This month’s edition of Voices AMplified looks at the work of two people who are making significant contributions to the field of additive manufacturing.
Dr. Bryan McEnerney is a materials technologist for propulsion, thermal, and materials systems at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). He’s based in Los Angeles, but his work has truly been out of this world—contributing to missions to space and to Mars. In Kip Hanson’s feature, you’ll learn about McEnerney’s work on the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL), which the Perseverance Rover uses to measure the chemical makeup of rocks on the Martian surface—and check for signs of life—as well as other space-faring projects.
McEnerney has also contributed—along with me—to the development of NASA’s Standard 6030, “Additive Manufacturing Requirements for Spaceflight Systems,” which codifies and simplifies how AM material will be qualified for use. NASA has begun to develop internal standards for AM to provide for a complete and common foundation as industry standards and standards of practice evolve. McEnerney’s efforts are important for additive in aerospace and beyond.
The subject of this edition’s other feature, Stacey DelVecchio, currently the Principle of Stacey D Consulting LLC, is another pioneer in recognizing and developing the potential of important, underutilized resources.
In this case, we’re not talking about additive materials—although DelVecchio was responsible for developing the additive manufacturing strategy at Caterpillar Inc.—but rather human resources. As you will read, she is an important and effective proselytizer on the value of gender diversity in engineering and is a strong advocate for women in engineering. She is a Past President of the Society of Women Engineers and has received the society’s “Advocating Women in Engineering Award.” She also served as the vice-chair of the Women in Engineering Committee for the World Federation of Engineering Organization (WFEO), where she represented the American Association of Engineering Societies.
DelVecchio’s efforts on behalf of women in the STEM fields is of tremendous importance. Women, even in 2022, still only account for about 15 percent of working engineers, she notes, despite years of ongoing recruitment and education initiatives throughout the industry.
McEnerney and DelVecchio share great intelligence and dedication. Both, in their own ways, bring what were once seemingly impossibly distant frontiers—whether engineering careers for women or the surface of Mars—closer to the grasp of all humanity. And, of course, they also share a commitment to SME’s Additive Community, which is delighted to share their stories.
