(SOUTHFIELD, Mich., August 7, 2018) – SME Media has recognized 30 of the brightest young minds in manufacturing, engineering and research in its sixth-annual "30 Under 30" edition of Manufacturing Engineering magazine. The 30 young men and women were nominated by educators, managers and enterprise owners for their exceptional accomplishments ― notably and remarkably achieved by each before the age of 30.

Many of the group are already exploring new advanced technologies and expanding boundaries in the manufacturing industry at Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Northrop Grumman, FCA, General Motors and other leading manufacturing companies. Many are entrepreneurs or have assumed leadership roles in family enterprises, while the remaining 30 Under 30 honorees are educators, researchers and academic leaders.

“These brilliant, energetic, creative young professionals have shared their inspiring stories of exploration and education; of passion and expertise,” said Sandra Bouckley, FSME, P.Eng., interim executive director and CEO of SME. “With their talent and ability, these impressive people are the future and promise of manufacturing.”

Some notable examples of roles, responsibilities and accomplishment among the 2018 class of 30 Under 30:

·  Maeve Guilfoyle, of the Limerick Institute of Technology/Takumi Precision Engineering, Woodcock Hill, Meelick, County Clare, Ireland, who made the unlikely transition from music to manufacturing. “Since I was 12 years old,” said Guilfoyle, “music was all I wanted to do.” During a break from her music classes, she took a job at Takumi Precision on a six-month contract that led Takumi to offer her a scholarship in precision engineering.

·  Amberlee Haselhuhn, with GM in Warren, Michigan, originally wanted to be a medical doctor, but found that after an introduction to a materials science course, she “absolutely loved it.” An internship with a metal casting house revealed the innovative work possible through materials science and engineering.

·  Zongchang Liu, of the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati. As an undergrad, he earned bachelor’s degrees in both electrical and manufacturing engineering with a minor in interdisciplinary design for global healthcare, all in the span of four years. Liu also holds 11 patents and is the principal or contributing author to six journal papers, many of them dealing with electric vehicles and wind turbines.

·  Loren Townes, with Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, graduated with honors from the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University in Detroit and is a driving force behind Washtenaw Community College’s efforts to engage young people in the fields of autonomous and connected vehicles and advanced manufacturing.

Profiles of all the individual honorees are available at AdvancedManufacturing.org.

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.