Drills
- Development of eStrategy for the ACS group in Vermeer
- Recruitment and training of Systems Engineers
Engineering Manager, CGN & Associates, Peoria, Illinois, 1996 - 1999
- Business Development. Started the Embedded Systems Consulting group and grew it to over 40 employees with annual budget of over $4M
- Managed a staff of over 40 engineers including their performance evaluations, training, and career development
- System Architect
- Project management
- Technical sales
Research Associate, Automation and Robotics Research Institute, University of Texas, Arlington, 1991 - 1996
- Control of ship-board antenna for acquiring and tracking satellites
- Control of flexible link robot for improving yield in the manufacture of silicon wafers
Research Associate, School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Canada, 1991 - 1999
Research Engineer, School of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, 1989 - 1990
- Hardware in the loop system simulator
- Design of networked microcomputer systems for microprocessor education
Research Associate, School of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, 1987 - 1989
Customer Engineer, Xerox Ltd., India, 1985 - 1986
Research interests
Dr. Commuri's research areas include reconfigurable systems, sensor networks, robotics and their applications in the development of intelligent systems. During 2003-2015, Dr. Commuri developed the Intelligent Asphalt Compaction Analyzer (IACA), a device that can estimate the density and stiffness of asphalt pavements during their construction. This technology has also been extended to estimate the stiffness of subgrade soils during compaction.
Over the duration of his career, he has published over 120 peer reviewed journal and conference articles, 9 patents/patent applications, and has been involved in research expenditure over $19M ($2.8M individual). He has supervised 13 master's theses, 7 Ph.D. dissertations, and mentored several undergraduate students.