Tell us about the Steel Systems Innovation Research Lab (SSIRL) and the Consortium for Holistic Steel Systems.
My Steel Systems Innovation Research Lab (SSIRL) focuses on Infrastructure Resilience, Next-Generation Structural Design, and Advanced Visualization and Extended Reality in Structural Engineering. Our research spans conventional structural engineering and interdisciplinary collaborations, supported by federal agencies, industry associations, and private companies. We are currently conducting projects on a range of metal structural systems—including structural steel, cold-formed steel, stainless steel, joists and deck systems, metal buildings, and light gauge framing. Our work involves both structural member and full-system testing, along with advanced computational modeling and analysis.
The Consortium for Holistic Steel Systems currently includes seven member organizations: New Millennium, Canam Steel Corporation, ASC Steel Deck, Steel Deck Institute, Steel Framing Industry Association, Complete Structural Consulting, and Sputo and Lammert Engineering, LLC. We plan to expand participation from steel mills, product manufacturers, and trade associations. Collectively, the consortium focuses on improving steel construction through a systems approach grounded in Reliability, Robustness, and Responsibility. This means integrating structural performance, sustainability, economic impact, and circularity—embedding responsibility into design, not treating it as an afterthought.
We aim to provide tools that help our consortium members meet future challenges while expanding the capabilities and efficiency of steel construction systems. Meanwhile, industry funding through consortia supports pilot studies that strengthen our proposals for federal grants and foundation support.
What’s your key to success in collaborating with industry?
Success begins with visibility. In my case, industry engagement grew from professional service, including serving on standards development committees and speaking at conferences or trade shows. Once we demonstrated value, whether through large-scale testing of joist-deck systems or computational modeling of systems to determine structural reliability, word spread, and more opportunities followed.
Equally important is preparing students to communicate effectively. Whether they’re presenting to technical staff or executives, tailoring their message to the audience is crucial. Industry partners appreciate not only the technical rigor but also the professional readiness of our students, and they enjoy engaging with potential future hires.
Lastly, I involve industry sponsors and collaborators throughout the research process rather than only reporting results at the end. This collaborative model fosters shared ownership and leads to more impactful final results.
What challenges do you face in securing industry funding, and how do you address them?
A key challenge is the short duration of most industry grants, which don’t always align with the timeline for graduate research, especially Ph.D. programs. Industry grants often cover 1-2 years, but a PhD student may take 4 years to complete their degree. It can be risky to hire students without guaranteed funding to cover the majority of their studies. Another is the timing mismatch—industrial partners often have urgent needs, while student recruitment and university contracting take time.
To overcome this, I communicate early with both sponsors and campus research administrators. In one case, a sponsor needed to issue payment before their fiscal year ended. With the help of our department’s research administrator, we fast-tracked the contract just in time. Another benefit we offer is continuity. Once students become familiar with an industry’s needs, each subsequent project becomes more efficient. Sponsors also benefit from our group-based research approach, where multiple students work on aligned projects and share knowledge.
How do you see the future of federal and industry funding evolving?
Since my research is leaning more toward the applied research side, maintaining a diverse funding portfolio is critical. Over the past two years, our lab has received approximately $2.2M in federal funding, $800K from industry non-profits, and $140K from for-profit organizations.
Looking ahead, we’re launching a new professional master’s track in Structural Steel Systems, designed to meet industry hiring needs. It will focus on real-world applications—joists, decks, metal buildings, and cold-formed steel. Industry support will help get the program off the ground, and experienced professional engineers will teach practice-oriented courses. I’m excited to see how this initiative strengthens our ties with the steel industry while preparing the next generation of engineers.
Beyond the Interview: Our call for continued engagement with us.
We hope that Dr. Hannah Blum’s success inspires you and that you can apply their best practices to enhance your own industry partnerships. If you want to be featured in our next article, please email us at xiujuan.zhang@wisc.edu, jfitzgibbon@wisc.edu, or russ.johnson@wisc.edu.