DEARBORN, MI, Apr 12, 2017 – SME, committed to the manufacturing industry through promoting advanced manufacturing technology and workforce development, has selected 17 Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers to be 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.
“Manufacturing engineering and the manufacturing industry offer young people incredible opportunity for exploration and achievement,” said Jeff Krause, SME CEO. “These creative and energetic young professionals are inspiring proof of both the strength and the promise of manufacturing.”
Each year, the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer award is named to honor a specific individual’s lifelong contributions to manufacturing and SME. The 2017 award is named after Yoram Koren, DSc, HSME, FSME, James J. Duderstadt Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Manufacturing and Paul G. Goebel Professor Emeritus of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“These young professionals represent the future of manufacturing, and I’m honored that my name will be associated with their ability, energy and vision,” said Koren. “SME chose these 17 from a rich variety of disciplines and backgrounds from around the world – and they chose well.”
2017 SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers:
Rohit Bhapkar, Research Specialist, Innovation and Technology Development Division
Caterpillar Inc., Mossville, Illinois
Debejyo Chakraborty, PhD, Senior Researcher in Manufacturing Systems Research Laboratory
General Motors Global Research and Development, Warren, Michigan
Neil Dasgupta, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Alaa Elwany, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Wentao Fu, PhD, Additive Manufacturing Engineer
Siemens Energy Inc., Orlando, Florida
Brian T. Gibson, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Helga Hamm, Production Section Manager
Caterpillar Energy Solutions, Mannheim, Germany
Tao Jia, PhD, Mechanical Engineer, Model Based Manufacturing Laboratory
GE Global Research Center, Niskayuna, New York
Rajiv Malhotra, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering; Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Guha Prasanna Manogharan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
Yayue Pan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago
Vikas Patel, PhD, Research Engineer in the Global Research and Development Department
ArcelorMittal, Chicago
Prahalad Rao, PhD, Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska
Stefanie Robinson, PhD, Associate Director, Lab for Manufacturing and Sustainability
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
Ashish Kumar Singh, PhD, Metallurgical Engineer, Welspun Pipes Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Bruce L. Tai, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Tao Wang, PhD, Lead Metallurgical Engineer and Research Lab Supervisor
Nucor Steel, Manila, Arkansas
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.
