SME Honors Industry Leaders as 2001 Fellows
- Ronald A. Bohlander, research scientist with the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA
- Charles T. Coughlan, founder and managing director of Precision Steel Components Ltd., Mervue, Galway, Ireland
- Stephen R. Davis, professor emeritus at Kettering University, Flint, MI;
- Elijah Kannatey-Asibu, Jr., professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Wilbur L. Meier, Jr., program manager at the ABB Electric Systems Technology Institute, Raleigh, NC
- Lawrence J. Rhoades, president and CEO of Extrude Hone Corporation, Irwin, PA;
- Hsu-Pin Wang, department chair at Florida A&M-Florida State College of Engineering, Tallahassee, FL.
Ronald A. Bohlander
Ronald A. Bohlander, Ph.D., is principal research scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in Atlanta, Georgia.
An employee of GTRI for 22 years, he founded GTRI's Commercial Product Realization Office (CPRO), and as a GTRI Fellow has also been responsible for directing the Internal Research and Development Program. His work in this area has promoted collaborations between universities and industry resulting in contracts worth $16 million.
Throughout his varied career, Bohlander has worked as a senior scientific officer at Rutherford Appleton Laboratories in England and served as a research physicist at the University of Colorado. He holds three degrees, including a Ph.D. in physics from the University of London (England). He has published more than 80 technical papers and holds one patent, with another pending, on broadband communication products.
"Ron has been pivotal in his leadership in promoting collaboration between universities and industry and for expanding the role of university-based research and development in manufacturing and new product realization," said Joe Brown, past member, SME International Board of Directors.
An SME member since 1988, Bohlander has twice received the SME President's Award, given for dedicated service to the organization. He has served two terms as an international director, is the past chair of Atlanta Chapter 61 and Atlanta RI/SME Chapter 317, and is active on SME's regional and international committees.
Charles T. Coughlan
Charles T. Coughlan, founder and managing director of Precision Steel Components Ltd., Mervue, Galway, Ireland, manufactures precision components and fasteners for the European market.
He has guided his company through ISO 9000, ISO 9002 and ISO 14000 accreditation and has increased its exports from two percent in 1987 to 65 percent today.
Coughlan holds two patents on machining systems. He also has developed specialized software manufacturing programs that enhance and improve efficiency, quality, customer service and reduce costs.
"He has made significant contributions to excellence in the Irish manufacturing industry, most notably in precision engineering, that has established his worldwide reputation and extraordinary vision and leadership," said Seamus O'Sullivan, executive vice president, Ennis Chamber of Commerce, and SME member.
An SME member since 1993, Coughlan is a leader in SME's Ireland District and a member of the Galway Chapter. Currently, Coughlan serves as the national chairman of Ireland's Precision Turned Parts Manufacturers Association. He also serves as the president of the Syndicate International Du Decolletage, a global manufacturing association covering nine European countries. In 1998, Coughlan received SME's Gold Medal awarded for outstanding service to the manufacturing engineering profession.
Stephen R. Davis
Stephen R. Davis, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of power engineering, Kettering University, Flint, Michigan, where he established the manufacturing systems engineering discipline; launched a joint education program with the China National Automotive Industry Corporation; and developed and administered management training programs for auto executives in the People's Republic of China.
Davis has served not only on the faculty of Kettering University, but other leading engineering institutions, including Lawrence Technological University and Wayne State University. He served as a consultant in combustion and energy management for the U.S. Department of Defense. He holds three degrees in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.
"I am impressed with his selfless dedication to the improvement of manufacturing engineering education," said John D. Lorenz, Ph.D., vice president, academic affairs and provost, Kettering University, and SME Fellow. "I admire his many accomplishments and value his counsel."
An SME member since 1979, Davis has been active in re-establishing the SME Student Chapter at Lawrence Technological University. He has also served on the SME Education Foundation Faculty Development Committee.
Elijah Kannatey-Asibu Jr.
Elijah Kannatey-Asibu Jr., Ph.D., is professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., where he has taught since 1983. Kannatey-Asibu has pioneered the use of acoustic emission for monitoring tool wear and breakage in machining and the use of multiple laser beams for materials processing. His cutting edge work in machining process monitoring has opened up a new field of research.
Kannatey-Asibu serves as associate director of education for the National Science Foundation-sponsored by the Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Machining Systems. He has served on the faculty of GMI Engineering and Management Institute, now Kettering University (Flint, Mich.), co-edited several books and authored more than 80 articles on issues ranging from laser beam processes to machining tool networks. In 2000, Kannatey-Asibu received the University of Michigan's Robert Caddell Memorial Award for excellence in education.
"His cutting edge work in machining process monitoring is exemplary and has opened up a new field of research," explained Yoram Koren, Goebel Chair Professor, The University of Michigan, Department of Mechanical Engineering and SME Fellow. "The impact of his work, will result in considerable savings to the machine tool industry and also help improve productivity significantly."
Kannatey-Asibu has been an active member of SME since 1990. He has been involved with the North American Manufacturing Research Institute (NAMRI) of SME and is active in the SME Student Chapter at the University of Michigan.
Wilbur L. Meier Jr.
Wilbur L. Meier JR, Ph.D., PE, has spent more than 30 years developing innovative engineering programs for academia, industry, and U.S. government agencies. He currently serves as program manager at the ABB Electric Systems Technology Institute while on leave as professor of industrial engineering from North Carolina State University, Raleigh.
While at NCSU, Meier focused developing graduate courses on leading projects that involved Kaizen interventions and lean production. For instance, he led projects dealing with the use and application of world-class and lean manufacturing techniques, approaches and processes. This has included more than 35 projects primarily for North Carolina companies. He has also been active in research, continuing education and engineering practice to improve competitiveness, productivity and quality in industry.
Besides serving as the engineering dean/department chair at NCSU, he has served in that capacity at Purdue University, Penn State University and Iowa State University. Also, he has served as division director at the National Science Foundation. Meier holds three engineering degrees, including a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
"He has been a leader in engineering educational institutions and agencies in developing innovative manufacturing and engineering education and continuing education programs," said Sabah U. Randhawa, associate dean for operations, Oregon State University, and SME Member. "Meier has developed educational programs in manufacturing and engineering at leading educational institutions in the United States."
A member of SME since 1994, Meier was the recipient of the SME 2000 Education Award and serves on the SME Accreditation Committee.
Lawrence J. Rhoades
Lawrence J. Rhoades is president and CEO, Extrude Hone Corporation of Irwin, Penn. His company is a leader in manufacturing research collaboration with numerous educational institutes, including Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Nebraska, the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, the University of Washington, and Ohio State University.
Rhoades is a leader in the field of nontraditional machining, finishing and measurement. A prolific author and inventor, Rhoades has produced works related to deburring, finishing and nontraditional machining methods. He has served on numerous committees for the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and Import/Export Bank. For these federal agencies, he has addressed both technologies and business practices in manufacturing. A graduate of Brown University with a mechanical engineering degree, he also has an MBA from Northwestern University - Kellogg Scholl of Management. To date, he holds over 200 patents on more than 30 inventions.
"Rhoades has demonstrated his desire to push the state-of-the-art and to innovate new technologies for the furthering of the machine tool industry," said Kamlakar P. Rajurkar, Ph.D., FSME, program director National Science Foundation, and SME Fellow.
Rhoades joined SME in 1987. He has chaired the SME Technical Activities Committee on Burr, Edge and Surface-Conditioning Technology (BEST) and Nontraditional Machining, the Material Removal Council, and the Advanced Productivity Exposition (APEX) committee, which is responsible for the SME largest trade shows. He also has served as a board member on SME's Machining Technology Association.
Hsu-Pin (Ben) Wang
Hsu-Pin (Ben) Wang, Ph.D., holds a Simon Ostrach Professorship and is chairman of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Florida A&M-Florida State (FAMU-FSU) College of Engineering in Tallahassee, Fla.
His research on affordable composites is already changing products worldwide. In his efforts to substitute metal structures with lower-cost, higher-performance composite materials, he utilizes an integrated product-process design approach.
As a university professor and department head, Wang has developed a new doctoral program in industrial engineering, a Master of Science degree in industrial engineering and two non-thesis masters programs in engineering management and global manufacturing leadership. He also has developed and directed the Integrated Manufacturing Systems Laboratory at the Florida Advanced Center for Composite Technologies. Wang holds four U.S. patents and has co-authored three books.
"He has contributed not only to the science and theory of manufacturing, but he has also contributed to manufacturing practice, professional development, management and leadership of the profession," said Richard A. Wysk, Ph. D., Leonhard Chair in Engineering, Penn State University, and SME Fellow. "He has accomplished more than several dozen very productive people normally accomplish in an entire lifetime."
Since joining SME in 1983, Wang founded SUNY-Buffalo SME Student Chapter S194 and became its first faculty advisor. He has also served on the Executive Committee of the SME Buffalo-Niagara Frontier Chapter No. 10 and the SME Chapter 10 Student Fellowship Review Committee. In 1990, Wang received the Society's Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer award.
To nominate an individual for the 2002 College of Fellows, call Jean Mattivi at 313-271-1500, ext. 1701, e-mail mattjea@sme.org or nomination forms are available at http://www.sme.org under awards.
SME, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., is the world's leading professional society serving the manufacturing industries. Through its publications, expositions, professional development resources and member programs, SME influences more than 500,000 manufacturing executives, managers and engineers. Founded in 1932, SME has members in 70 countries and supports a network of chapters worldwide.
CONTACT: Jennifer T. George-Robinson of SME Corporate Communications, +1-313-271-1500, ext. 1858, fax, +1-313-336-9758, Robijen@sme.org