Swartz recognized for optimization efforts with alumni award

MechSE alum Kenny Swartz (BSME 2014, MSME 2016, PhD ME 2021) was named one of this year’s Outstanding Young Alumni.

The Illinois native and Bronze Tablet recipient works to develop large-scale design optimization tools as a computational optimization engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a laboratory operated for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. 

“Our lab is trying to show what design optimization is capable of,” Swartz said. “I think that people who study this field can see the potential, but there’s still a technology gap between understanding the methods and solving real-life problems with them.”

Swartz was interested in STEM from a young age. “Math and physics were always my two favorite subjects,” he said, recalling that he had applied to a few different Midwestern engineering schools including Illinois. “After talking with a few people, I realized that Illinois would be a really good fit.”

As an undergraduate, Swartz became involved with research under C.J. Gauthier Professor Emeritus Brian Thomas, now a research professor at the Colorado School of Mines.

“When I started doing research, I found that it was the right track for me,” said Swartz, who elected to continue into graduate school. Advised by Professor Emeritus Armand Beaudoin, Swartz focused his master’s research on experimental stress measurement methods. For his last last semester, Beaudoin advised that he take a design optimization course.

“I realized that I liked [the topic] better than anything I had done before,” Swartz said, noting that his experience led to the decision to pursue a PhD focused on numerical design optimization with George B. Grim Professor Emeritus Daniel Tortorelli.

“I fell in love with that kind of work and found it really interesting that you could develop algorithms that would automatically design in an optimal way,” Swartz said. He later garnered an internship at LLNL, which led to a research fellowship and then a full-time position.

“What I always find most interesting about optimization is when you can identify a real-world need for techniques that you’ve learned—in other words, find the right tool for the job,” he said, noting that he enjoys the process of deriving the math behind the problem, implementing the software, and delivering a solution to stakeholders.

To current students, Swartz advises developing not just depth of expertise but also breadth of knowledge. “It’s important to keep your options open and be willing to try different fields,” he said. “You’ll gain a variety of experiences and problem-solving perspectives that might help you find the thing you like most. At Lawrence Livermore, I’ve found a career that really challenges me and provides immense purpose due to the complex national security issues that we address. And for that privilege, I only have MechSE to thank.”