The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the world’s premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking, has elected 10 outstanding members　to the Society’s prestigious College of Fellows. The 2011 class joins 268 other SME members who have been elected as Fellows since the program’s inception in 1986, and represents various segments of the manufacturing community.

"The Class of 2011 SME Fellows represents a diverse group of nationally and internationally recognized individuals who have contributed much to the field of manufacturing," said Marvin DeVries, PhD, FSME, CMfgE, PE, chair of the SME International Awards & Recognition Committee. "Their accomplishments, covering a wide range of technologies, have had a measurable and significant impact on their communities. SME is honored by their addition to our existing group of Fellows."

"We commend each and every one of this year’s class of Fellows," said Paul D. Bradley, PE, 2011 SME president. "The selection process is quite thorough with a meticulous review of all their accomplishments. I am pleased to see them recognized for their ongoing dedication to manufacturing and to the Society."

The SME College of Fellows was created to honor those members who have made outstanding contributions to the social, technological and educational aspects of the manufacturing profession. This honor can only be earned through 20 or more years of dedication and service to manufacturing engineering.

The 2011 Class of SME Fellows

Viktor P. Astakhov, PhD, FSME

Tool Research and Application Manager

General Motors Business Unit of PSMI

Rochester Hills, Mich.

An internationally recognized educator, researcher and mechanical engineer, Viktor Astakhov has won a number of national and international awards for both his teaching and research. He has published books, book chapters and many papers in professional journals and trade periodicals. Astakhov's main research and application interests include theory of metal cutting and its applications; cutting tool design, assessment and optimization; machinability of materials; new tool materials and coatings; design of experiments; and coolant application practices. More

George "Nick" Bullen, FSME

President and CEO

Smart Blades Inc.

Oxnard, Calif.

George "Nick" Bullen has 16 patents for technology innovations related to mechanization, robotics and robotics control software, which are the basis for automated systems used for the assembly of airframes. He is widely published in magazines, proceedings, journals and peer-reviewed journals. His expertise includes aerial vehicles, as well as space vehicle design and manufacture. More

F. Frank Chen, PhD, FSME

Luther Brown Distinguished Chair Professor of Advanced Manufacturing

Director, Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Lean Systems

College of Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, Texas

F. Frank Chen demonstrated prolific research careers in both industry and academia. He is the founding director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Lean Systems at the University of Texas at San Antonio with an active industry-based research consortium aimed at advancing lean and sustainable manufacturing and flexible automation tools. He also led research specializing in design and control of manufacturing cells while at Caterpillar Technical Center Manufacturing R&D Division. More

Dianne Chong, PhD, FSME

Vice President of Materials Assembly

Factory & Support Technology

Boeing Research & Technology

Seattle, Wash.

An expert in metallurgical engineering, Dianne Chong and her team provide materials and processes engineering and manufacturing support for the Boeing enterprise, including Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Boeing Defense, Space & Security.　 Her organization is responsible for providing nondestructive evaluation for programs such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In addition, her team researches and develops advanced assembly and integration concepts. More

Placid M. Ferreira, PhD, FSME

Head and Grayce Wicall Gauthier Professor

Mechanical Science and Engineering

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Urbana, Ill.

Placid M. Ferreira’s research focuses on industrial automation, particularly computer-controlled machine tools, nanopositioning and nanosensing, computational geometry and solid modeling as they relate to automated process planning and the discrete-event control of large-scale, flexibly automated systems.

Among his accomplishments, he has developed techniques for synthesizing maximally permissive, provably correct supervisory controllers for flexible manufacturing systems, and methods for rotary ultrasonic machining of ceramics and other materials that are difficult to machine. More

Changsheng Guo, PhD, FSME

Project Manager

United Technologies Research Center

East Hartford, Conn.

Changsheng Guo leads projects in modeling and optimization of manufacturing processes at United Technologies Research Center. His research focus has been on the fundamentals and applications of machining processes including grinding, milling and ceramic machining. Guo was a research fellow and the co-director of the grinding research program at UMass and the technical director of a ceramic machining company. Guo has more than 80 published papers and coauthored one book. More

Wallace Hopp, PhD, FSME

Associate Dean for Faculty and Research

Ross School of Business

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Wallace Hopp is an accomplished manufacturing scholar and educator. He has published nearly 100 papers and book chapter focusing on the design, control and management of operations systems, with emphasis on manufacturing and supply chain systems, innovation processes and health care systems. Hopp coauthored the influential "Factory Physics" text, founded the bachelor's in manufacturing engineering and the master's of management and manufacturing programs at Northwestern University. More

Jack Jeswiet, PhD, FSME, PE

Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Queen's University

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Active in many professional engineering and scientific organizations, Jack Jeswiet is a professor of mechanical engineering and chair of undergraduate studies at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. His research interests include sustainable product design (ecodesign); sheet metalforming, including incremental sheet forming; microplastic metalforming; measurement of friction and temperature in metalforming; and powder metallurgy. More

Pradeep Rohatgi, PhD, FSME

Wisconsin and UWM Distinguished Professor

Director of UWM Composite and Advanced Materials Manufacture Centers

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Milwaukee

Pradeep Rohatgi's initial research on cast metal-matrix composites has been listed as a major landmark in the history of metal casting on synthesis, processing and characterization of cast metal-matrix composites. His research stimulated a large number of researchers, which led to manufacture and use of metal-matrix composites in automotive, aerospace, thermal management and recreation equipment sectors. More

Lihui Wang, PhD, FSME, PE

Professor, Virtual Systems Research Centre

University of Skövde

Skövde, Sweden

An accomplished researcher, educator and professional engineer, Lihui Wang's research interests are focused on collaborative process planning, Web-based, real-time monitoring and remote control, as well as intelligent and adaptive manufacturing systems. Wang has published six books and authored in excess of 200 scientific articles in books, archival journals and refereed conference proceedings in these fields.　 He serves as editor for numerous manufacturing journals and has been awarded 12 international and institutional awards. More

2012 Fellows Nominations Deadline:

SME members worldwide are encouraged to nominate members from industry, academia and government who have made a notable impact in the field of manufacturing. The deadline for 2012 Fellow nominations is December 1, 2011. Selection criteria include leadership in industry, education, research and development, inventions publications and/or service to the profession. Visit sme.org/fellows to download a nomination form.

For more information, visit www.sme.org.