Erick C. Jones

Background

About Erick C. Jones

I am an Assistant Professor in the IMSE department and affiliate of the Resource and Energy Engineering program at UTA where I founded the Sustainable and Efficient Allocation of Resources (SEAR) Lab with the main research foci of: Energy Systems and Technology Buildings, Transportation, and Infrastructure Critical (Mineral) Supply Chains I believe that advances in energy and information technology provide an enormous opportunity to substantially increase material abundance and by extension quality of life, while simultaneously improving sustainability and resilience. SEAR supports this vision by combining analytics and rapid prototyping to research, develop (or improve), and deploy technological systems and accompanying decision-making tools, so organizations can allocate their limited resources to maximize desired outcomes sustainably, efficiently, and resiliently. I spent several years working in the oil and gas, engineering design and manufacturing, and HVAC industries. During this time, I traveled around the world and witnessed how the lack of basic infrastructure such as clean water, electricity, AC, internet, and banking, negatively affects the quality of life of the majority of the world’s population. These experiences motivated me to pursue research that can enhance quality of life by improving access to sustainable resources and economic opportunities, particularly where a lack of physical infrastructure presents a major obstacle that evolved into the SEAR lab. SEAR specializes in Mathematical Optimization, Simulation, AI / ML, and specialized analytics (GIS, LCA, TEA). I teach these skills in my Operations Research, Statistics, Energy Systems Modeling, and AI/Energy/Supply Chain courses. SEAR is part of an interdisciplinary innovation ecosystem that includes RAID (RFID and Auto Identification), COSMOS (Center for Stochastic Modeling, Optimization, and Statistics), Pulsed Power Energy Lab. We develop prototypes informed by mechanical, electrical, and chemical experiments guided by systems engineering principles. SEAR also works in Ops, Manufacturing, RFID, and Health. I believe in listening to diverse viewpoints, the power of institutional support, and the need to understand each other's challenges. I serve as a student organization and research faculty advisor with the goal of providing encouragement, support, and meaningful research experiences. I support non-profits like Green Careers Texas and Powerhouse Texas. I participate in K-12 education and outreach activities like the Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair.