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NCMS Congratulates Dr. Thomas Kurfess on New Role as the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Chief Manufacturing Officer

Ann Arbor, Michigan

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) congratulates NCMS Board of Director Dr. Thomas Kurfess Ph.D., FSME, P.E. on his new position as the Chief Manufacturing Officer of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL.) In addition to supporting ORNL’s pioneering research in advanced manufacturing, Dr. Kurfess will provide leadership on the development of new manufacturing platforms and controls systems that will enable autonomous manufacturing through robotics and controls.

“As a long-standing member of the NCMS Board of Directors, Tom provides leadership and significant expertise and knowledge about a wide variety of manufacturing technologies,” said Lisa Strama, NCMS President and Chief Executive Officer. “Tom’s dedication to ensuring the growth and stability of U.S. manufacturing is second-to-none and we look forward to his many accomplishments while at ORNL.”

Prior to joining ORNL, Dr. Kurfess was a Professor and HUSCO/Ramirez Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power and Motion Control in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Previously, he also served as the Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing at the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President of the United States of America. In this position, he had responsibility for engaging the federal sector and the greater scientific community to identify possible areas for policy actions related to manufacturing. Dr. Kurfess was responsible for coordinating federal advanced manufacturing R&D, addressing issues related to technology commercialization, identifying gaps in current federal R&D in advanced manufacturing and developing strategies to address these gaps.

In addition to serving on the NCMS Board of Directors, Dr. Kurfess is currently serving as the immediate past president on the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Board of Directors after serving as SME president in 2018. Dr. Kurfess joined SME in 1983, was elected to the 2006 Class of SME Fellows and served as the 2007-08 NAMRI/SME president. He will also serve on the board of governors for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) starting in 2019. Kurfess is a Fellow of ASME, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and SME.

Dr. Kurfess holds S.B., S.M., and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering and an S.M. degree in electrical engineering and computer science, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is a cross-industry technology development consortium, dedicated to improving the competitiveness and strength of the U.S. industrial base. As a member-based organization, it leverages its network of industry, government, and academia to develop, demonstrate, and transition innovative technologies efficiently, with less risk and lower cost. For more information on NCMS, visit www.ncms.org

NCMS Congratulates Dr. Thomas Kurfess on New Role as the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Chief Manufacturing Officer

Ann Arbor, Michigan

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) congratulates NCMS Board of Director Dr. Thomas Kurfess Ph.D., FSME, P.E. on his new position as the Chief Manufacturing Officer of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL.) In addition to supporting ORNL’s pioneering research in advanced manufacturing, Dr. Kurfess will provide leadership on the development of new manufacturing platforms and controls systems that will enable autonomous manufacturing through robotics and controls.

“As a long-standing member of the NCMS Board of Directors, Tom provides leadership and significant expertise and knowledge about a wide variety of manufacturing technologies,” said Lisa Strama, NCMS President and Chief Executive Officer. “Tom’s dedication to ensuring the growth and stability of U.S. manufacturing is second-to-none and we look forward to his many accomplishments while at ORNL.”

Prior to joining ORNL, Dr. Kurfess was a Professor and HUSCO/Ramirez Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power and Motion Control in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Previously, he also served as the Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing at the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President of the United States of America. In this position, he had responsibility for engaging the federal sector and the greater scientific community to identify possible areas for policy actions related to manufacturing. Dr. Kurfess was responsible for coordinating federal advanced manufacturing R&D, addressing issues related to technology commercialization, identifying gaps in current federal R&D in advanced manufacturing and developing strategies to address these gaps.

In addition to serving on the NCMS Board of Directors, Dr. Kurfess is currently serving as the immediate past president on the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Board of Directors after serving as SME president in 2018. Dr. Kurfess joined SME in 1983, was elected to the 2006 Class of SME Fellows and served as the 2007-08 NAMRI/SME president. He will also serve on the board of governors for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) starting in 2019. Kurfess is a Fellow of ASME, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and SME.

Dr. Kurfess holds S.B., S.M., and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering and an S.M. degree in electrical engineering and computer science, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is a cross-industry technology development consortium, dedicated to improving the competitiveness and strength of the U.S. industrial base. As a member-based organization, it leverages its network of industry, government, and academia to develop, demonstrate, and transition innovative technologies efficiently, with less risk and lower cost. For more information on NCMS, visit www.ncms.org