NAMRI | SME Elects KC Morris 2023-24 President

Non-profit Organization Convenes Manufacturing’s Top Scientists, Engineers, and Academics at North American Manufacturing Research Conference at Rutgers University

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME (NAMRI | SME) has elected Katherine C. “KC” Morris, FSME, as its 2023-24 president at its 51^st North American Research Conference held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey this week. The event annually convenes the world’s top scientists, engineers, and academics from the manufacturing world to identify and enact new technology, advance efficiency and improve quality.

Morris, who leads the Life Cycle Engineering Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has been active in SME since 2016 when she looked to NAMRC for expertise for her work with standards for representing manufacturing processes. She is a research science and technology leader who applies her background in computer science, information modeling and knowledge representation to solve industrial challenges in the manufacturing sector while ensuring that new practices lead to more competitive and sustainable manufacturing.

“The manufacturing advances that we see put forward year upon year from this conference are impactful and amazing,” said Morris. “The technology, process and material advancements that we see this year should be positively impacting production in U.S. manufacturing facilities in as little as three to five years.”

NAMRI | SME Board of Directors Sustained by Membership

As part of the NAMRI | SME Member Meeting preceding the awards ceremony, the NAMRI | SME 2023-24 board and directors were ratified by vote from members present. Receiving the confirming vote were:

Officers:

• President – KC Morris, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
• President-Elect – Ihab Ragai, PhD, PE, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pennsylvania.
• Secretary – Dale R. Lombardo – GE Aviation, Niskayuna, New York.
• Scientific Committee Chair – Robert X. Gao, PhD, FSME, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland
• Scientific Committee Chair-Elect – Xun Xu, PhD, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
• Immediate Past-President – Livan Fratini, PhD, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
• Second Past-President – Brigid Mullany, PhD, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (North Carolina)
• Ex-Officio – Bryan Albrecht, EdD, Gateway Technical College (retired), Kenosha, Wisconsin

NAMRI Directors:

• Stephania Bruschi, PhD, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
• Cindy Chang, PhD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
• Patrick Kwon, PhD, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
• Zhijian “ZJ” Pei, PhD, FSME – Texas A & M, College Station, Texas
• Mike Vogler, PhD – Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Illinois
• Andrew Wells, PhD, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia

NAMRC – North American Manufacturing Research Conference of NAMRI | SME

NAMRC is recognized as North America’s preeminent and longest-running international forum for applied research and industrial applications in manufacturing and design with its presentations and publication of original, basic and applied research in advanced manufacturing.

An annual event since 1973, NAMRC advances the scientific foundation of discrete-parts manufacturing leading to next-generation applications of emerging and innovative technology in material removal, forming and additive manufacturing processes and machines, and cyber-physical systems. The conference attracts global academicians, government and industry researchers, engineers, students and leaders in manufacturing to interact with each other and advance the field. NAMRC features peer-reviewed papers, keynotes, special opportunities for networking and collaboration, and recognition of research implementation, service and achievements. Details are available at NAMRC.SME.org.

NAMRC52 will convene next year at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville June 17-21, 2024.

About SME

SME believes in the power of technology and the innovation of people to advance our nation and solve the world’s greatest problems. For 90 years, SME has led the manufacturing ecosystem to elevate manufacturers, academia, professionals, and the communities in which they operate. We help build the bridge from today to the future by developing the next generation of manufacturing talent and informing industry on technology advances that can propel their operations into excellence. Learn more at sme.org, follow @SME_MFG on Twitter or facebook.com/SMEmfg.

NOTE TO EDITORS: High-resolution images of the NAMRI | SME officers and board of directors are available from SME. More detail on each individual can be found on the NAMRI | SME Board of Directors webpage on the SME.org website.