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Press Release

SME Selects Manufacturing Leaders for 2022 International Honor Awards

(SOUTHFIELD, Mich., May 18, 2022) SME, the professional association connecting manufacturing professionals, academia and communities from all disciplines, has announced its 2022 International Honor Award recipients. These seven leaders, from industry and academia, are recognized for their contributions in the areas of manufacturing technologies, processes, technical writing, education, research and management, and service to SME. 

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Robert Willig, Executive Director & CEO of SME

For over six decades, SME’s International Honor Awards have identified professionals whose bodies of work have led to critical breakthroughs and advancements in manufacturing technologies, processes and education as well as honored members for their volunteerism. This year’s select awardees’ involvement with SME dates back to 1980, showing the consistent dedicated role SME plays within manufacturing. 

“I’m proud to acknowledge that all the recipients of this year’s International Honors Awards are active members of our organization,” said Bob Willig, executive director and CEO of SME. “These diverse leaders come from a variety of industries and backgrounds; each will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in manufacturing.” 

2022 International Honor Awards

  • Eli Whitney Productivity Award — Jay Lee, PhD, FSME, Foxconn Technology Group, Mason, Ohio
  • Joseph A. Siegel Service Award — Vesna Cota, VMMI, Markham, Ontario
  • SME Albert M. Sargent Progress Award – Yuebin Guo, PhD, FSME, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, New Jersey
  • Donald C. Burnham Manufacturing Management Award — Lisa Strama, The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • SME Education Award — David E. Hardt, PhD, FSME, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • SME Frederick W. Taylor Research Medal — I.S. Jawahir, PhD, FSME, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
  • SME Gold Medal — A. Erman Tekkaya, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E. h., Technische Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany 

SME is currently accepting nominations for the 2023 International Honor Awards. The submission deadline is Aug. 1. Award and nomination information is available at sme.org/awards. For further questions about SME's International Awards, email nominations@sme.org

About SME

SME believes in the power of technology and the innovation of people to advance our nation and solve the world’s greatest problems. For 90 years, SME has led the manufacturing ecosystem to elevate manufacturers, academia, professionals, and the communities in which they operate. We help build the bridge from today to the future by developing the next generation of manufacturing talent and informing industry on technology advances that can propel their operations into excellence. Learn more at sme.org, follow @SME_MFG on Twitter, @sme_mfg on Instagram, linkedin.com/company/sme/ or facebook.com/SMEmfg.