Keynote: Suresh Babu, Clark Distinguished Chair Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, presents, "Democratization of Advanced Manufacturing".
Democratization of Advanced Manufacturing
Suresh Babu, Ph.D., FASM, FAWS
Clark Distinguished Chair Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland
Title: "Democratization of Advanced Manufacturing – Challenges, Opportunities and Approaches"
Abstract: The convergence of various technologies, including traditional materials processing, robotics, computational modeling, sensing and control, along with machine learning and artificial intelligence, significantly influences our daily lives and the future workforce in manufacturing and emerging technologies. This presentation will explore challenges and opportunities highlighted by the recent state of U.S. science and engineering indicators1, emphasizing the expansion of our workforce trained in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics fields. It will also delve into emerging innovations such as large language modeling and low-cost additive manufacturing tools, which support the technical workforce at various career stages, ensuring their relevance in manufacturing high-value-added components. The discussion will include case studies related to aerospace, energy, and defense applications to illustrate this approach.
Reference 1https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20243
Biography: Sudarsanam Suresh Babu is the Governor’s Chair of Advanced Manufacturing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He also serves as Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering with joint appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He also serves within the Energy and Transportation division of the Energy and Environmental Sciences directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Babu has been instrumental and part of the local and national leadership in advanced manufacturing institutes to enable research and education on lightweight metals manufacturing, 3D printing and composites. He was the founding director of the National Science Foundation Industry–University Cooperative Research Center which focuses on joining and manufacturing and is leading the Office of Naval Research’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives program on fundamentals of additive manufacturing. He is a fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, ASM International and American Welding Society in addition to being a member of the National Science Board’s class of 2020 – 2026. Babu’s career spans basic and applied research in physical metallurgy, advanced manufacturing, additive manufacturing, as well as computational materials modeling. In his current role as the Director of the Bredesen Center, Babu is interested in the democratization of science and technology across our country at the intersection of energy, data and computing. Dr. John Shingledecker, Ph.D., FASM, Electric Power Research Institute and Dr. John Siefert, EPRI