GREENVILLE, S.C., July 15, 2025 – The North American Manufacturing Research Institution (NAMRI | SME) announced the election of Dale Lombardo as its 2025-26 president today during its 53rd North American Manufacturing Research Conference (NAMRC 53) hosted by Clemson University in Greenville, South Carolina. NAMRI | SME ensures that fundamental discovery and knowledge creation drives the development of transformative technologies and prepares a diverse, future-ready manufacturing workforce. 

Dale Lombardo, special processes leader at GE Aerospace, has been an active SME member since 2012 and contributor to NAMRI since 2020. He leads a global team advancing special processes in jet engine manufacturing, ensuring quality and driving innovation. With degrees in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, his expertise includes machining, monitoring, peening, and surface finishing. He holds multiple patents, has served on industry standards boards, and actively supports STEM education in his community.

“It is my honor to accept the role of president of the NAMRI Board of Directors for 2025-2026,” said Dale Lombardo. “I am looking forward to continuing the great work of past president Ihab Ragai and earlier predecessors to strengthen advanced manufacturing capabilities, collaboration, and communication.” 

During the annual NAMRI| SME Member Meeting at NAMRC 53, the list of incoming Board of Directors for the 2025-26 term was officially ratified. The leadership team includes: 

Officers: 

• President – Dale Lombardo, Special Processes Leader, GE Aerospace, New York
• President-Elect – Robert X. Gao, Ph.D., FSME, Professor and Department Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 
• Immediate Past-President – Ihab Ragai, Ph.D., PE, CMfgE, FASME, Professor of Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Erie, Pennsylvania 
• Second Past-President – KC Morris, FSME, Information Modeling and Testing Group Leader, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 
• Secretary – Andy Wells, Ph.D., PE, Program Director, National Science Foundation, Alexandra, Virginia
• Scientific Committee Chair – Xun Xu, Ph.D., FSME, FASME, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
• Scientific Committee Chair-Elect – Stefania Bruschi, Ph.D., Professor, Manufacturing Technologies, University of Padova, Padova, Italy 

NAMRI Directors: 

• Wayne Cai, Ph.D., FASME, FSAE, Technical Fellow, General Motors, Warren, Michigan
• Qing (Cindy) Chang, Ph.D., FSME, FASME, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virgina, Charlottesville, Virginia
• Brad Kinsey, Ph.D., FSME, Associate Dean for Research and Professor, Durham, New Hampshire
• Barbara Linke, Professor Dr.-Ing. habil., Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis
• Arif Malik, Ph.D., FASME, Professor, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
• Radu Pavel, Ph.D., Director, Industrial Innovation ARCTOS, Beavercreek, Ohio 
• Ex-Officio – Brett Peters, Ph.D., The Dean of College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

NAMRC is North America's leading international forum for applied research and innovation in manufacturing and design, bringing together global researchers, industry leaders, engineers and students to share insights and present cutting-edge research to drive innovation, efficiency, and quality in modern manufacturing. 

NAMRC 53 featured more than 80 technical sessions throughout the conference, where researchers and engineers presented peer-reviewed studies on a wide variety of advanced manufacturing topics. The National Science Foundation provided financial support to 92 students and early-career engineers from across the country to travel to and attend the conference this year. 

About SME  

Established in 1932 as a nonprofit organization, SME represents the entire North American manufacturing industry, including manufacturers, academia, professionals, students, and the communities in which they operate. We believe manufacturing holds the key to economic growth and prosperity, and champion the industry's potential as a diverse, thriving, and valued ecosystem. SME accelerates new technology adoption and builds North America’s talent and capabilities to advance manufacturing and drive competitiveness, resiliency, and national security. SME designs new ways to understand and solve problems, and our solutions advance the next wave of growth in manufacturing. Learn more at SME.org.