Caroline Cao is a professor, researcher, educator and entrepreneur with extensive experience and achievements in change management, strategic planning, operational and research management, curriculum development and academic and scientific leadership. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Director of Applied Health Technology Initiatives in the Grainger College of Engineering. In that role she provides vision and strategic plans for multidisciplinary collaboration across departments and colleges, develops relationships and partnerships and establishes collaborative projects on healthcare technology. She is cross-appointed to the Carle Illinois College of Medicine as a Health Innovation Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, and Director of Engineering Innovation and Medical Simulation. She has previously held the position of Professor in the Department of Computer Science at IMT Atlantique and held the Chair for Industry of the Future at that university. She is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Endo Guidance Technologies LLC, which offers sensing and display technology for navigation in image-guided surgery.
Professor Cao’s research interests include human factors in medical systems and devices, cyber-human systems, design and evaluation of complex sociotechnical systems and enabling technology for minimally invasive surgery and robotic surgery. She has developed research for Industry 4.0 and 5.0, focused on partnerships with future industries, in digital twins, artificial intelligence, XR technology, and system resilience. She will no doubt bring innovation, expertise and a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as Dean.
Professor Cao holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and a Ph.D. in mechanical and industrial engineering. A Canadian citizen with a career in the United States, she has also studied and worked in France, Australia, Italy and Finland.
