NAMRI/SME Board of Directors

The NAMRI/SME Board of Directors makes policy for the institution that represents manufacturing research leadership in industry, government and academia in North America and the world. The board is comprised of the NAMRI/SME Executive Committee (past president, president, president-elect and secretary), the Scientific Committee chair and six NAMRI/SME at-large directors. The past president of the institution is replaced on the Board of Directors by the retiring president immediately following NAMRC.

President

Lihui Wang, Ph.D., FSME, PE 
Professor and Chair of Sustainable Manufacturing
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Stockholm, Sweden

 

Lihui Wang, Ph.D., FSME, PE, is a chair professor of sustainable manufacturing at KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Sweden. His research interests are focused on adaptive process planning, Web-based real-time monitoring and remote control, and human-robot collaborations toward better sustainability. A fellow of SME, Wang is actively engaged in various NAMRI/SME activities. In addition, he is the editor-in-chief of the "International Journal of Manufacturing Research," editor of "Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing," editor (Northern Europe) of "Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing" and associate editor of the "Journal of Manufacturing Systems." Wang is also a registered professional engineer in Canada. His accomplishments have won him 12 international and institutional awards. SME Member Since 1999

Scientific Committee Chair

Livan Fratini, Ph.D. 
Professor, Department of Chemical, Management, Computer Systems, Mechanical Engineering
University of Palermo
Palermo, Italy

 

Livan Fratini, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Chemical, Management, Computer Systems, Mechanical Engineering at University of Palermo, Italy. Fratini's major research areas include process engineering of metalforming operations, CAE of sheet metalforming processes and CAE of solid bonding processes. He is fellow of CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering), a member of the board of directors for ESAFORM (European Scientific Association for Material Forming) and vice president of AITEM (Italian Association of Mechanical Technology). Fratini has received CIRP F.W. Taylor Medal Award in 2007. He is a co-author of approximately 250 publications. SME Member Since 2014

Scientific Committee Chair -Elect

Ihab Ragai, Ph.D., PE 
Assistant Professor in Engineering 
School of Engineering, Penn State Behrend
Erie, Pennsylvania

 

Ihab Ragai, Ph.D., PE, is an assistant professor of engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, Erie. His research interests include electrically assisted manufacturing, cloud manufacturing, design, simulation of manufacturing processes and materials constitutive modeling. For over 20 years, Ragai has held several positions in industry as design engineer, manufacturing engineer, senior project engineer and project manager. Ragai worked on several projects with ABB Germany, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace USA, Pratt & Whitney Canada and the Canadian Institute of Aerospace Research. Prior to joining academia in 2013, he was a senior engineering manager of technical analysis and design at Hitachi Truck in Canada, overseeing projects related to product and process optimization, truck dynamics and fatigue analysis, structural and drive system components design and manufacturing processes. Ragai received his doctorate in mechanical engineering from McGill University (Canada) in 2006, master's degree in mechanical design from the American University in Cairo in collaboration with the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1999 and bachelor's degree in manufacturing from Benha Higher Institute of Technology in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (Germany) in 1994. He served as the technical program chair of the 2014 International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference and is currently serving as an associate editor for the Inderscience’s "International Journal of Manufacturing Research." Ragai is a registered professional engineer in Canada and is a recipient of several national and international awards. SME Member Since 1998

Past President

Bryan G. Dods, FSME 
Executive Director
Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence 
United Technologies Research Center
East Hartford, Connecticut

Bryan G. Dods, FSME, recently joined the United Technologies Research Center as executive director of its Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence. Previously, he was CEO of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, managed by Collaborative Composite Solutions Corp. Dods joined IACMI from GE Power as a former chief engineer of manufacturing where he was responsible for overall product manufacturability, manufacturing technology, strategic planning and the focal point for the advanced manufacturing initiative and as the prior executive of manufacturing, engineering and technology at GE Power & Water where he initiated model-based enterprise and smart manufacturing implementations as well as established GE Power’s Advanced Manufacturing Works technology facility. Dods brings industry composite leadership having guided GE’s Wind Turbine Advanced Manufacturing team as blades grew from 34 meters to over 50 meters. He previously worked with Boeing as senior manager of assembly technologies leading composite automated assembly efforts for aircraft such as the 787 and F/A-18. Dods holds a bachelor’s degree in metallurgy, mechanics and materials science from Michigan State University, a master’s degree in materials engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, and most recently, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Indiana University East. He was elected to the 2017 SME College of Fellows and is the recipient of the 2013 M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal of ASME/SME for influence and responsibility for improving the productivity and efficiency of manufacturing operations. SME Member Since 2010

Second Past President

Dean L. Bartles, Ph.D., FSME
Director 
John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center
University of New Hampshire 

 

Dean L. Bartles, Ph.D., FSME, was the 2016-17 president of the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME (NAMRI/SME) and the 2016 SME president. He currently holds the position of director of the John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center at the University of New Hampshire. Bartles served as the founding executive director for the Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation Institute in Chicago and the chief manufacturing officer of UI LABS. Prior to these recent assignments, he served as a vice president at General Dynamics Corp. where his career spanned over 30 years and included profit and loss responsibility for three manufacturing plants as well as managing the establishment of two manufacturing operations overseas. Bartles has more than 39 years of management experience, which has included positions with Fairchild Republic Co., General Defense Corp., Olin Ordnance, Primex Technologies, General Dynamics and UI LABS. He was elected an SME fellow in 2012. Bartles also serves on the Industry Advisory Board of ASME, where he became a fellow in 2012, and also currently serves as chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining and chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition. Additional boards Bartles serves are the MT Connect Institute, the Board of Governors of the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the Louisiana Center for Manufacturing Sciences and Industry Advisory Boards at Penn State University, Iowa State University, Indiana State University, Pittsburgh State University and East Carolina University. He previously served on the board of directors of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association, the Forging Defense Manufacturing Consortium, the American League of Export Security Assistance, the Manufacturing Division of the National Defense Industrial Association, the Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Council and the Defense Industry Offsets Association. Additionally, Bartles was part of President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Boards’ Education and Training Subcommittee, the U.S. State Department’s Defense Trade Advisory Group and the Army Research and Development Advisory Committee. He graduated from Shepherd College with a bachelor's degree in business administration, holds an MBA from Shippensburg University and a master’s degree in international business from Tampa College. Bartles has also earned a doctorate in business administration from Nova Southeastern University and a doctorate in technology management with a concentration in advanced manufacturing systems from Indiana State University. SME Member Since 2002

Ex-Officio

Matthew L. Hilgendorf, CMfgT, EIT
Value Stream Manager 
Atkore International

 

Matthew L. Hilgendorf, CMfgT, EIT, joined Atkore International of Harvey, Illinois, in Aug. 2017 where he is responsible for manufacturing operations at its Allied Tube & Conduit facility. Previously, Hilgendorf was the supplier development and quality manager at Black Horse LLC, a Caterpillar Inc. and Ariel Corp. joint venture. He led quality, sourcing and operational excellence efforts within Black Horse. Hilgendorf's past roles in Caterpillar include leadership positions in operations, quality and supply chain. He is an SME endowment member, active SME Education Foundation donor and scholarship committee member. In 2002, as a student member at Kettering University, formerly GMI, Hilgendorf joined SME and subsequently completed his bachelor’s degrees in manufacturing and mechanical engineering. After graduating, he began his career at Caterpillar as a manufacturing systems research and development engineer. It was then that Hilgendorf began his involvement as a member leader with the Member Council’s Student Relations Committee. During that time, he was also working to revitalize SME’s Greater Peoria Chapter 31 in Illinois. In 2007, 2009 and 2010, Hilgendorf was appointed to the Member Council and subsequently served as its chair in 2014. Hilgendorf was an SME international director in 2012-13, 2015-16 and 2017-18, and an active speaker at the SME Leadership Series. In 2013, he completed his engineering management master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. SME Member Since 2002

NAMRI/SME Directors

Kristen Bloschock, Ph.D.
Strategic Manufacturing Thread Lead in Advanced Materials
Lockheed Martin
Bethesda, Maryland

Kristen Bloschock, Ph.D., is the advanced materials lead for advanced manufacturing within Corporate Engineering, Technology, and Operations at Lockheed Martin Corp. (Bethesda, Maryland). In this role, she manages the corporation’s membership to the materials-focused National Network for Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, as well as collaborations across the enterprise to accelerate manufacturing innovation. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Bloschock served as a systems engineering and technical assistance contractor, providing technical support to DARPA. Areas of research included micro and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS), thermal management, nonlinear dynamics, quantum mechanical phenomena, micro and nanofabrication, and the physics of nanomaterials and devices. In addition to her work at Lockheed Martin, Bloschock serves on the board of directors of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation and the advisory board for the Industrial Leadership in Physics Ph.D. Program at Georgetown University. She received a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Notre Dame, and a master’s degree and doctorate in physics from Georgetown University. SME Member Since 2016

Laine Mears, Ph.D. CMfgE, PE
Professor, Graduate Coordinator 
Clemson University
Greenville, South Carolina

Laine Mears, Ph.D., FSME, CMfgE, PE, is a professor and founding faculty member in the Automotive Engineering Department at Clemson University, teaching and carrying out projects at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research. He teaches modeling and analysis of automotive manufacturing processes, quality systems and quality tools, and performs research in manufacturing quality estimation, intelligent machining systems, manufacturing process design and control, and manufacturing equipment diagnostics. Mears has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, was elected to the 2017 SME College of Fellows and is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award, SAE Ralph Teetor Educational Award, the South Carolina Governor’s Young Researcher Award for Excellence in Scientific Research and the IMECHE George Stephenson Gold Medal. He has over 10 years of industry experience, holding positions with Hitachi Automotive and SKF Bearings both as manufacturing engineer and engineering manager in a high-volume precision manufacturing environment. Applicable work in the industry includes leading quality implementation teams for QS-9000 and ISO-TS-16949 quality systems, power optimization of hard machining processes and startup of a new bulk deformation rolling process. Mears has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree and doctorate in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a senior member of the American Society for Quality. Mears is an ASQ-certified quality engineer, BMW lean six sigma black belt and a licensed professional engineer. SME Member Since 2004

Shawn P. Moylan, Ph.D.
Project Leader and Mechanical Engineer in Additive Manufacturing 
National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Gaithersburg, Maryland

Shawn Moylan, Ph.D., is a Mechanical Engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with technical and policy experience in advanced manufacturing. Shawn gained policy experience as a fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Gary Peters and as a detailee in the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office. Shawn’s technical experience comes from years as a project leader for multiple additive manufacturing and smart machine tool projects in NIST’s Engineering Laboratory. His research has focused on developing test methods and reference data to reduce the high costs associated with qualifying machines and components for aerospace, medical, and other applications. Shawn is a leader in the advanced manufacturing community, having served as Chair, Executive Committee for ASME Manufacturing Engineering Division; Co-chair, Technology Roadmap Advisory Group for America Makes -- the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute; Vice-Chair, subcommittee on Test Methods in ASTM International Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing Technologies, and other volunteer positions. SME Member Since 2017

Brian Paul, Ph.D.
Professor, Tom and Carmen West Faculty Scholar of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Co-Director, Microproducts Breakthrough Institute
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Brian Paul, Ph.D., professor, Tom and Carmen West faculty scholar of industrial and manufacturing engineering, and co-director, Microproducts Breakthrough Institute (Corvallis, Oregon). SME Member Since 1985

Brigid Mullany, Ph.D.
Associate Program Director, Advanced Manufacturing Program
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Professor at UNC Charlotte

 

Brigid Mullany, Ph.D., received her Bachelor of Engineering Degree and Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin in Ireland. Upon graduation, she received a two-year EU Marie Curie postdoctoral research position at Carl Zeiss in Germany. In 2004 she joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she is a Professor working in the area of surface finishing and advanced manufacturing. She received in the SME Kuo K Wang Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award in 2007, and the NSF CAREER award in 2008. She is active in CIRP, and is the Vice Chair of the Scientific Technical Committee on Surfaces (STC-S). Currently, she is an Associate Program Director in the Advanced Manufacturing Program at the National Science Foundation.

Joe Budzinski, MSME 
Director, Global Development Center 
DePuy Synthes Joint Reconstruction Companies of Johnson & Johnson 
Boston, Massachusetts

 

Joe Budzinski, MSME, leads a highly talented and innovative team of manufacturing engineers, technicians, and tool makers, who are part of the supply chain product management organization. He and his team are dedicated to supporting instrument new product development across DePuy Synthes’ Global Orthopaedic Franchise (knee, hip, shoulder, spine, & sports medicine) and establishing the end to end supply chain for these new products. As part of this, they are heavily involved in exploring advanced manufacturing research and collaborating with internal J&J teams as well as key universities and corporations on advanced manufacturing feasibility studies. His team has manufacturing capabilities/expertise in conventional machining, TIG and laser welding, hydroforming plastic injection molding, metal injection molding and 3D printing. In addition, he is currently a member of the industrial advisory board for ASME as well as recently become a board member for the North American Manufacturing Research Institute for SME. Over his twenty-three-year career at Johnson & Johnson, Joe has led many teams and projects as well as held various supply chain and manufacturing engineering roles. This included managing three production cells (which manufactured orthopedic knee, hip, neurological, and trauma implants as well as overseeing MRO inventory management), actively participated in two mergers and two divestitures, the expansion of the Raynham investment casting foundry, setting up our Cork Ireland foundry, establishing in-house metallurgical and ceramic slurry testing labs, supporting the J&J GOLD and R&D LDP programs, as well as key manufacturing initiatives in JIT, Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and maintenance excellence. He joined Johnson & Johnson right out of graduate school at the University of Colorado at Boulder (MSME), and did his undergraduate work at the University of Notre Dame (BSME). Joe is also Six Sigma Black Belt and Green Belt certified and trained.