Board of Directors will take office in January 2018

(DEARBORN, Mich.) – SME has recognized several professionals who will assume new leadership roles in the organization for 2018. These manufacturing professionals were recognized at the annual SME banquet on Nov. 4.

Officers of SME are chosen by a nominating committee and selected by the SME Board of Directors. These directors are elected annually by the entire voting membership of the organization.

2018 officers installed are:

President

• Thomas R. Kurfess, PhD, FSME, PE, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

President-Elect

• Mark L. Michalski, MKS Instruments, Wilmington, Massachusetts

Vice President

• Susan M. Smyth, PhD, FSME, General Motors, Warren, Michigan

Treasurer

• Michael D. Packer, FSME, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas

Secretary

• Dianne Chong, PhD, FSME, The Boeing Co., Seattle (Retired)
  
  

SME also recognized its 2017 Class of Fellows, who are selected once a year from among the highest achievers of industry, academia and government, and nominated only by honorary, fellow, life or professional members of SME. Those selected as fellows have 20 years or more of manufacturing experience and expertise. They have contributed notably to the social, technological and educational benefit of manufacturing and the engineering profession.

2017 SME College of Fellows are:

• Douglas D. Decker, FSME, Technical Fellow, Northrop Grumman Corp., Redondo Beach, California
• Bryan G. Dods, FSME, Executive Director, Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence, United Technologies Research Center, East Hartford, Connecticut
• Laine Mears, PhD, FSME, CMfgE, PE, BMW Smart State Endowed Chair of Automotive Manufacturing, Professor and Founding Faculty Member, Automotive Engineering Department, Clemson University, Greenville, South Carolina 
• Steven R. Schmid, PhD, FSME, CMfgE, PE, Professor, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana; Program Director for Manufacturing Machines and Equipment, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia
• John H. Vickers, FSME, Principal Technologist, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA,
  Huntsville, Alabama 
• Shiyu Zhou, PhD, FSME, Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2018 SME College of Fellows. Submit nominations on or before Dec. 1 at sme.org/fellows.

Also recognized at the event were two of SME’s 2017 Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers, honored for exceptional contributions and accomplishments in the manufacturing industry. All are age 35 or younger and represent both industry and academia. SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers are selected based on work in emerging manufacturing applications, technical publications, patents, and academic or industry leadership.

2017 SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers attending:

• Rohit Bhapkar, Research Specialist, Innovation and Technology Development Division 
  Caterpillar Inc., Mossville, Illinois
• Yayue Pan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
  University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago

Since 1980, SME’s Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers Award has recognized the careers and achievements of more than 370 manufacturing engineers. Nominations are accepted annually on or before Aug. 1. Visit sme.org/oyme to learn more about the award and the nominating process.

About SME

SME connects manufacturing professionals, academia and communities, sharing knowledge and resources to build inspired, educated and prosperous manufacturers and enterprises. With more than 85 years of experience and expertise in events, media, membership, training and development, and also through an education foundation, SME is committed to promoting manufacturing technology, developing a skilled workforce and attracting future generations to advance manufacturing. Learn more at sme.org, follow @SME_MFG on Twitter or facebook.com/SMEmfg. 

 

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If you have questions about the press release or need additional information, please contact SME Public Relations at communications@sme.org.