Celeb ra te s SECOND ANNUAL UNDER THIRTY blazing the future of advanced manufacturing Sponsored By in the United States Sandvik Coromant would like to congratulate this year’s honorees of SME’s 30 Under 30. Manufacturing education is the key to our future workforce. Looking ahead, Sandvik Coromant is proud to support the strength and growth of the manufacturing industry through education, training and knowledge sharing and we are proud to support SME’s 30 Under 30. www.sandvik.coromant.com/lookingahead UNDER THIRTY F Recognizing the Future Leaders of Manufacturing or the second year, Manufacturing Engineering or vice versa. Some consider themselves more aligned is proud to celebrate 30 young people with engineering, which they described as investigating under the age of 30 who have demonstrated and solving problems. Some said they were more inclined exceptional talent and leadership in Science, toward technology, good at logic, programming language Technology, Engineering or Mathematics— and coding. Others said they were better with their hands, fields that are essential underpinnings to a crafting a vision into reality. career in manufacturing. These young people have taken the Several honorees encouraged other young people to road less traveled, and we applaud them for it. hang in there and not get discouraged by, say, math, if As this nation tries to encourage more students to develop they loved physics and wanted to pursue a career in that their STEM prowess, we at Manufacturing Engineering have direction. Few people are good at all aspects of STEM fields, learned some valuable lessons in talking to these young stu- which is why several honorees sang the praises of team- dents and professionals. Among them: You’re not necessarily work, one of the aspects of a STEM career path that they born with STEM talent—you have to cultivate it. said often goes underappreciated. Several honorees said it may not be helpful to treat “I feel like that’s a very overlooked part of engineering STEM like one bucket of skills that you have, or don’t, school in general, the team player aspect,” said Jean Oh, 27, because it may discourage some students from a STEM a manufacturing engineer at Boeing Co. in Portland, OR, and career unnecessarily. For example, some honorees said one of the 2014 30 Under 30 honorees. “There should be they were good at science but really had to work at math— more emphasis on it in school.” ME Jean Oh Age: 27 The Boeing Company Portland, OR UNDER THIRTY A lover of science, Jean Oh had always imag- Jean said that one of the things she loves best about ined herself going into the medical field. her job is solving problems. For example, she noticed But then, during her coursework at the that inspection reports on a boring operation on a 2-inch University of Washington in Seattle, she pad of titanium for the 747-8 Landing Gear Beams were encountered a roadblock. “I learned I wasn’t good consistently off by a certain degree, forcing the drilled at chemistry,” she joked. That sent her investigating holes out of tolerance. She did her own research and other science-related options. analysis and came up with a fix. In addition to mak- A friend had mentioned that the industrial engineer- ing her proud, the fix saved Boeing money and helped ing program “had a good camaraderie” of students, deliver a higher quality part on critical equipment. “The which appealed to Jean, who also had an aptitude for perception off the bat is that you have to have some sort fixing things. As it turned out, industrial engineering was of fabrication skills in order to get this job, and when I a good fit. “I found that I under- got hired, I had no background in stood a lot of it and it made sense “I like being able to work with the machining,” Jean said. “It’s more to me from both a technical and cross-functional teams, people about your willingness to learn business perspective,” Jean said. of different disciplines. There is a and listen and being open minded She wished somebody had very high level of interaction with to everyone’s advice.” told her years ago how important others. It forces you to look at the Ann Simmons, a manufac- people skills are to being suc- turing engineer at Boeing in bigger picture of things.” cessful in engineering. “I feel Portland, who nominated Jean like that’s a very overlooked part of most engineering as a 30 Under 30 honoree, said Jean is a standout schools in general, the team player aspect,” Jean said. engineer. “The primary job of a Manufacturing Engineer Since 2010, Jean has been a manufacturing at Boeing is configuration control, but Jean has taken engineer at Boeing, in the production engineering, this to a whole new level by utilizing her proactive project fabrication division and has newly transitioned to a management style,” she wrote. “She has earned her Quality Engineering role. Her work revolves around Six Sigma Green and Black Belt with Boeing and enjoys providing producibility analysis to accommodate part being able to advise others on projects, while seeing how design changes, executing projects to reduce pro- the data collected correlates with improved part quality.” duction costs, and facilitating/planning for process In addition to her work at Boeing, Jean also works changes. “Working with cross-functional teams is to help develop the next generation of STEM leaders. one of my favorite parts of the job, people of differ- She serves as a mentor for FIRST Robotics Team 2517. ent disciplines,” she said. “There is a very high level “They did not have it in my school,” she said, “and of interaction with others. It forces you to look at the I wish they did, because I would have started on the bigger picture of things.” Engineering path earlier if I knew it was that much fun.” People, she said, have a lot of misconceptions about Jean is also active in several STEM efforts in local high what engineers do. “It’s definitely not all about math schools and volunteers every year for the Engineering aptitude, at least from what I've seen,” she said. Week with Boeing Portland. ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Selin Sirinterlikci Age: 19 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA UNDER THIRTY A t 19 years old, Selin Sirinterlikci has in our community,” wrote Judith W. Shuster, Moon Area already mastered time management, which High School Gifted Coordinator. was necessary in order to achieve all of her Physics teacher Shawn T. Welsh added that Selin academic successes, not to mention her is an outstanding leader, “being the vice president sports accomplishments. of the Robotics Club, President of the speech and “I get involved in everything I am interested in,” Selin debate team, Captain of her Euro Challenge team and explained. “My parents encouraged me to pursue what- secretary of her graduating class. She is also active in ever I was interested in, to try it out.” the Science and Environmental Club, Key Club and Selin said her leanings toward math, science and Electronics Club …” engineering were evident from a very young age. But Today, Selin is a freshman at Carnegie Mellon Uni- it was a chance encounter with an astronaut, the late versity in Pittsburgh, studying electrical and computer Rick Husband, as a child that really engineering, and competing on the sparked her interest in engineering. “I definitely enjoy the varsity track team. She’s also con- “I gained as much exposure to hands-on. Physically templating minoring in robotics. “The the field as possible,” Selin said. “I developing the products.” robotics program at CMU is fantastic,” learned AutoCAD design software and she explained. the proper operation of a 3D printer to compete in the She’s very excited about several computer program- Toy Challenge Nationals in my middle school years, an ming courses she’s taken, which have educated her in event that I found highly worthwhile and educational Python and C Programming Language. about product design and manufacturing.” While Selin said it’s difficult to determine She participated in the toy challenge in both fifth where her academic career might take her—she’s and sixth grade. “Being able to do that at a young age interested in so many topics—her Toy Challenge exposed me to the field and made me more interested,” experience has left its imprint. “I definitely enjoy she said. the hands-on,” she said. “Physically developing the Her father, an engineer, also was encouraging. “I products—I find that to be very rewarding. You can’t spent a good amount of time in his lab as a kid, so I have strong products without a strong development was able to see things firsthand,” she said. “I was able and revision process.” to talk to him about it.” She has some advice for others interested in pur- Later, at Moon Area High School, Selin spent much suing a path in science, technology, engineering and of her time on the honor roll, participating in academic math: “Perseverance and dedication are very impor- competitions, including the robotics club, as well as tant,” she said. “”I think persistence is one of the more competing on the school’s bowling, cross country and important qualities someone can have.” track and field teams. She also volunteered in several She also thinks that people may not realize how ways, such as tutoring other students in math. much teamwork goes into STEM career fields. “I would “Selin is truly an outstanding young woman. She say that working with my robotics team was one of the excels in the classroom, as a leader in our school and most rewarding experiences.” ME Kelly Hentges Age: 20 Student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL UNDER THIRTY E ngineering today comes with social responsibili- While in high school, Kelly also was selected to enroll ties to make the world a better place, and Kelly in the Project Lead the Way Engineering Program. Hentges, 20, a chemical engineering student at Initially, she was hesitant about participating. “I was the University of Illinois, epitomizes that fact. one of four girls out of 40 students,” she explained. But From a young age, Kelly was always drawn to sci- she noted that “engineering forces you to work with one ence, a fact that was partly influenced by the fact both another to solve problems.” Ultimately, she said, the her parents work in the Engineering Telecommunica- program ended up being a “blast” because “we were tions industry. “Science began as a fun hobby when I given numerous design challenges that helped develop was little; it then grew to a lifelong passion,” she told our creative engineering skills.” Manufacturing Engineering. Paul J. Hardy, Applied Technology Department As a 12-year-old, Kelly stood out among her peers Chairman at William Fremd High School in Palantine, as an enthusiastic learner and natural leader, said Ana IL, said Kelly stood out: “I remember her insatiable Kamath, a science teacher at Plum Grove Junior High quest for betterment and how contagious it was.” in Rolling Meadows, IL, and one of In the summer of 2013, Kelly several professionals to nominate “Science began as a fun participated in a co-op program Kelly for the 30 Under 30 honor. hobby when I was little; it then at Kimberly-Clark Corporation “Kelly had a natural affinity to sci- grew to a lifelong passion.” where Kelly said she worked on ence,” she wrote. fun, cutting-edge development In both the 7th and 8th grade, Kelly attended the of next generation processing equipment. “This “Girls Adventure in Math Science and Engineering summer, I will be at Abbott Laboratories,” she said. Camp” at the University of Illinois. In her second year at “My internship focus will go beyond Research and the camp, she learned about chemical engineering and Development, into taking a newly designed product was hooked. “I thought it was amazing, how products through the technology transfer process to mass we use every day are created by engineers,” Kelly said. production. I know manufacturing is a key area that I When she was 15, Kelly received the Girl Scout want to pursue.” Gold Award, a rare honor for someone that age, But Kelly’s dedication doesn’t stop there. through her volunteering for the “Women in Need As a member of the American Institute of Chemical Growing Stronger” program, which supports victims of Engineers, Kelly has been part of a team that is design- domestic violence. Kelly had decided to build a large ing a car powered by two chemical reactions, wrote sustainable vegetable garden to help provide families Arkaprava Dan, a graduate student at the University of with healthy food. The project required a great deal of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a member of the Out- planning, in terms of produce selection and in creat- reach Committee of the Society of Women Engineers at ing a large scale garden that could be easily managed. the U of I, she also introduces elementary and middle “The garden still stands and is being used to provide school students to the world of engineering. “This," Dan produce to many homes throughout the Chicagoland wrote, "is born out of her passion for engineering and area,” Kamath wrote. industry,” ME Eric Icke Age: 28 General Dynamics NASSCO San Diego, CA UNDER THIRTY A t 28, Eric Icke, a program manager at General technology associated with this program represents the Dynamics NASSCO, is working on a project future—environmentally friendly and efficient vessels that he already believes “is going to be one of that transport goods around the world.” the highlights of my career.” He is a critical This isn’t the kind of work that Eric saw himself doing player in the development and construction of the world’s when he started his path toward engineering. “I thought first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership. I would design cars or be an architect,” he said. Production of TOTE, Inc.’s new Marlin Class vessels “I’ve always been interested in math and science,” began at NASSCO’s shipyard in San Diego in February. explained Eric, whose mother manages civil engineer- Clean burning, LNG offers unmatched environmental ing projects and whose father is an IT manager. “I never benefits, reducing emissions below even the world’s really thought of doing anything else.” most stringent standards. Eric was attracted to the United States Merchant Eric, who started in the Professional Development Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, because of its Program at NASSCO in 2008, is now program manager distinguished curriculum, regimented lifestyle, and of the TOTE project. He’s also worked as a production athletics program. Eric played men’s varsity basketball manager and deputy program manager for commercial at the Academy. It was there that Eric had his first ex- contracts on a few other projects, such as the ECO- posure to sea going ships, and he found their complex class tankers. “It’s historic, and it’s unique,” Icke told infrastructure fascinating. “As part of the program Manufacturing Engineering of the TOTE project. “There at Kings Point, students are trained to operate large are a lot of different folds. It keeps me excited.” ships. While sailing, I studied the shipboard systems, Among the challenges: con- and had to figure out how they verting traditional vessel designs “Eric’s ability to comprehend and worked with each other to to a dual-fueled propulsion construct the complex mechanical power the ship,” he explained. system with LNG. Eric explained and electronic systems onboard While Eric confesses a that LNG is stored at about these ships makes his skill set natural inclination toward math, -260° Fahrenheit, and the cryo- science and problem-solving, he unique and invaluable.” genic liquid must be converted said he still had to work at his into a gas that can be used in the engine. studies in college. “Kings Point is a very difficult cur- “It’s really unique in that this is the first and larg- riculum,” he said. est LNG-powered vessel of its kind,” said Eric, who But failure was never an option for Eric, who is also believes that “we’re just starting to tap the potential” of a Lieutenant in the Navy Reserve and, at the time of his LNG when it comes to displacing traditionally powered interview, had just returned from reserve duty in Korea. engine systems. Eric said working on ships is very exciting, even though Parker Larson, director of Commercial Programs, the process can take years. “Every day there’s always a General Dynamics NASSCO, said Eric is helping lead new challenge,” he said. And in the end, “you get to see the US maritime industry into the future with his your concepts take shape and become massive, opera- “creative thinking and unmatched drive,” noting, “The tional vessels.” ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Jonathan Grocott Age: 27 The Boeing Company Turkwila, WA UNDER THIRTY J onathan Grocott clearly has the education and “Jonathan has already left such a large impact on hard skills needed to excel in his position as a high volume composite part lamination,” Genord wrote. numerical control programming engineer at The “He has directly impacted the design, functionality and Boeing Company, but he also shares a per- efficiency of both the hardware and software used to ap- sonality trait possessed by many other truly successful ply composite tape which have and will enable Boeing to people—humility. increase 787 production rates.” Douglas C. Genord, Jonathan’s colleague, mentor and Jonathan joined Boeing in 2011 after earning a bach- a technical fellow for Boeing Information Technology in elor’s of science degree in manufacturing engineering Tukwila, WA, describes Grocott as technology at Western Washing- exceeding everyone’s expectations, “Without knowing Jonathan’s ton University (Bellingham, WA). being extremely capable, demon- background of recently coming Boeing is only his second full-time strating leadership skills and sitting out of school you would have position, not counting framing at the top of the talent pool. thought he had been in industry houses for his father’s construc- But ask Jonathan, 27, why tion business, but he’s already for at least 10 years.” he’s so successful, and at first he considered a pro. talks about others—his great colleagues and mentors. “Without knowing Jonathan’s background of recently “I do work hard,” he said, adding: “And it’s something I coming out of school you would have thought he had want: to be successful.” been in industry for at least 10 years,” Genord wrote in Jonathan said he also watched how his dad ran the his nomination. family construction business and adopted the elder Jonathan provided numerical control programming Grocott’s work ethic—seeing things through to comple- support to the team, including drafting implementation tion, being fully engaged in processes, communicating plans for improvements in production. That’s where his with others, and encouraging everyone to work toward leadership skills really shone. “He quickly brainstorms and the same goal. itemizes tasks to be performed, contacts the impacted The goal for the project team Jonathan was on with team members and subject matter experts for input and Genord was to develop a best-in-industry composite concurrence, and works with the project manager to cap- wing skin fabrication system for the Boeing 787 Dream- ture the details into a formal project plan,” Genord said. liner. This involved research, development, implementa- Working at Boeing seems a natural choice for Jona- tion and production hardening of software, hardware than. He grew up in Washington, and his school tailors its and the corresponding processes, Genord explained. engineering program for Boeing jobs. Jonathan, who’s keenly interested in robotics and “Manufacturing engineering really has the most automation, said he considered himself blessed “to get diverse opportunities,” he said. “Everything has to be on such a technically challenging project very early on.” made, everything has to be manufactured, so you have a He obviously exceeded the challenge. lot of options.” ME Jesse Srpan Age: 24 Raw Iron Choppers Chardon, OH UNDER THIRTY W hen a casting producer for the Discovery “We’re pretty much slammed with work constantly,” Channel’s #BikerLive custom motorcycle- he says of Raw Iron. building competition watched chopper But his big workload hasn’t harmed the quality of his fabricator Jesse Srpan’s audition tape craft, according to one of his professional peers. and called to say he was interested, disbelief broke out Greg Coleman, marketing group leader for The on both ends of the phone. Lincoln Electric Company, a Cleveland welding firm, The producer couldn’t believe he was talking to a wrote: “With considerable passion, talent and focus, 23-year-old, because he assumed someone with that Jesse has built his own path to achieve his goals. much experience would be a lot Weaving traditional educational “We’re pretty much slammed older. And Jesse, president and experiences with hands-on knowl- owner of Raw Iron Choppers, who’s with work constantly.” edge from a number of sources, since turned 24, couldn’t believe what he was hearing: it’s clear that Jesse is fast becoming a success in a “To be honest, I actually thought it was a prank phone field that merges technology, art, design and specific call from a few of my buddies.” metalworking skills.” But this was no joke. He answered yes, of course, Part of Jesse’s success stems from the thorough prompted by his desire to promote blue-collar weld- training to which Coleman refers. He’s accumulated ing and to inspire the next generation of welders. The 11 American Welding Society/American Society of segment featuring Jesse and his team building a 1940s Mechanical Engineers welding certifications, and has style bike aired in June. also learned sheet metal fabrication, 3D CAD and Building a bike from scratch for the TV crew took practical designing and engineering skills. Next up five weeks instead of the typical half-year, resulting in are certifications in engine building and motorcycle a very crunchy production schedule that forced him mechanics. to delay his planned graduation with a combined as- In addition to his head-turning motorcycle metal sociate’s degree in industrial welding technology and work, he’s had jobs ranging from making iron staircases mechanical engineering. and multistory fire escapes to non-disclosure projects “It was a hard decision with being only two classes for aerospace and nuclear energy clients. “We still do away, but sometimes you must put 110% energy and nuclear, but aerospace is really big,” Jesse says. focus into other areas,” Jesse says. His talent and skills have earned Jesse awards usu- Because Jesse teaches welding at the same ally won by much older, more experienced welders. school he attends, Lakeland Community College He placed 15th out of 50 in the Skills USA National (Kirtland, OH), works up to 15–20 hours a day to Welding Competition in 2010 and won the International keep up with orders for the custom motorcycles that Show Car Competition’s Rising Star award at the Cleve- roll out of his 11-year-old shop, and takes them to land Auto-Rama in 2012. trade shows and competitions three to four months How is he so successful? a year, it took him four years to finish his degrees, “It’s about being creative, different, and doing what instead of the typical two. you love,” says this young entrepreneur. ME Sonja Riley Age: 26 Harvey Tool Rowley, MA UNDER THIRTY D ave Malrick, sales manager for industrial cut- vey President Peter P. Jenkins. “Her role within the ting tools distributor Walter R. Hammond Co., company and her reputation with customers as a Minneapolis, met Sonja Riley a year ago dur- go-to person for technical expertise have already po- ing a meeting about the future of the product sitioned her as a leader in the machining and cutting she makes and he sells. “Throughout our conversation, tool industry.” I came to gain lots of respect for this young woman,” Since Sonja became a member of the New Product says Malrick, who’s been in the cutting tools business Development Team in 2012, the number of new tools 44 years. “I have rarely come across a person of this launched each year has increased from 800 to up to quality so young in life.” 2,000. A bullet on her resume says Sonja identifies Not only did Sonja hold her own in the meeting at potential new product lines, and it’s hard to get her to Harvey Tool, Rowley, MA, where she’s manager of prod- claim individual credit, but when pressed she admits uct development, she often led the discussion, says to designing a new, longer-lasting threading tool for the Malrick. Their business relationship one year later has difficult-to-mill hardened steel. only led to a deeper respect of Sonja’s knowledge and Her success at Harvey surprises Sonja only because problem-solving skills. she was on track to work in the bioengineering field No surprise then that Sonja’s nickname at work is after graduating from Syracuse University with a bach- E.F. Hutton, after the brokerage firm whose advertis- elor’s of science degree in biomedical engineering. ing slogan in the ‘70s and ‘80s was “When E.F. Hutton She interned at Zoll Medical, Chelmsford, MA, talks, people listen.” where she worked on software for quality testing of Sonja, 26, was hired at Harvey Tool as a trainee automated external defibrillators. Her senior thesis for the technical sales staff that promotes its specialty project at Syracuse focused on bone cement for carbide end mills and cutting tools for the metalworking orthopedic applications. industry. Part of her training was to Her interest in the biomedical “We did square roots spend time in different departments to field stems from her dad, a software learn the business; inspection, quality at the dinner table.” engineer for biomedical applications. control, technical customer support, special quoting, Her mom’s a math teacher. “We did square roots at the and new product development. Her knowledge grew dinner table,” Sonja says. quickly, and she was soon asked to teach a technical In addition to her math and engineering skills, training course for company employees. Sonja has an “uncanny ability to process and retain It was when Sonja worked in new product develop- information,” Jenkins wrote in her 30 Under 30 ment that she found her niche. With her good grasp of nomination. the product line and her ability to positively interact with “You never have to tell her something twice,” says customers, she joined the team, and has since been Jeff Davis, vice president of engineering at Harvey. “It’s promoted to manager of two other employees. almost kind of frustrating that in just a few short years “Sonja’s skills and work ethic resulted in her early she has learned what it took me 20+ years to learn on promotion to manager at the age of 25,” says Har- my own.” ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Rebecca Kurfess Age: 19 Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA UNDER THIRTY R ebecca Kurfess, 19, and a freshman at the “The people there are very intense about football,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, readily she said. “In fact, the population triples on game day.” admits she comes from a nerdy family. Her The focus on football in her hometown also gives mother has a master’s degree in mechani- Rebecca an analogy for her love of science and math, cal engineering from MIT (Cambridge, MA). Her father which she said matches the fervor of the Tigers’ fans. has a doctorate in the same field from the same school, Growing up in a college town also made for some and teaches at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The pretty smart classmates, but that allowed her to soar, school not only employs Rebecca’s dad, it once was a not blend into the woodwork. source of entertainment for the Kurfess children, and “It is typical for 20% or more of my AP (advanced introduced them to aerodynamics. placement) class to have parents with doctoral de- “I remember, gosh, when I was probably 7 or 8 my grees in some form of math or science,” wrote Gary dad used to take me and my brothers to a building at DuBose, AP chemistry teacher at D.W. Daniel High Georgia Tech with a high staircase and we would fly School, Central, SC, where Rebecca earned top aca- paper airplanes,” Rebecca recalled. demic honors and graduated valedictorian. “Even in She’s following in her parents’ footsteps by majoring this environment Rebecca managed to stand out as in mechanical engineering, with a minor in German. one of the top students.” Rebecca was an exchange student in Germany in high She stood out in another way as well. Like her MIT school. Her father, whose grandparents immigrated to alumnus mother who prefers to teach seventh grade the United States from science rather than work “For most of my (MIT admissions) interview Germany, speaks the in industry, Rebecca loves I talked about additive manufacturing.” language fluently. So, if to teach others. She taught Rebecca needs help with her engineering studies she Sunday school at her church, flute to middle school can call on either parent, and on her dad for her minor. students, and would help classmates who were strug- The same summer Rebecca was an exchange gling in school. student, she did an internship at the National Institute “In this respect, she was somewhat unusual,” wrote of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, in the DuBose. “As many of our top students are so competi- additive manufacturing lab. Her internship included tive that they are unwilling to help their peers.” designing and 3D printing an artifact to test the accu- Rebecca plans to earn a master’s degree in me- racy of an additive manufacturing machine, a task that chanical engineering, and possibly a doctorate so she whetted her interest in the manufacturing technique. can teach at the university level like her dad. Either way, “For (admission to) MIT you have to go to an inter- her mother’s story has inspired a desire in Rebecca to view,” she explained. “And for most of my interview I continue to help others learn. talked about additive manufacturing.” “I enjoy helping others both because it helps me Rebecca isn’t 100% nerdy, however. After all, she learn and because I really enjoy helping others make grew up in Clemson, SC, home of Clemson University sense of things,” she said. “And seeing it on their faces and the Clemson Tigers football team. when the concept ‘clicks’ with them.” ME Travis Bengtson Age: 29 Caterpillar Undercarriage Business Unit East Peoria, IL UNDER THIRTY A bout the time that Travis Bengtson was In his current role as Manufacturing Project Engineer interviewing with Caterpillar for its Manufac- at Caterpillar’s Undercarriage Business Unit, Travis turing Professional Development Program, Bengtson is using modern IT resources to collect and it seemed as if everybody was jumping out analyze data on tooling, maintenance, resource utiliza- of manufacturing. Travis saw that as an opportunity tion, and scheduling methods, among other manu- because at some point there was going to be a shortage facturing factors. “There’s a wealth of knowledge to of manufacturing experts. be gained, giving us valuable insights into what I call Prior to his experience at Caterpillar, Travis had the real operation of the machines. It challenges the studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of preconceived notions about processes so that decisions Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Tra- can be made based on facts and vis didn’t think that he was going “There’s a wealth of knowledge not on hearsay,” Travis said. to end up in manufacturing. He to be gained, giving us valuable Travis has led the manufactur- thought he would do more me- insights into what I call the real ing engineers in the conversion of chanical design, but after meet- operation of the machines.” a legacy IBM ERP system’s data ing with the Caterpillar recruiters to a current SAP platform. The and talking about the MPDP program, he thought the scope of the conversion involved a master data plan cross functional experience and manufacturing looked that could support the way the subcontracting business especially attractive. and cell level manufacturing systems have evolved over Once in the program, Travis held various roles such the years. The conversion was executed successfully as Facility Engineer, Section Manager in Operations, with 100% Routing and Bill of Material accuracy to sup- and finally as a Logistics Planning Analyst at various fa- port the operation in the new ERP system. cilities within the Caterpillar Business units. “The insight Travis is currently leading a project with the goal of gained from this cross functional experience allows radically reforming supply chain planning in a com- one to make decisions that are not only good from an ponent facility that operates in SAP through a com- engineering perspective, but also good from a business bination of demand management practices, strategic perspective,” he said. managed inventory, and heijunka planning. A pilot is His final rotational role as a Logistics Planning underway which will deliver a template for develop- Analyst in the professional program led to a perma- ment into an enterprise level solution to support a nent Manufacturing Engineer position in the Technical stable supply chain for a component value stream Services group for the Undercarriage Business Unit. with volatile demand, while reducing enterprise in- In this role, Travis executed lean manufacturing con- ventory. Travis recently completed a Six Sigma Black cepts as he has integrated Andon systems throughout Belt curriculum within Caterpillar and he continues the facility and enabled monitoring of equipment to develop his technical capabilities and change effectiveness (OEE) through development and integra- management skills to improve manufacturing in each tion of Statuswatch. functional area. ME Ali Rizvi Age: 27 Student, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada UNDER THIRTY A li Rizvi is a Ph.D. student in the Department engaged in cutting edge research in various disciplines of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering of chemistry. What I noticed was that scientists evaluate at the University of Toronto. He combines research by considering whether it makes an original rigorous academic research with an contribution to our understanding of the world and often entrepreneurial drive to bridge the gap between a overlook or not address the more pragmatic factors, like proof-of-concept invention and commercialization. cost of manufacturing, and scalability.” Ali is developing innovative and industrially viable Ali has been awarded a number of grants including technologies to manufacture low density porous a challenge grant from the Canadian government aimed plastics with super-absorptive properties for oil-spill at addressing health-related problems in third world cleanup applications. He holds patents that have been countries. The proposal is aimed at developing a field- favorably received by the industry, including a major capable device based on the mobile phone that would Japanese chemical company. overcome the difficulty of field-diagnosis of tuberculosis He is the co-founder and director of manufactur- (TB) in third world countries where sophisticated equip- ing at a start-up company and leads the company’s ment and electric power are typically not available. product development for rapid Ali has two patents and ten prototyping, material selec- “A great idea that can’t be produced technical publications in refereed tion, material research and and scaled up economically will fail. journals and conference pro- development, incorporation The reason I pursued manufacturing ceedings. His scientific contribu- of advanced manufacturing engineering was to develop insights tions have received academic technologies, and plastics that will facilitate commercialization and industrial recognition. mold design. The start-up, In 2013, Ali received the of scientific breakthroughs.” which received the Venture- NSERC Alexander Graham Start grant from the Research & Innovation Commer- Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship. In 2012, Ali was cialization Centre - Ontario, has achieved substantial awarded the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) success and continues to grow at an exponential rate. PerkinElmer Award: Composites Division for the best Ali graduated with High Distinction with an Hon- paper. In 2012, he also received the Queen Elizabeth ours B.S. in Environmental Chemistry and a minor II-GSST Award: DuPont Canada Scholarship in Sci- in Economics from the University of Toronto and was ence and Technology. fast-tracked into the Ph.D. program in Mechanical and Ali, as a graduate assistant, has been active in the Industrial Engineering. Ali said that he wanted to study academic life of the university. He has supervised six manufacturing because it is the key to commercializa- summer research students who came from countries tion of an idea: “A great idea that can’t be produced across the globe. and scaled-up economically will fail. The reason I pur- He served as a judge at the LIVE Competition 2013, sued manufacturing engineering was to develop insights a two-day national business competition; Show Me the that will facilitate commercialization of scientific break- Green Conference 2013; and the University of Toronto throughs. During my undergraduate work in chemistry, I Engineering Kompetition 2012–2014. ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Patrick M. White Age: 28 Caterpillar, Inc. Joliet, IL UNDER THIRTY P atrick M. White found his niche early Following his first year at the Joliet facility, Patrick on taking high school drafting classes, inherited additional production areas and employees. something he was so good at that others He demonstrated the same type of improvements by would ask him how to work in AutoCAD coaching his employees and helping them under- and other programs. When he studied at Moraine stand their impact on the customer and business. Valley CC, his teachers were engineers by day and When Patrick was a shop floor supervisor, he went instructors at night. Initially, Patrick wanted to be above and beyond to foster pride in his team by a teacher who communicated to young people showing them how the components being manufac- why keeping manufacturing “I learned to first show respect tured played an important role in the US is so important. in the overall product. before trying to gain respect. It has The example of his college In the previous two years, given me a strong foundation for teachers who went out and Patrick managed through an worked in industry and in which my career is built upon.” employee work stoppage that some cases retired to teach, motivated him to earn lasted three months and three rounds of reduction in a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Illinois State the workforce. Although unfortunate, these experiences University and pursue a career in manufacturing. helped Patrick grow as a leader and demonstrated his Patrick started at the Caterpillar Decatur facility as an ability to withstand pressure and make difficult decisions. operations supervisor at 22 with responsibility for lead- Because of his excellent communication and presen- ing hourly employees in achieving their safety, quality, tation style, Patrick was asked to deliver training to key and cost and throughput requirements. Patrick made leaders on the shop floor about 5S and lean manufac- immediate improvements to the Lower Power Train pro- turing principles. This demonstrated how 5S makes the duction areas through his ability to lead and motivate jobs on the shop floor safer and more productive. his employees. While in Decatur for three years Patrick As of this year Patrick has transitioned into a Six managed production areas in machining, fabrication Sigma Black Belt role. In this role Patrick is currently and final assembly before pursuing an opportunity at involved in a project aimed at optimizing gas and the Caterpillar Joliet facility. power usage throughout the plant. If successful, it At the Caterpillar Joliet facility Pat managed the could serve as a model for other Caterpillar plants. Heat Treat production line. During the first year in Patrick is also part of a new deployment of Lean his role, Patrick yielded positive improvements in Manufacturing that is being piloted at select Caterpil- an Employee Opinion Survey. He empowered his lar facilities. employees to be self-sufficient and make decisions Patrick believes in giving back to the community and that positively impacted the Heat Treat Value Stream is an active member of the Caterpillar Joliet Women’s business. Patrick also propelled himself by sharing Initiative Network (WIN). As a member, Patrick or- and utilizing the “best practices” he learned at the ganized various activities to raise money for tornado Decatur facility and helped to implement those prac- victims in Washington, IL, a plant-wide event that tices at the Joliet facility. exceeded the WIN fundraising goal. ME Olivia Girod Age: 23 Student, Oregon State University Corvallis, OR UNDER THIRTY T he future is bright with opportunity for recent sented their projects to members of engineering profes- engineering graduates who have demonstrat- sional chapters in Portland, OR. ed leadership. Olivia Girod, a June graduate Olivia’s positive influence during her college career of Oregon State University with an Honors has led to being recognized by students and faculty B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering, said that passing for her leadership. Over the past two years, Olivia has the defense of her Honors thesis paper was a pivotal stepped into her roles as OSU SME Chair and Chair moment in her college career. The honors thesis has Elect with responsibility for organizing meetings and resulted in a conference publication and will be sub- recent elections, assisting in industry tours, and coordi- mitted for journal publication, according to her faculty nating mock interviews with industry for OSU students. thesis co-advisor. Olivia has been recognized for her academic A second pivotal moment was learning about the achievements, having received the SME Directors possibilities of internships during her Junior and Senior Scholarship (2013), the SME Future Leaders of Manu- years. “While I love engi- facturing Scholarship, and “While I love engineering, I also love neering, I also love working the SME Myrtle & Earl working with people so the internship with people so an internship Walker Scholarship in 2012. in an operations manage- seemed like a great opportunity for me.” Having excelled aca- ment position seemed like a great opportunity for me. demically at OSU, where she carried an overall 3.79 With persistence, I was able to make contact with the GPA, Olivia was initiated into the Tau Beta Pi and Intel representative, gain an interview and be offered Alpha Pi Mu honor societies and she was nominated the position.” as the Outstanding Industrial and Manufacturing Intel was one of two companies where Olivia Engineering Graduate for 2014’s class. Olivia volun- earned a competitive MECOP six-month industry teered in the Society of Women Engineers to get girls internship during her last two years of school. As interested in engineering and community involvement an intern at Intel, Olivia had served as Captain of and has participated in the OSU Mentors and Men- the Ship for Consolidated Die Prep Manufacturing. tees program where she was a mentor to first-year As such, Olivia was responsible for daily manufac- women in engineering. turing operations and had direct responsibility for In June, Olivia began work as an operations manager 60 employees during her shift. Her responsibilities at Intel Corporation in a position she had previously included line management, tooling, and staffing interned in. “I am looking forward to this position as it is decision making. a balance of the technical engineering side of manufac- In her second MECOP internship with Precision turing and the challenges of personnel management. Castparts Corp. (PCC), Olivia was able to save PCC over I will be managing a team of approximately 10 to 15 $180,000 through her projects. While on her internship people ranging in age and background and am excited at PCC last year, she organized the Student Industry for the opportunity to apply what I have learned so far Presentation Night during which several interns pre- about management.” ME Adam Prante Age: 19 Sattler Machine Products Sharon Center, OH UNDER THIRTY A dam Prante blew away the competition metals, steels and how they’re made and their chemi- in the 2013 SkillsUSA CNC Lathe turn- cal makeup,” said Adam. ing challenge—beating his competition During his senior year, Adam was pretty much on by a full 45 minutes. That was last year, his own in learning CNC. His teacher was an expe- and this year, Adam is in an NTMA apprenticeship rienced manual machine operator, so they worked program working as an apprentice CNC setup and together on learning the CNC ropes. Adam read every- machine operator at Sattler Machine Products (Sha- thing he could about CNC and eventually his teacher ron Center, OH). said that he was good enough to win the nationals, Adam was nominated for the 30 Under 30 honor by which he did as well as winning state and regional Toni Neary, business development for ToolingU-SME, machining skills competitions. who wrote that Adam was a pleasure to work with dur- “The time that I spent learning CNC from the ground ing the Regional Skills USA for Ohio. up paid off in the competition, and I was able to use that Adam’s interest in working with machines began with knowledge to my advantage,” Adam said. exposure to his father’s woodworking and carpentry. For Adam’s future plans, after finishing his apprentice- the last two years of high school, Adam chose to go to ship, of course, are to become more involved with the Medina (OH) Career cen- designing parts with emphasis ter where he spent two and a “The time that I spent learning CNC on their manufacturability. half hours a day in the shop from the ground up paid off in the Recently, Adam had the learning to run a Bridgeport, competition, and I was able to use opportunity to see the "Ameri- an engine lathe, or program that knowledge to my advantage.” can Made" movie. A local on Mastercam. shop, Automation Tool & Die, Adam was particularly motivated by his getting a sponsored showing the movie, which is a documentary 1996 Chevrolet S10 truck when he was sixteen and a about two small American businesses and how they half. “I wanted to make some pretty cool stuff for the moved forward and how consumers, business owners, truck rather than buying it. I painted the truck and and government can cooperate to bring business back lowered it, and last winter I got an aluminum block 5.3 to the US. V8. Then I tore the motor back out and boosted it up to Adam returns to his high school regularly where he 450 hp.” serves as a part of the school’s advisory council. He is in- Typically, the NTMA apprenticeship has two or volved in touring the shop and offering advice on how to three Tooling U online classes a week: for example, make the class better. He also talks to students about the two classes on controllers for a mill and lathe, a Maxi opportunities for good paying jobs and the bright future lathe or mill, or a Haas lathe or mill. that a career in manufacturing can offer them. He tells “Tooling U Classes covered machining different them that they can look forward to good paying jobs in materials including plastics, steels, and other metals. environments that aren’t anything like the negative image Then we’ll do a materials part in plastic, in different that has been portrayed about manufacturing. ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Anthony Murphy Age: 29 Plex Systems Irvine, CA UNDER THIRTY S ome people are born to manufacturing; oth- so, he was able to save jobs in what’s been a tough ers—such as Anthony Murphy—have manu- Michigan economy. facturing thrust upon them. Anthony was just Here’s how it happened. RLM had a full-scale tooling 13 years old, sleeping in on a humid Michigan department on site so that tools could be made quickly summer morning, when he was prodded and cajoled and at a low cost for customers, but when the over- into waking up by his father: staffed department was deemed a liability, it was An- “He unceremoniously woke me up one day during thony who was tapped to reduce it to a single machine summer vacation and drove me over to RLM Industries and toolmaker. (Oxford, MI),” Anthony recalled. “My dad didn’t have To Anthony, letting those hard workers go wouldn’t all the best opportunities growing up, and he wanted feel right. This “fixer” needed a way to fix the situation to be sure I did. To teach me the value of a good day’s without having to cut jobs. He attributes his solution work and managing my to a brief moment of reflec- “Anthony is an example of what money and being respon- tion. As he looked out his manufacturing represents: Innovation, sible, he took me to the office window, he noticed company where he himself hard work, creativity and determination.” the company’s delivery truck was working. He dropped me off near one of the bay taking parts to a supplier to be machined. He thought doors of the foundry, and I remember I could feel the “Why not repurpose our CNCs to machine parts as well heat as I walked closer and closer to the door. I started as build tooling?” out sweeping floors and shoveling steel, and worked my He got the team to work immediately. Instead of way up from there.” shutting the department down, he was able to move In total, Anthony spent 13 years working there, it from a loss leader to a profit sanctuary in under six fitting it in around his studies from junior high all the months and even add a second shift. way through college. He held several positions—from That anecdote comes from Katy Teer of Plex Sys- laborer to IT and process improvement, earning a tems, where Anthony now works. “As a Plex Delivery reputation for being a “fixer.” A self-proclaimed “tech Executive, Anthony works hand-in-hand with our geek at heart,” he was constantly finding ways to customers to implement Plex Cloud ERP throughout augment the features of company’s ERP system. He their manufacturing operations,” Teer said. “He recently tweaked the system so that it was able to monitor received a company award recognizing his dedication to capacity and productivity, doubling shipments to $14 customer satisfaction. million annually. He also created a touchscreen system “Anthony is an example of what manufacturing to capture manufacturing data and implemented a represents,” Teer concluded: “Innovation, hard program that dramatically reduced the time to produce work, creativity and determination; quietly working outside work orders. behind the scenes to make things better, faster Anthony’s happiest success at RLM was transform- and stronger.” She, like Anthony himself, is grateful ing the company’s least profitable division into one for what his dad got started on that warm summer of the most successful in record time. And by doing morning in Michigan. ME Natalie Byler Age: 30 Medtronic Spinal and Biologics Warsaw, IN UNDER THIRTY W hen Natalie Byler was a kid, she oc- Natalie is the SWE—Society for Women Engineers— casionally was able to watch her dad site lead for the Warsaw facility, and has “taken the and others at the GM powertrain facility program to the next level,” by organizing fundraisers in Bay City, MI. Years later, she went to and working with the community on such programs as a Women in Engineering summer camp at Michigan Adopt a Family and Tools for Schools during her time as Tech, but Natalie says that it was back there at GM, site lead, according to Tracy. standing to one side and watching camshafts being Natalie, who is also currently pursuing a Masters in formed in their multitudes, that “the seed was planted” the Biomedical Engineering program at Purdue Uni- for a career in manufacturing. versity, knows that there is more to manufacturing than That seed is in full bloom now at Medtronic Spinal many people realize. and Biologics, where Natalie has worked for seven “It’s not just making the parts. There’s so much years—as a quality engineer and, more recently, as support that goes along with that. You get so many op- Technical Supervisor of Metrology. portunities to problem-solve. And occasionally you get This facility manufactures spinal implants and those days where you actually get to see the impact instruments for the medical device industry—titanium, that your product makes,” she said.“Those are the stainless steel, and cobalt chrome devices. It’s a very best days.” fast-paced manufacturing environment. Natalie has As an example, she offers something that happened “consistently performed at a high level” here, thanks to when she was a quality engineer responsible for the her “strong technical skills and “Occasionally you get those days facility’s spinal rod product, her ability to communicate with which is mainly used for treating where you get to see the impact others,” said her supervisor, Se- scoliosis. She was showing a tour that your product makes. Those nior Quality Engineering Manager group of high school students the Tom Tracy. “She is a very high are the best days.” shotpeening process: how vari- performer” who has helped to implement standard work ously sized rods are shot peened. in the metrology lab and who manages the facility’s “A student asked if we also make the larger rods, microbiology lab, which monitors the site’s water system and I said yes, we also make the longer, 500-mm for biocontamination. rods,” she remembers. “And he said, ‘Oh! I have “Last year, Natalie worked on a project to bring LAL— those!’ I said, what do you mean? He said, “Yeah, I endotoxin—testing in house. She purchased an LAL test had my surgery about a year ago and I have Medtronic machine so that we could perform the testing in house” rods in my back.’ instead of having an outside lab do it, Tracy explained. “To see this boy standing there, standing straight, Natalie trained employees and wrote the work instruction and to think that I might have held those same rods in on how to use the equipment and how to review the test my hand at one point in time—I can’t describe the feel- results. The result: “A cost saving of $191,061.” ing. It was amazing.” ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Bradley Bilacic Age: 24 Star Cutter Tawas, MI UNDER THIRTY “A s long as I can remember I have always the machining aspect,” he recalled. “I was able to be had an interest in how things were a part of the development of a complex kanban system made,” says Brad Bilacic. Brad’s father that would be used at both the Burlington, IA and the was a rural carrier for the post office Racine, WS site.” and was responsible for maintaining his work vehicle— Since finishing at Ferris, Brad has spent much of a weekly task. His father had Brad assemble his first his career working two jobs concurrently. The first is Volkswagen engine at the age of nine. at Star Cutter, a gear hobbing manufacturer based in “My dad raced cars and was always building or Tawas, MI. “Gear hobbing was completely new to me working on a car,” Brad remembered. “The very first and I loved the challenge of learning a new product,” engine he ever built was a VW Brad said. “Every day has been “Nothing beats turning the handle engine, so he had me do the filled with new challenges and same thing. I remember clean- of a Bridgeport Mill and feeling I am able to apply various skill ing parts in a pan of gasoline— the cutting pressure.” sets that I acquired in college.” this was when gas was cheaper—on the floor of the He deals with CNC programming and machining there, garage. We built the whole thing from the ground up along with trying to improve product flow using lean from scratch.” Brad’s interest in mechanics would manufacturing principles. grow as he started driving and building race cars at The second job is as an instructor at Delta Com- age 12. munity College in Saginaw, MI. “I teach basic manual During high school Brad took two years of machine machining and CAD/CAM at night after I work my engi- trades and competed in the SkillsUSA competition and neering job during the day. I love being able to share my worked at XLT Engineering as a CNC Mill operator. He experiences with others and enjoy lighting the manufac- also earned 21 Tooling University certificates and eight turing fire within others.” National Institute for Metalworking Skills certificates. It For a person who grew up building engines in a was during this time, he said, that he realized “I wanted garage, there are benefits in teaching old-fashioned to take what I had learned about machining and apply it manual machining, even after a full day in a modern from an engineering stance.” factory. “Nothing beats turning the handle of a Brad attended Ferris State University (Big Rapids, Bridgeport Mill and feeling the cutting pressure,” MI), where he worked as a laboratory aid or teacher’s according to Brad. assistant each semester in his four years. In his final “It is too easy to get caught up in the fast-paced two years, he served as secretary and then president CNC-driven world—sometimes you need to revert back of the university’s SME chapter, Chapter 138. Going to the basics before you can try to improve forward. into his senior year he served an internship at Case Watching the chips fly off and adjusting the RPM as New Holland, “my first experience with engineering needed manually is a nice way to make sure that you from more of an industrial side instead of dealing with never forget where it all started.” ME JoAnn Mitchell Senior Project Leader Sandvik Coromant Fair Lawn, NJ www.sandvik.coromant.com FOCUS ON THE WorkForce All Great Endeavors Begin in the Imagination I f necessity is the mother of invention, then perhaps we an early and highly successful Mars probe project, on the can say that imagination is the father. When invention and surface of Mars by parachute. One of the most ambitious mis- imagination come together, incredible things can be accom- sions ever sent to Mars, the goal of the Viking program was for plished. Since the beginning of our great country, pioneers in an orbiter to photograph the surface of Mars and a vehicle to the United States have been an innovation engine, steadily chugging along solving problems that have puzzled previous generations. From amazing engi- neering feats such as the Hoover Dam and the Em- pire State building to Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, all great endeavors began in the imagination. Landing on the Moon was a dream since the time of Plato. Now as it has been accomplished many times over, we almost take it for granted. For thou- sands of years, the idea of landing on the moon only resided in one’s imagination. It wasn’t until a team of talented people from both the creative and engineering disciplines combined resources that the moon landing became possible. But in doing so, many innovative and imaginative products and solutions have been created that make our world a better place. Creative imagina- Rationalizing insert assortments to cover multiple cutting situations tion combined with practical necessity solves problems can yield excellent results in many applications. that can extend far beyond the original design or use. Many NASA innovations intended only for space travel have land on Mars to study the surface. The material was originally benefited us in every day life although they were never designed developed to solve the problem of strength and weight for to do so – and some of them have been lifesaving inventions. durable parachute shrouds, not tires, for the Viking landers. Creative imagination combined with practical necessity solves problems that can extend far beyond the original design or use. Radial tires are commonplace items about which we don’t The problems of strength and weight, however, also impact the give much thought. It’s a perfect example of how a technical wear on radial tires. The imaginative leap from a Mars lander development evolved to solve an entirely different problem. parachute shroud to the tires which many of us have on a very The material used in many modern radial tires came from different mode of transportation we use every day is consider- research and development designed to soft-land the Vikings, able. But innovation, no matter how creative, is limited without the talented people who engineered and manufactured the physical solution to make the dream possible. Engineers have taken these ingenious ideas to actualize solutions to resolve problems, some even life-saving, that we experience in every day life. One could think of radial tires as life-saving devices as they keep us safe on the roads and the life-saving NASA spi- noffs don’t stop there. Another technology originally developed by NASA and partners that also translated into an imaginative alternative for human use is the heart pump for critically ill patients in need of a heart transplant. This pump keeps their blood circulating until a match for a transplant can be found. With a limited number of transplant organs available, this life- saving pump buys the patient valuable time for a donor match Examining new solutions to engineering problems to be found, essentially saving the patient’s life. The spin-off in metalcutting. heart pump is based on a pump that was originally created to meet the rigid requirements for payload, reliability and size for temperature and body functions like metabolic rates without the confines of a space vehicle. Innovators applied this new invasive probes are necessary. The solution to that problem is pump technology to a completely unrelated problem of pump- a customized suit that is a marvel of modern engineering. It ing blood through the human body using the same exacting protects a fragile human body from the vacuum of space and requirements that made it successful in space. extreme temperatures. Having clean water can also be considered a life-threatening Again, innovators took that space suit technology and ap- challenge for those of us here on Earth. On a planet covered by plied it to design products that we use in daily life such as in so much water it looks blue when seen from space, an abun- the thermometer. We can take a baby’s temperature without dance of clean water is something those of us on the ground the need to insert the thermometer into a baby’s mouth (or take for granted as soon as the tap is turned. In space, however, elsewhere) which is a great comfort to a sick child and anx- water is a scarce and precious resource. Any manned mission ious parents. None of these outstanding advances would have into space, including the International Space Station, requires been possible without the imagination of people who manu- an assured supply of drinkable water. That supply needs to be factured the product that we can now hold in our hands. recycled from existing sources no matter how strange or con- Although necessity may be the mother of invention, the taminated, as water is expensive and bulky to add to a payload. other side is the imaginative people who see problems and cul- Creative thinkers understood that a system developed to solve tivate solutions. The mad, crazy dreamers behind the “what if” this problem could also be applied to potable water for locations and “let’s try that” scenarios are often those who turned NASA on Earth where water is difficult to find or where existing water inventions lifesaving products. The leap of imagination required is too contaminated to drink safely. A California company took to spin off space technology into product that saves or improves this concept another step further. They developed a water bottle human lives must be balanced with the technical know-how or for people hiking or camping so that they could take water from capacity to propose a solution. Alone, imagination remains in available and abundant natural sources and render it drinkable. the province of the mind, an untested hypothesis. Only when The water passes through a filter using the same technology imagination is combined with the practical skills necessary to originally developed to provide drinkable water in space. shape that imaginative vision into a usable product that can be The list of innovative and imaginative ideas goes on and on. applied to the problem does innovation occur. Modern innovators have supplied us with plenty of examples All great endeavors may begin in the imagination but they where applying astronaut technology improves our daily lives. do not end there. The endeavor ends when the problem at Take the space suit for example. In an environment so hos- hand is solved. We celebrate those dreamers who have seen tile to human life it requires astronauts to carry their own envi- problems and have built the solutions that bring all of us a ronment with them, diagnostic devices that can measure body better world. ME Morgan Montalvo Age: 18 Student, California Polytechnic State University San Louis Obispo, CA UNDER THIRTY M organ Montalvo “was a force to be reck- And she has done more than compete, becoming in oned with from day one,” former teacher effect a goodwill ambassador for robotics, engineer- and robotics mentor Nancy McIntyre ing and STEM education both in the US and abroad. wrote when recommending Morgan for As SME-EF told us when recommending Morgan for an SME Education Foundation (SME-EF) scholar- recognition, “Morgan has traveled to Hawaii to teach ship. ‘Day one’ was when Morgan, in the summer students and teachers how to develop similar robot- before sixth grade, wandered into McIntyre’s robotics ics programs, to New Zealand and Tokyo to work on class—a class Morgan took only because she wanted service-related projects, to Cork, Ireland to conduct to fill the time between an earlier class and when her workshops for new teams and participate in that city’s mom could pick her up. It was “a class that was filled Inaugural VEX Robotics Competition.” with mostly boys,” McIntyre remembered: “Morgan When asked about her travels, Morgan said that was never intimidated by the boys.” As the summer the experience has been “mindboggling, especially progressed, she became someone the rest of the class places like New Zealand and Japan—places that learned to listen to. seem so completely different from what we’re used Others learned to listen as well. Morgan gradu- to. Mindboggling to see these people across the ated high school after achieving a 4.2 GPA in AP and world, miles and miles away, playing the same robot honors-level courses, leading her field hockey team as game as we do—but having completely different captain, and earning a Black Belt in karate. She is now ideas about it." a college freshman studying aerospace engineering Morgan has no doubt as to how she wants to put at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis her education and experiences to work after she Obispo—aided by that $70,000 graduates: She looks to the “I became addicted to the thrill SME-EF family scholarship. But stars. Years ago she visited the of working with others to create a she still remembers that long- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory ago summer class fondly—how solution to a complex problem.” (JPL) in Pasadena—the lead they made robots from kits and worked to get them to US center for robotic exploration of the solar system, do simple tasks in the context of games. She’s been according to NASA—and the experience was, she learning how to design and build robots ever since. “I says now, “an epiphany, which combined my love for became addicted to the thrill of working with others to space and engineering. I want to work in aerospace create a solution to a complex problem, which explains because I want to be directly involved in designing a why I continue with robotics.” satellite or rover to help launch the world into a new That first summer class got her involved with the age of discovery.” Eagle Engineering Robotics team: She has managed Morgan’s early champion, teacher Nancy Mc- to qualify for the VEX Robotics World Champion- Intyre, doesn’t doubt her on this: She wrote that Mor- ship—an annual competition of over 600 top robotics gan “will likely end up at JPL building and running teams from around the world—every year since 2008. the robotics missions throughout the universe.” ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Moneer Helu Age: 28 Student, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA UNDER THIRTY “I ’ve always been fascinated by huge ma- final deliverable required is a robot that you make—a chines—tinkering with them, making them, robot that’s supposed to accomplish a particular task,” trying to figure them out. I’d decided to be Moneer explained. “At the end of the semester there’s a mechanical engineer,” said Moneer Helu. a big competition. And throughout the entire semester He’s Associate Director of the Laboratory for Manu- you’re continually iterating the design of this robot to facturing and Sustainability (LMAS) at UC Berkeley’s achieve this one task and, hopefully, win the compe- College of Engineering, the school where he earned his tition. It was really a fun class and it allowed me to PhD and MS after earning an SB at MIT. That fascina- explore the machine shop. tion has brought him pretty far already: “I didn’t do well in the actual competition,” Moneer “Throughout his career, Dr. Helu has been a talented admitted, laughing: “I lost in the first round. One of my and extremely motivated researcher who has consis- mechanisms, which had been working continuously up tently been a leader in many “To think of manufacturing as still until that point, decided not of our group’s activities,” wrote to work. My robot suddenly some person on a line screwing in the Moneer’s supervisor, LMAS wasn’t able to lift an object high same screw over and over every day— Director David Dornfeld, chair enough to compete with its of the Mechanical Engineering that’s just not accurate anymore.” adversaries. It was pitiful! But Dept. “His research accomplishments are substantial the whole thing really was a great experience. It opened and well recognized in the manufacturing research com- my eyes to the machine shop and the different things you munity even at this early stage of his career.” could do in manufacturing.” Moneer’s PhD thesis research analyzed the link be- Moneer hopes that the eyes of other young people tween manufacturing process operations and precision can get opened to the modern world of manufacturing. and the environmental impacts, energy, and material “People still think of it as drudgery. They don’t realize the and resource utilization of a product over its entire life types of skills that are used and positions that are vastly cycle. His most recent research involves developing available in manufacturing these days,” he said. “Manu- data-driven tools for manufacturing. He has already facturing engineers call up different technologies to im- authored or co-authored four peer-reviewed journal prove systems and make cooler products—from turbine articles, seven peer-reviewed articles in proceedings/ blades for a jet engine to biomedical devices. Machinists symposia; and chapters in two textbooks, as well as are always making something new, always figuring out given numerous presentations. interesting, clever ways to, say, fabricate a particularly Not a slouch, then. But if you’re tempted to think challenging geometry. To think of manufacturing as still that this is a fellow for whom everything comes eas- some person on a line screwing in the same screw over ily, you might be surprised to know that an event that and over every day—that’s just not accurate anymore.” helped to lead Moneer toward manufacturing engineer- Moneer has recently accepted a position with the ing was a decided failure. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) “While at MIT I took a course in design and mecha- where he expects he’ll continue to work on problems nisms, and a nice component of the course is that the very relevant to manufacturing. ME Paul David Filler Jr. Age: 25 Workshops for Warriors San Diego, CA UNDER THIRTY A s a member of the US Marines, Paul David The machining area grew from one machine and no Filler Jr. first started learning the machin- CAD/CAM programming, to four Haas CNC machines ist trade while stationed at Camp Pendleton and 10 seats of Mastercam. He was responsible for near San Diego. His aptitude for machining assisting and developing the curriculum for our first techniques and quickly learning CNC programming led National Accreditation.” him on the path to becoming an apprentice and CNC Within three months, Workshops for Warriors was instructor for Workshops for Warriors (WFW; San Diego). accredited through the National Institute for Metalwork- Later he was named head of the Machining Department ing Skills (NIMS; Fairfax, VA), the shortest amount of of the organization that helps train US military veterans time in the history of NIMS, noted Luis y Prado. “He for machining jobs in the manufacturing industry. is deeply committed in providing the best training for A native of Ohio, Filler grew up in a small town near his fellow brothers and sisters of the armed services,” Akron. As a boy he recalled always being fascinated he added. “With his perseverance and dedication, with building things out of Legos his students have been placed and Lincoln Logs. With only a “Manual machining is a great throughout the United States in week of training as a manual way to learn the fundamentals manufacturing jobs.” machine operator in the Marine of everything.” Today, Filler performs multiple Corps., Filler steadily rose through roles, as one of the two instructors the machinist ranks to obtain nearly 30 national ac- at Workshops for Warriors and head of the Machining creditations and becoming WFW’s first Mastercam Department, while finishing his studies at City College, Certified Instructor. He currently is working on his Luis y Prado said. “In conjunction with those roles, he degree in Machining Technology at San Diego City also has earned over 30 industry-recognized certifica- College and he plans to eventually finish his four-year tions and is our first Mastercam Certified Instructor.” degree in Mechanical Engineering. At the Workshop for Warriors facility, approximately “I always knew I wanted to be an engineer,” said 30,000 ft2 is allocated to the machining area, where Filler, who initially worked on manual Bridgeport mills various machine tools help US veterans find a place in and lathes. “Manual machining is a great way to learn the manufacturing industry. The latest machine at WFW the fundamentals of everything.” is a new $1 million laser metalcutting machine donated After his honorable discharge from the Marines, Filler by Amada America (Buena Park, CA), Filler said. quickly earned his stripes at Workshop for Warriors. In his current role, Filler finds a lot of gratification “Paul proved to be an excellent machinist and in teaching the machinist trade to his fellow veterans. distinguished himself among his peers,” noted Hernán “I noticed that a lot of guys when they come out, they Luis y Prado, founder and president of Workshop for don’t have a plan. As long as you want to learn, you Warriors. “He began his teaching career at Workshops can do it,” Filler said. “For a lot of them, it gives them for Warriors in the fall of 2013 under the tutelage of a purpose, and it’s real rewarding to go out and help his mentor Patrick Dorris. With his help, the CNC people be able to find good jobs in the manufacturing machining program was developed and implemented. industry.” ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Rebekka Neumann Age: 19 EMAG LLC Farmington Hills, MI UNDER THIRTY H ands-on from an early age, Rebekka Neu- A 2013 Plymouth Salem High graduate, Neu- mann liked to take things apart and rebuild mann’s team won the FIRST Robotics district cham- them. But it wasn’t until she joined her high pionship in her senior year. A good student in math, school’s FIRST (For Inspiration and Recogni- Neumann found that the robotics competitions stirred tion of Science and Technology) 862 Lightning Robotics her interest in manufacturing. “I always liked draw- team that she really knew she’d make a career in the ing and I would always take things apart, things like manufacturing field. pens, and I was interested in mechanical things. On Neumann, who just turned 19, is now working as the FIRST robotics team, you build a robot to com- a mechatronics technical apprentice for EMAG LLC pete in a different game each year, like shooting Fris- (Farmington Hills, MI, and bees in a goal,” she said. “It’s “Young adults such as Rebekka Salach, Germany), a builder of a wonderful program because are the future of our industry and machine tools for cutting and they don’t focus on winning— grinding gears and other com- prove that there is a place for highly it’s more about the teamwork.” ponents, while going to school skilled talent in manufacturing,” In high school, Neumann at Henry Ford Community College (Dearborn, MI). took a class to learn AutoCAD and also became profi- She’s in the first class of the new Michigan Advanced cient using the Autodesk Inventor design program. Her Technical Training program where students study father works as an engineer in automotive, designing technical programs while working at a sponsoring lighting products for Hella Electronics. A native of Her- company like EMAG. zebrock, Germany, Neumann moved with her family to “Young adults such as Rebekka are the future of Michigan in 2006. our industry and prove that there is a place for highly “My dad’s an engineer and I’ve always been lean- skilled talent in manufacturing,” said Kristal Kilgore, ing toward that,” Neumann said. “I only joined the marketing manager, EMAG LLC, in her nomination of robotics team in my senior year because I didn’t Neumann. “Foregoing a traditional four-year university, know about it before that. Once I did, that really she is participating in a joint educational-working pro- changed everything.” gram that allows her to gain both college credits and Her hands-on work also includes pitching in with industry experience. In three years she will graduate working on home remodeling projects for her family’s with an advanced associate’s degree and with real- business. She and her younger brother have worked world working experience.” with her parents on refurbishing homes, doing work Already proficient in AutoCAD, as well as fluent in including carpentry, electrical, and plumbing. German and conversational in Spanish, Neumann is still For the future, Neumann’s working toward estab- eager to learn as much as she can about how machines lishing herself in a technical career, learning mecha- work, and how to build and repair them, noted Kilgore. tronics at EMAG and attending classes at Henry Ford. “Rebekka is worthy of this nomination because “I definitely want to stay in manufacturing and I really young adults like her are essential to filling the growing like working at EMAG. But I want to own my own com- skills gap in manufacturing,” Kilgore added. pany someday.” ME Andrew Osborn Age: 26 United Grinding North America Miamisburg, OH UNDER THIRTY F rom the time he first tinkered with his grand- Osborn honed his passion for manufacturing in parents’ go-kart at age ten, Andrew Osborn college, noted Neckel, adding key skills including probably knew he’d be an engineer one day. advanced working knowledge of welding, CNC ma- Osborn today works as a product engineer chine tools, CNC programming and a slew of other at United Grinding North America (Miamisburg, OH), technical skills started while studying mechanical developing and supporting new solutions for the internal engineering at Miami University. “Andrew is a criti- cylindrical grinding business. A fast study, Osborn’s got- cal member of the United Grinding North America ten rave reviews from his days at Miami University (Ox- team, as his work and accomplishments have been ford, OH), where he earned his BS degree in Mechani- transformative for the company,” Neckel stated. “He cal Engineering, and from his current work colleagues. is a shining example of what it means to be talented “At just 26 years old, Andrew already has a quite engineer and an excellent role model for encourag- impressive manufacturing career,” said Ted Neckel, ing a career in manufacturing.” United Grinding, director of corporate marketing, in his For his senior capstone project at Miami, Osborn was nomination of Osborn. “Having only been with United a highly regarded member of the university’s SAE Baja Grinding North America for a year, Andrew has proven Team, an intercollegiate competition in which he was to be an extremely dedicated and highly skilled indi- named suspension team leader, leading design and fab- vidual. He has single-handedly paved the way for the rication of off-road Baja vehicles for two competitions. company’s internal cylindrical A Cincinnati native, Os- grinding business.” “He is a shining example of what it born credits his university for While four product engi- means to be talented engineer and giving him a great foundation neers typically work within each an excellent role model for encour- for his current work. “I think grinding division, “Andrew is a aging a career in manufacturing.” the biggest part of that is your ‘one man band’ who carries out independence in the ma- all of the major responsibilities of his division,” Neckel chine shop,” Osborn said. “There’s such a huge gap said, working with customers to increase their under- behind theory and actually applying it in manufactur- standing of grinding technology. ing.” One of Miami’s requirements is to take a project Prior to hiring Andrew, the UG team was highly from the planning and design stage straight through impressed with the work he did for his previous em- manufacturing. “You do the entire project—from ployers, Neckel said, especially his performance in design, determining the funding for the project, and the design and production of automotive ball joints, tie manufacturing,” Osborn said. “We did an off-road rods and control arms for aftermarket customers. “He machine that we raced in competitions in Alabama handled the entire design and engineering process for and in Rochester, NY.” this new product program from start to finish,” Neckel As for the future, Osborn’s excited to continue build- said. “Such a feat requires someone who is highly ing UG’s internal cylindrical grinding business, where he organized and has an extraordinary multifaceted skill works with teams in Switzerland and develops products set—and this describes Andrew to a tee.” for US-based automotive and aerospace buyers. ME Thomas J. Swistro Age: 30 ebm-papst Inc. Farmington, CT UNDER THIRTY A n experienced welder and fabricator, Thomas and poise for an engineer of his particular experi- J. (“TJ”) Swistro, 30, recalls always being in- ence level. He is thoughtful and insightful and always trigued with making, fabricating and custom- strives to solve problems with a strong balance of ap- izing products. After working as a welder to plied engineering principles versus true cost consid- help pay his way through college, Swistro earned his BS erations. This is, by definition, the key trait of the best degree in Industrial Technology at Central Connecticut and most effective engineers.” State University. He’s currently working on his MBA at Swistro championed two of ebm-papst’s primary pro- the University of Hartford. duction processes—deep drawing of large inlet cones Today, Swistro is a manufacturing engineer for ebm- and robotic welding of aluminum wheels, he noted, and papst Inc., where he designs and develops custom tool- has worked diligently to design and organize many new ing and fixtures for production at the manufacturer of custom tool sets for the deep drawing process. “With electric fans and air movers. “Being able to make some- each new one, we are able to in-source a new part and thing totally new and unique save considerable part costs and or modify an existing item to “The idea that someone is willing reduce part lead time. With our increase its ability or efficiency to pay for a product that I had a robotic welding cell, TJ was able has always been something I part in creating is pretty awesome!” to come up with a completely innately gravitate towards,” Swis- unique strategy for clamping tro said. “The idea that someone is willing to pay for a and holding parts during the welding process to reduce product that I had a part in creating is pretty awesome!” and correct part variations.” While in college, Swistro’s experience as a welder- Swistro has taken a rigorous class in welding in- fabricator helped hone many of the hands-on skills he spection, Ladegard added, furthering his abilities and possesses, he said. “These skills combined with the credentials, and passed a certification test to become a theoretical knowledge I learned in school give me the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI). ability to recognize problems and quickly and efficiently Swistro sees lots of potential for the industry. “I like generate ‘real-world’ solutions for these issues. In my the new technology that is developing. Fiber lasers, 3D current role as a Manufacturing Engineer, this ability is printers and robotics are an example of how things that crucial to maintain production quality, meet deadlines weren’t possible yesterday are now possible today,” he and provide a solution for the customer.” said. “The ability to make complex parts, especially at a Swistro’s hard work and dedication drew raves from production level, is becoming more viable every day. ebm-papst Director of Operations Brian Ladegard, “I feel very lucky to have the career that I have and who recommended Swistro for 30 Under 30. “I have to be a part of the team here at ebm-papst,” Swistro had the distinct pleasure of having TJ in my Engineer- added. “I plan to use that higher-level business educa- ing organization at ebm-papst Inc for the last five tion to secure a managerial role at ebm-papst…This will years. TJ is extremely hard working and motivated in allow me to have in-depth knowledge of all the different his engineering duties at ebm,” Ladegard said. “He aspects of a business while still using my engineering displays a truly amazing amount of professionalism skill set to meet real world demands.” ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Jeffrey Leone Age: 27 Standadyne Corp. Windsor, CT UNDER THIRTY A certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Jeffrey His work impresses both peers and colleagues, Leone, 27, has already had a highly varied like Kevin Rowley, Southern Region manager, Cinetic career. He has worked in the recreational Landis Corp. (Greer, NC), who recommended Leone vehicle industry and in healthcare and phar- for 30 Under 30. “He is a proactive problem solver,” maceuticals, before moving to his position as a manu- Rowley wrote in his recommendation letter. “He facturing engineer at the facility in Greenville, NC, of tackles things head on, possibly from his hockey Stanadyne Corp. (Windsor, CT), a manufacturer of fuel playing background.” pumps and filters. Leone credits his studies at the Uni- Becoming a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt at a young versity of Dayton (Dayton, OH), where he earned his BS age, Leone “leads and trains five other associates at in Industrial Engineering Technol- Stanadyne by the example of a ogy, for fostering skills needed in “As a kid I loved to build models, great work ethic and takes on his manufacturing career. play with Legos, and help repair all challenges,” Rowley said, “The college I went to defi- things when they broke.” noting his involvement on the nitely shaped me to become as Engineering Change Board. “He successful as I have,” Leone said. “They have a unique has expanded his role at Stanadyne to include not only engineering program that not only stresses academics all aspects of grinding, but parts washing and industrial but also hands-on application as well.” The knowl- chemicals used at the plant.” edge of engineering tools and functions made Dayton Leone said the diversity of experiences really pre- students very prominent, he noted, in procuring co-ops pared him for the challenges of manufacturing. “What I and internships. like the most about the manufacturing field so far is the While in college, Leone worked at the premium travel ability to create, fabricate, and assemble many different trailer manufacturer Airstream conducting lean manu- things that eventually are used in society,” he added. facturing events and doing time studies as well as creat- In his current position, Leone said he likes being ing detailed CAD layouts for modifying plant layouts and responsible for multiple machines, assisting multiple other projects. As a contractor at Health-Mor, he did operators, and always looking for new ways to improve more CAD work and participated in a 5S lean event to the current process. optimize warehouse distribution, as well as other proj- “I work with many amazing people who help me with ects. Leone also worked as an engineering technology my projects because I am always there to help them contractor for Hospira, a specialty pharmaceutical and when they need something,” he said. "The working rela- medical delivery company, before joining Stanadyne. tionship with my operators is what truly makes imple- Leone recalls being attracted early on by the pros- menting an improvement a lot smoother. With their help pect of building, fixing and assembling products. “As a I am able to modify their machine, process, or work kid I loved to build models, play with Legos, and help area to increase their productivity and quality.” repair things when they broke,” he said. “Later in life Leone hopes to acquire his Six Sigma Black Belt and that translated over to building fixtures for the machines ASQ certification in the future, and eventually become a I work on or fix.” manufacturing manager or a plant manager. ME Harper Behrens Fry Age: 21 Student, Wichita State University Wichita, KS UNDER THIRTY F or some 30 Under 30 honorees, the path to cites Dr. Malzahn as a mentor who encouraged her to their degree or career wasn’t always clear. After pursue mechanical engineering. graduating from her alternative high school “I was really excited when he approached me about with honors at 16, Harper Behrens Fry wasn’t the position,” Harper said. “It really made me want to exactly sure of her next step. be more hands-on in my studies.” In high school, she had shown real potential in The 2013 academic year also had Harper work- math and science and wanted to pursue an advanced ing with her school’s Robotic Implementation Group degree, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. (RIG) to design a robotic drawing machine—a Com- After spending a year at a community college, Harper puterized Numeric Controlled (CNC) machine that decided to pursue mechanical engineering and trans- will draw with a marker. Using three motors, each ferred to Wichita State University. running a single axis, the ma- She chose mechanical engineer- “Harper is a down-to-earth, chine will draw any design that ing, she said, because of the hardworking and humble young is uploaded to the software. The potential the degree offered her. woman who has shown great machine can move a marker up, “I see mechanical engineering strides in advancing herself and down, and around a page, allow- as a very open field, and I wanted others while being involved in ing it to draw almost anything. a more general engineering de- The project also reinforced the field of her studies.” gree that would lead me to either Harper’s desire to study design or to being more hands-on,” she said. “It’s given mechanical engineering. She sees it as a way of me more options for what I could do with my degree in understanding various engineering processes, which a career setting.” she says is necessary no matter what field she ends She was encouraged by Ken Winder, a facilities up in. equipment engineer with Spirit AeroSystems and a long- “I designed this machine, but the result is nothing time family friend who nominated Harper. “Harper is a like what I designed,” she said. “I think that’s going down-to-earth, hardworking and humble young woman to happen across the board in engineering, so I think who has shown great strides in advancing herself and understanding the manufacturing process is key.” others while being involved in the field of her studies,” In addition to the Robotics Implementation Group, Winder wrote. Harper is a member of The Society of Women Engineers As part of that involvement, Harper is a library and a member of SWE’s student chapter at Wichita student assistant at WSU. This past academic year, she State. This summer, she is interning full-time at Spirit was an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Don- AeroSystems in a quality engineering position. She’s ald Malzahn, an industrial and manufacturing engineer- also working with her Robotics Implementation Group to ing professor. In her position, Harper worked with him start a summer outreach program to get kids interested on revising and editing papers for publication. She also in robotics and manufacturing. ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Kanesha Overton Age: 22 Student, University of Oklahoma Norman, OK UNDER THIRTY F or Kanesha Overton, college wasn’t always an op- to build relationships with incoming minority engineer- tion. Growing up in a low-income family in Wash- ing students, meet her future professors, and also work ington, DC, college was a very distant dream, not on group projects relevant to engineering. only for Kanesha, but for her peers as well. As a member of MEP, which provides academic Most people, she said, never graduated from high services for minority students pursuing engineering school and typically worked in retail or the service in- degrees, Kanesha currently works in the office as a dustry. Today, she works to make sure that all students, student assistant and tutor coordinator, where many especially those from low-income areas, know they have parents of her classmates comment on her knowledge the power to be anything they want to be. and willingness to help. She previously tutored students “There’s nothing wrong with those jobs,” Kanesha in calculus, chemistry, and other industrial engineering said. “But I think it’s important to know that you have courses. “Kanesha is a model tutor and student,” wrote options, that college is indeed an option.” Lisa Morales, director of the MEP, and one of several Kanesha cites her local chapter of the Boys & Girls people to nominate Kanesha. Club of America as the place where she started to real- In addition to the MEP, Kanesha mentors students at ize that college was her best choice in order to make a local elementary school and volunteers weekly at the a difference in her community. Center for Children and Families in “I think it’s important to know After talking with her mentor there, Norman. “There are many qualities that you have options, that Marchlarina Davis, she began I admire about Kanesha,” Morales asking her high school teachers for college is an option.” wrote, “but her work ethic and per- advice to ensure she succeeded in college. During her severance to overcome adversity and succeed is what I junior year, Kanesha participated in a workshop hosted love so much about her.” by Purdue University that introduced her to more For Kanesha, volunteering is a labor of love. “I’m rigorous STEM courses. After being educated about committed to helping others, no matter what it takes,” engineering coursework, she knew she wanted to be she said. an engineer. Kanesha is also a member of several organizations, Kanesha chose to major in industrial and systems including OU’s SME student chapter, the National Soci- engineering because it combined engineering with the ety of Black Engineers, the National Society of Women business aspects of the field. “I love engineering, but Engineers, the Black Student Association at OU, and I also wanted to be business-savvy, so I chose a major Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where I could have the best of both worlds,” she told This summer, Kanesha has a supply chain manage- Manufacturing Engineering. ment internship with Halliburton. She plans to finish her Before she even began classes at the University of last semester at OU this fall and graduate in December. Oklahoma, Kanesha joined the university’s Multicultural Her ultimate career goal, she said, is to become the Engineering Program (MEP) and attended the AT&T CEO of a manufacturing company that serves its com- Summer Bridge Program. This opportunity allowed her munity and the world. ME Brian Davis Age: 24 Student, University of Florida Gainesville, FL UNDER THIRTY F or most students, education goes beyond the But Brian is not satisfied with making contributions classroom. For Brian Davis, a mechanical only in machining—he’s interested in cutting costs for engineering student at the University of Florida- all manufacturing sectors. His current research project Gainesville, education takes over his weekends, aims to address some critical machining challenges nights, and just about any free time he has. related to direct metal deposition (DMD) titanium alloy “He always stays very late in the lab and comes to parts, which may eventually help enable broader adop- the lab over the weekends,” wrote Dr. Yong Huang, tion of 3D metal printing. This topic reflects his broader a professor who nominated Brian. “You will not be research goal of studying material behaviors related to surprised that you may spot him conducting research the development of manufacturing processes. after midnight.” Brian is also the safety officer of his research group. Brian belongs to a research group overseen by Dr. He maintains the laboratory and materials safety manu- Huang at UF’s Center for Manufacturing Innovation. als, arranges laboratory renovations, and trains others Working with other graduate on the lab’s five-axis Mikron students, Brian works on “Brian is highly self-motivated and machining center. projects related to innovative clearly knows his career development “I really am blessed to manufacturing and surface plan—to be an entrepreneur in the area have Brian be my student,” technologies. So far, Brian of advanced manufacturing and revive Dr. Huang wrote. has worked on two projects: US manufacturing competitiveness.” When Brian finds free improving the cutting per- time on the weekends, he formance for titanium machining and an optimization works on and races go-karts with his friends. While an process for 3D printed metallic structures. undergraduate at the University of North Florida, Brian Over the last academic year, Brian has made prog- worked with his classmates to design and build a go- ress in understanding machining theory and apply- kart using CAD and FEA software at the University of ing ionic liquid-based minimum quality lubrication to North Florida. improve the cutting performance of commercially pure Brian expects to graduate in 2016. While he doesn’t titanium, Dr. Huang explained. The goal of the proj- have a definite career in mind, he has a definite objec- ect was to cut costs, which Brian achieved by using a tive: to bring about a manufacturing renaissance. As he lubricant additive mixture instead of a pure lubricant. A explained it, “the ultimate goal is to bring the state of report on Brian’s findings has been submitted to Wear, manufacturing back to the US so that it’s sustainable at an international journal on the science and technology a reasonable cost.” of friction, lubrication and wear, for publication review. “Brian is highly self-motivated and clearly knows his Dr. Huang praised Brian’s willingness to learn, point- career development plan—to be an entrepreneur in the ing to his dedication to understanding ionic liquids. area of advanced manufacturing and revive US manu- "Brian overcame the barrier in picking up his chemistry facturing competitiveness,” Dr. Huang wrote. “I am knowledge and successfully mastered the nature of sure that UF and my group will be proud of his achieve- ionic liquids through intensive reading.” ments in the future.” ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Jennifer Kruger Age: 27 Allmand Brothers Holdrege, NE UNDER THIRTY U nlike most 30 Under 30 honorees, when had worked at Allmand a few years ago for his advice, Jennifer Kruger, 27, started her manu- she decided to apply. facturing career, she had no experience In her nomination letter, Afton wrote that Jennifer in manufacturing. But after working at bridges the gap between veteran manufacturers and Allmand Brothers as a front line newcomers, and that her enthusi- assembly worker for six months, “Our customer demands drive astic leadership style has improved Jennifer was promoted to second- her every day and she will performance on her team. Morale in-command on her assembly do whatever it takes to make has improved dramatically on Jen- line. Another six months later, things happen.” nifer’s team, leading to a decrease she had taken the lead assem- in turnover rates and record highs in bly supervisor position. Now in her second year at productivity. Product quality has also increased. Allmand, Jennifer finds her job as lead assembly “Her peers describe her as dynamite, driven, consis- supervisor very fulfilling. tent, and humble,” Afton wrote. “I would describe her as “As a lead assembly supervisor, I find it very reward- inspirational. Jennifer is a prime example that anyone can ing to help my team succeed and be the best they can be successful with little-to-no experience. Her passion be, and to help in any way they may need, to make and enthusiasm are contagious.” their job easier,” Jennifer said. “I motivate my team by When not working at Allmand, Jennifer enjoys trying to make it fun, exciting and challenging. I also try doing anything that involves a little time outdoors— to always lead by example.” camping, fishing, gardening, hunting and spending “Jennifer has embraced this new role with extreme time with her family. She also volunteers with her passion,” wrote Afton Hollertz, a continuous improve- husband’s family readiness group for his National ment engineer at Allmand who nominated Jennifer Guard Unit. and is also a Manufacturing Engineering 30 Under As for future career plans, Jennifer says she’s con- 30 honoree herself (2013). “Our customer demands tent to lead her team and work on the line as needed, drive her every day and she will do whatever it takes but she’s keeping an open mind about her future. to make things happen.” She encourages those without manufacturing experi- Before working at Allmand, Jennifer had worked ence or education to follow their dreams. as a clerk at a local variety store. When her husband “Push yourself to be all you can be,” Jennifer said. was sent overseas with the National Guard for a year, “Never give up on yourself, no matter how frustrat- Jennifer stayed at home with their three daughters and ing it is. Believe you can do it. I always say the word started looking for work after her husband returned. ‘can’t’ is not in my vocabulary—I can do anything. She heard an advertisement on the radio that Allmand Work hard towards your goal, even if nobody else Brothers was hiring, and after asking her husband, who believes you can do it.” ME Sean Humes Age: 28 Choice Mold Components Clinton Township, MI UNDER THIRTY S ean Humes, a lifelong lover of all things create 3D models. He chose SolidWorks, and quickly computers, came to manufacturing for the learned and implemented the program. "It actually technology. He stayed for the rewarding career makes sure that everything is correct. You can’t really that, he says, provides challenges, learning make an incorrect part.” opportunities, and is “constantly engaging your brain.” Once the shop implemented the new process, all Sean’s path wasn’t always clear. Sean’s dad, James, of the delays went away—and Sean’s dad has him to is the owner of Choice Mold Components, a shop that thank. “When I talked to my dad, he said that he would specializes in both standard and custom mold and have never had done this had I not been here,” said die components. Despite “It just happens where manufacturing Sean. Sean’s technology growing up around manu- takeover didn’t stop with now is very heavily computer-aided, with facturing, Sean wasn’t sure SolidWorks, either—he in- CAD and CAM and all the programming he wanted to follow suit. He stalled GibbsCAM and CAM- started out at Michigan State and all the designing. ... It really just TOOL, and he updated and University hoping to go into started captivating my attention.” improved the entire network the medical field, then changed majors to computer infrastructure, including the server that stores all of the science. Eventually, he transferred to a school closer to shop’s data. His next goal is to go wireless, so programs home, and began spending more and more time at the can be placed directly onto a machine. shop, working mostly in the IT department. Something However, Sean’s achievements don’t end in the IT suddenly clicked. department. After Choice Mold invested in a high-end “It just happens where manufacturing now is very CNC mill several years ago, Sean decided to learn every heavily computer-aided, with CAD and CAM and all the part of the process. “That was kind of the point where programming and all the designing, and I kind of saw I said if I’m going to be a part of this, I want to know that transition,” Sean said. “It really just started capti- every side of it—all the machining, all the manufactur- vating my attention.” ing, all the designing,” said Sean, “so I pretty much just One of Sean’s earliest accomplishments had a huge said I’m gonna dive in.” impact on Choice Mold. Initially, the shop was using Foreman Steve Peltier, who nominated Sean, agrees software that only created 2D prints, and oftentimes, the that he can do it all. He wrote that Sean “can be asked dimensions would be inaccurate or the math wouldn’t to program, operate, run, or setup a machine…manage add up. For certain custom components with very tight the server, network, or one of the many software, build a tolerances, particularly for medical applications, this new computer or fix an existing one, update the website created a huge bottleneck. Dimensions would have to or one of the social links or advertising online, help train be verified with the customer, parts would be scrapped, a new or existing employee…or help in sales.” and time and money wasted. Despite Sean’s many accomplishments, he isn’t Since Sean had a background in computers, he was done learning yet. He says there are still processes for tasked with researching a solution. He knew the shop him to master at Choice Mold, and he’s optimistic about need to update its software to a program that could also the shop’s future and the economy. ME THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Andrew Steiner Age: 27 Sandvik Coromant Albany, NY UNDER THIRTY A s a Territory Productivity Engineer for Sandvik That experience compelled Andrew to continue his Coromant, Andrew Steiner is responsible for education at RPI with a major in industrial and man- bringing the latest in metalworking tools and agement engineering, a field that includes systems tooling solutions to the job shop masses. And engineering, operations management, quality control, people like Andrew—knowledgeable sales engineers manufacturing processes and statistics. His main area who are passionate about manufacturing—are essential of interest became operations, specifically productiv- to seamless communication and exchange of technolo- ity. That path led him to his roles as an IT Operations gies between suppliers and machine shops. Manager and Consultant, before leading him back to Andrew covers the eastern New York area, and most the engineering industry again. of his time is spent onsite with clients, since he needs to Now, Andrew’s taking the opportunity to not only be attuned to the fluctuating needs of different customers. share his knowledge with customers and coworkers, but “My role is to go in to any number of these customers and to become an ambassador for manufacturing among help them out on different applications where they might the next generation. While he was a student at RPI be struggling or they think they might be able to get better working in the labs, there were two summer programs productivity or tool life,” said Andrew. for high school students who were From there, he can recommend dif- “I think there’s an image about interested in manufacturing. When ferent tooling solutions and products manufacturing today that fits Andrew began working at Sandvik, to help the customer meet goals. older stereotypes, and people he remembered these camps, and Andrew’s manager, Aaron Petro- aren’t aware of how high-tech reached out to offer his expertise. sino, who nominated him, says that Andrew and Aaron put on pre- the work that we do is.” he “has an excellent background sentations about manufacturing, in helping people, both colleagues and customers, be- specifically machining, and some machining demon- come more comfortable and fluent in digital approaches strations in the Haas Lab at RPI. to manufacturing and communication. Andrew’s team of He’s also a big believer in dispelling outdated notions colleagues and his customers benefit from this exchange about manufacturing. “I think there’s an image about of experiences: knowledge flows in both directions.” Aaron manufacturing today that fits older stereotypes,” Andrew also credits Andrew’s previous work experiences in IT said, “and people aren’t aware of how high-tech the work operations and consulting as keys to his success. that we do is.” Part of this change in perception, Andrew Despite his diverse resume, Andrew’s passion has feels, needs to happen at the high school level. been engineering since his senior year in high school. “No one says go into trade school and become a He was required to do a semester-long internship, and machinist,” Andrew said, but “there are tons of oppor- he chose to work at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, tunities. It kind of bothers me that some people don’t where his dad is a professor, in the various manufac- think that going in as a machinist is a valid occupation turing labs. His interest in engineering was sparked in choice. Going into a program to become a machinist no small part by rapid prototyping, which he says he can provide opportunities comparable to those of some- became “very fascinated” with during his internship. one coming out of engineering school.” ME Michael Casey Age: 24 Workshops for Warriors San Diego, CA UNDER THIRTY M ike Casey spent five years serving his waterjets, lasers, and SolidWorks. In fact, Mike has country as a Marine Infantryman. Now, been so successful that he is now a Teacher’s Assis- he’s part of another movement to help the tant for a beginning class—CNC Mill Setup Operations United States—the effort to bring back and Programming. manufacturing jobs. His next step is to become a certified Machining After stepping on a pressure plate IED while serv- Instructor. “I’ve pretty much taken every machining ing in Afghanistan, Mike spent time recovering at the class available,” Mike says, “so I’m going to eventually Naval Medical Center in San Diego. It was there that instruct the machining classes. I’d like to instruct the he first heard about Workshops for Warriors, a non- programming class.” profit organization that provides vocational training for But Mike’s ambition isn’t limited to Workshops for manufacturing careers to returning, wounded, and Warriors. He already has his Associate’s Degree under disabled veterans. A friend of his belt, and is currently taking Mike’s at the hospital had been “With his hard work, dedication and math and CAD classes at San through the program, located motivation to learn, he earned over Diego City College. He hopes just down the street from the 14 multiple nationally recognized to transfer to San Diego State Medical Center. certifcations here at Workshops for University and earn a me- Mike was intrigued. Initially, Warriors. ... He hopes to becoming chanical engineering degree. he planned to stay in the Marine “I started taking classes while I a machining instructor.” Corps, but he had always been was at the hospital,” Mike said. interested in engineering and the process of improving “I was able to get all the general classes out of the way things, especially weapons, and he knew the skills he and right now I’m just finishing the required courses acquired in the Marines would serve him well in manu- specific for engineering—math mostly.” facturing. So, despite having no formal manufacturing Ultimately, after he receives his degree, he would or engineering experience, he changed course and like to work in the aerospace industry. But for now, he’s arrived at Workshops for Warriors a month early to learn “taking advantage of the area and all the transition op- everything he could before classes started. portunities” for veterans—a group whose skills, he says, That decision certainly paid off. Since starting the he has complete confidence in. program in June 2013, “Mike has been one of our top “Being a veteran, I just have a lot of confidence in students,” wrote Education Coordinator Long Huynh the ability of veterans,” Mike said. “I think sometimes in her nomination letter. She credits his success to people think that those skills, infantry skills, don’t his hard work, dedication, and motivation to learn. In translate to the civilian side, but I really feel that the his short time with the program, Mike has earned 14 skills and the character learned there can’t be learned nationally recognized certifications, which include pro- anywhere else and that they’re valuable and appli- gramming, setup, and operations of CNC mills, lathes, cable everywhere.” ME Honorable Mentions THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES Derrin Barber Eric Grenz Martin Miglio Kelsey A. Scheppers Age: 18 Age: 24 Age: 13 Age: 19 Student PCC Airfoils LLC Student Student Fairfield, OH Mentor, OH Chesterfield, MI Holts Summit, MO Matthew Combs Swapnil Gupta Justin D. Morrow Jonah Smith Age: 19 Age: 26 Age: 26 Age: 28 EMAG Sandvik Coromant University of Wisconsin-Madison Sandvik Coromant Farmington Hills, MI Schaumburg, IL Madison, WI Fair Lawn, NJ Ralf Drauz Larissa Hofmann Peter Panopoulos Jose Sosa Age: 29 Age: 24 Age: 25 Age: 25 RWTH Aachen University Edge Factor New England Metal Finishing Richard J. Daley College Aachen, Germany Ontario, Canada Rindge, NH Chicago, IL Garrett Dunn Josiah H. Johnson Nicole Pelletier Brad Stropes Age: 22 Age: 23 Age: 22 Age: 27 Michigan State University University of Wisconsin Stout University of Mass. SigmaTEK Systems LLC Dartmouth Eng. East Lansing, MI Dululth, MN Cincinnati, OH North Dartmouth, MA Ivan Dusper Andrew Lawniczak Lance Thrailkill Sandra Rhee Age: 25 Age: 21 Age: 30 Age: 19 PCC Airfoils LLC University of Pittsburgh All Metals Fabricating Student Mentor, OH Pittsburgh, PA Dallas, TX Fullerton, CA Jaclyn Eisenhauer Blake Lawson Christopher Tyler Tyler Rigby Age: 27 Age: 28 Age: 27 Age: 19 UNITED GRINDING CNC Jobs LLC UNC Charlotte Pennsylvania State University Miamisburg, OH Sterling Heights, MI Charlotte, NC Erie, PA
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