2009 SME International Honor Award Recipients

Masahiko Mori, D-Eng., FSME President Mori Seiki Co., Ltd. Nagoya City, Japan

Masahiko Mori is recognized with the Donald C. Burnham Manufacturing Management Award for his exceptional leadership of Mori Seiki Co. Ltd., a global machine tool manufacturer with worldwide sales and operations.

At age 37, Mori became the youngest president of a company ever listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Since then, Mori Seiki and its subsidiaries have achieved $5.5 billion in sales and expanded into the European market by acquiring a division of Sandvik.

Beyond business, Mori is also an advocate for manufacturing engineering education. He has not only contributed a number of research articles in international publications including CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering), but also conducts cooperative research and development with such universities as the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Davis; the University of Tokyo; the University of Kyoto; and the University of Osaka.

Through the Machine Tool Technology and Research Foundation, Mori Seiki has donated resources and machine tools for advanced manufacturing research on worldwide basis. For his contributions to global industry, Mori has been honored with numerous recognitions, including joining the 2007 Class of SME Fellows and receiving the 2001 CASA/SME Industry Lead Award.

K.P. Rajurkar, PhD, FSME Distinguished Professor of Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Department Lincoln, Neb.

K.P. Rajurkar is recognized with the SME Gold Medal for his prolific contributions to technical communications through published literature, technical writings or lectures. In particular, his areas of interest include nontraditional manufacturing with such technologies as electric discharge, electrochemical and ultrasonic machining and their hybrid processes.

Rajurkar's research helped pave the way for the establishment of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Nontraditional Manufacturing Research. As the center's founder and director, he works closely with colleagues to develop hardware and software for existing and new nontraditional and hybrid processes for industrial applications. Rajurkar's research in macro, micro and nanoscale nontraditional machining processes has been supported by the state of Nebraska, the National Science Foundation and many companies, including GEAE, Timken, Cummins Engines and Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Rajurkar also holds one patent on cryogenically cooled tool machining and is the author of more than 120 refereed publications, as well as nearly 120 technically edited papers published in conference proceedings.

Beyond scholarly publications, his dedication to advancing manufacturing technology also extends to teaching both undergraduate and graduate students.

Recognized as a research leader, Rajurkar was president of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute of SME (NAMRI/SME) in 1998-1999 and joined the 2000 Class of SME Fellows. He is also a Fellow of CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering).

Brian A. Ruestow Operations Manager F.W. Roberts Manufacturing Co. Inc. Lockport, N.Y.

Brian A. Ruestow is recognized with the Joseph A. Siegel Service Award for his significant and unique contributions to the Society.

For the past 20 years, Ruestow has served on various SME Education Foundation committees, including the Scholarship Review Committee. As committee chairman, he reviewed hundreds of scholarship applications and guided the committee to make the best selections of the most deserving students.

Ruestow has also held a number of SME Buffalo/Niagara Frontier Chapter 10 committee and officer positions, including chairman. He also holds international patents for improved products for the pulp and paper mill industry.

The Society honored Ruestow in 1986 with its Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award—one of 12 recipients worldwide that year.

John W. Sutherland, PhD, FSME Henes Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering Director, Sustainable Futures Institute Michigan Technological University Houghton, Mich.

Sutherland is recognized with the SME Education Award for his pioneering curricular contributions to the field of environmentally responsible design and manufacturing, for fostering sound training methods and for inspiring students to enter the manufacturing profession.

Sutherland's career spans more than 25 years with the majority of his accomplishments as an engineering educator at Michigan Tech. His curricula contributions include establishing innovative sustainability courses in environmentally responsible design and manufacturing. Sutherland has also secured $20 million for his research efforts, mentored more than 70 graduate students and authored nearly 250 papers.

As the current director of the Sustainable Futures Institute, Sutherland has fostered its growth and image as an international leader in sustainability research, education and outreach.

For his dedication to advancing industry and education, Sutherland has been honored with numerous recognitions and awards, including SME's Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award in 1992, and he joined the 2005 Class of SME Fellows.

Kazuo Yamazaki, PhD Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering University of California, Davis Davis, Calif.

Yamazaki is recognized with the SME Frederick W. Taylor Research Medal for his significant published research, which has led to a better understanding of materials, facilities, principles, operations and their application to improve manufacturing processes.

At the University of California, Davis, Yamazaki currently heads the IMS-Mechatronics Laboratory, one of the nation's leading manufacturing engineering research facilities. There, his work has focused not only mechatronics, but also on such research areas as manufacturing process design, control and manufacturing automation software.

His work in mechatronics has led to significant developments in hardware and digital logic for control of complex, precision machine tool functions. Additionally, his efforts, which blend information and manufacturing technologies, have resulted in sophisticated "art-to-part" software used to enhance productivity.

The author of more than 100 journal papers and nearly 100 conference papers, Yamazaki is also a prolific inventor who holds 31 registered patents.

For his work, Yamazaki was selected as president of the Machine Tool Technologies Research Foundation and has been the recipient of a number awards, including the 2001 CASA/SME Industry Lead Award.