Research

Simpson invited to speak about 3D printing at congressional briefing

Timothy Simpson has been invited by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers to speak at the "Making a Maker" congressional briefing on June 15. Credit: Paul HaziAll Rights Reserved.

Timothy W. Simpson, professor of mechanical engineering, industrial engineering and engineering design at Penn State, has been invited to speak at a congressional briefing focused on how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is preparing a new generation of students for careers in STEM fields.

Organized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), 3D Systems and the STEM Education Coalition, the briefing -- titled “Making a Maker” -- will be held at noon on June 15 in the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Simpson, who is the co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D) at Penn State, is the only academic on the briefing agenda. He will speak about his research on workforce and education, specifically as to how it relates to additive manufacturing and making. 

“I’m truly honored to be invited to participate in this event and discuss the 3D printing education and research work that we are doing at Penn State and with ASME and organizations like America Makes,” said Simpson. “Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is redefining how we design, make and qualify parts right now, and we need to rethink how we educate and prepare students—and the current workforce—to realize the full potential of this technology.”

ASME has also invited representatives from SAE, 3D Printing and the Council on Undergraduate Research to speak at the event.

“Dr. Simpson has been an ASME member for many years and during that time has provided quality insight into additive manufacturing and making,” said Kalan Guiley, vice president of the Board on Government Relations for ASME. “He is well-respected and came highly recommended by his peers to speak to the skills and training necessary to produce the next generation of makers and entrepreneurs.”

The goal of the briefing is to provide attendees with a better understanding of what a “maker” is, what they can and will contribute to society and the economy, and how they are being prepared by academia for this growing area of technology.

Simpson is an active member of ASME, serving as the chair of the Executive Advisory Committee for the inaugural Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Conference and Expo to be held Aug. 2-5 in Boston. He also assists with the society’s Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D Challenge. This project provides mechanical and multi-disciplinary undergraduate students an opportunity to re-engineer existing products or create new designs that minimize energy consumption and/or improve energy efficiency using 3D printing.

The mission of CIMP-3D is to advance, deploy and promote additive manufacturing and advanced material systems to industry. In order to address the multidisciplinary needs for expanding 3D printing technology, the center acts as a catalyst for engaging faculty collaboration across disciplines that enables researchers to pool resources to create robust research capabilities.

Last Updated June 9, 2015

Contacts