Abdelhakim Al Turk, PhD
Faculty Member, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Al Turk is a faculty member in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at Kent State University and the founding faculty advisor of the SME Student Chapter (S180), established in February 2025. Under his leadership, the chapter delivered career development workshops, including résumé-building and networking sessions, technical seminars focused on additive manufacturing, and recognition events celebrating student leadership and achievement. 

The chapter also supported students preparing for SME’s Additive Manufacturing certification exam and led STEM outreach efforts engaging local high school students, particularly from underserved and low-income communities. These initiatives promote engineering pathways and broaden participation in manufacturing.

Al Turk’s dedication to student mentorship, workforce development and community engagement exemplifies the mission and values of SME.

Karl R. Haapala, PhD 
Professor, School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon

Haapala is a professor in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University, where he directs the Industrial Sustainability Laboratory, the OSU Energy Efficiency Center and the OSU Industrial Training Assessment Center. His research addresses sustainable manufacturing challenges, including life-cycle engineering methods, manufacturing process performance modeling and sustainable engineering education. 

He has received more than $39 million in research funding, authored more than 180 refereed journal articles and conference papers, and earned multiple best paper awards. He has chaired technical committees for ASME and SME and received the 2024 ASME Kos Ishii–Toshiba Award. Haapala has served as an SME faculty advisor since 2009 and previously received the SME Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award in 2012, 2016 and 2023. 

Sharan Chandran M, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Design and Automation, Vellore Institute of Technology, India

Chandran is a senior assistant professor in the Department of Design and Automation at Vellore Institute of Technology in India and currently serves as a postdoctoral researcher at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia. His work focuses on advanced manufacturing systems, polymer and natural fiber composites, additive manufacturing and AI-enabled materials research aligned with Industry 4.0. 

He is the author of a book on self-reinforced polymer composites and has published more than 30 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and patents. A recipient of the 2024 SME Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award, Chandran actively mentors students, leads SME initiatives, delivers industry training and promotes strong academia-industry collaboration.

Abayomi Ajayi-Majebi, PhD, PE
Professor, Manufacturing Engineering and Nuclear Engineering, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio

Ajayi-Majebi is a professor of manufacturing engineering and nuclear engineering in the Department of Engineering and Technology at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. His research areas include systems simulation and optimization, additive manufacturing, reliability-based design, nuclear systems and advanced materials.

He has authored more than 88 publications and co-authored two books on emerging technologies in manufacturing and supply chains. In 2015, he was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change in Higher Education for his contributions to engineering education at an HBCU. He has also received excellence awards in both teaching and research. SME Member since 1985. 

Basel Alsayyed, PhD
Engineering technology program director, School of Engineering and Technology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina

Alsayyed is the engineering technology program director at Western Carolina University’s School of Engineering + Technology and serves as faculty senate chair for 2025–26. He reestablished the SME-WCU student chapter in 2022 and holds an ABET Program Evaluator Certificate. 

With more than 19 years of academic experience and over 12 years in industry, primarily in the automotive sector, Alsayyed focuses on aligning engineering education with real-world challenges and workforce needs. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and conference papers and holds seven patents.