Since 1986, the SME College of Fellows has honored those members who have made outstanding contributions to the social, technological and educational aspects of the manufacturing profession. This is a highly prestigious honor that can only be earned through years (20 or more) of dedication and service.

Nomination Eligibility & Requirements

An SME College of Fellows nominee/nomination must:

• Be an SME member in good standing who is recognized by the manufacturing community as a contributor to the social, technological and educational aspects of the profession.
• Possess a minimum of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in engineering experience.
• Have at least 20 years of experience in a manufacturing-related area. Time spent in pursuit of a related academic degree may also be included in the 20-year requirement.
• Be nominated by an honorary, fellow, life or member of SME. Any one of these initiators must submit a completed nomination packet, including current data on nominee's accomplishments, nomination form (all pages) and formal letters of support/recommendation, preferably on letterhead, from initiator and sponsors. Note: Three letters of support must be submitted; self-nominations and/or submissions will not be accepted. 
• Have two additional sponsors submit letters of recommendation/support, preferably on letterhead, detailing why the individual should be elected to the College of Fellows. One of these sponsors must be an honorary, fellow, life or member of SME.  

Please note: This award is based on contributions to the manufacturing engineering profession and is not an SME service award. 

To submit a nomination:

• Download nomination form (MS WORD)
• Complete nomination form as thoroughly as possible — be specific about the nominee's accomplishments. No attachments will be considered except lists of publications, patents, honors and awards.
• Determine and collect letters of support from initiator and two additional sponsors, one of whom must also be an honorary, fellow, life or member. Note: Three letters of support MUST BE submitted.
• Nominees' accomplishments submitted as part of the nomination should be relevant to the award description and can vary depending upon career tracks. To assist in the completion of the nomination, download the weighting system for each category.
• Maximum pages allowed for the nomination form and attachments limited to 15 pages (excluding the three formal letters of support/recommendation).

Submit all nominations no later than Dec. 1 of each year to:

SME International Awards & Recognition Committee
c/o Executive Offices
SME
PO Box 930
1000 Town Center, Suite 1910, Southfield, MI 48075
Fax: 313.425.3406 | Email: nominations@sme.org

Recent Award Winners

Press Release

2023 SME College of Fellows

Since 1986, the SME College of Fellows has honored those members who have made outstanding contributions to the social, technological and educational aspects of the manufacturing profession. The nine industry professionals who make up the 2023 Class of SME Fellows have earned this highly prestigious honor through 20 years or more of dedication and service to manufacturing.

2023 SME Fellows Other SME Fellows