SAMPE ANNOUNCES 2023-2024 CLASS OF FELLOWS

Monday, October 2, 2023, DIAMOND BAR, CA – Today, the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) announced its 2023-2024 fellows: 

Dr. Uday Vaidya, Governor's Chair and Professor in Advanced Composites Manufacturing at University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Composites Lead of the Manufacturing Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Chief Technology Officer at the Composites Institute.

Shin Utsunomiya, Visiting Researcher, Co-creative Research Center of Industrial Science and Technology, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, and Research Adviser, JASMINE Project at National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ).

The SAMPE Fellow Award is a recognition bestowed upon individuals by their peers for their notable contributions to the Society and the field of advancing materials and process engineering technology. SAMPE Fellows perform a vital role in strengthening the SAMPE community by serving as advisors across all aspects of the Society and its membership.

Citation recaps:

Dr. Uday K. Vaidya

Dr. Vaidya's unwavering dedication to advanced composite technologies across various industries such as automotive, aerospace, defense, infrastructure, healthcare, marine, and sport/recreation has left an indelible mark. His exceptional leadership skills have been evident throughout his illustrious career, spanning national laboratories, academia, manufacturing institutes, and trade organizations. Dr. Vaidya's contribution to SAMPE has been immense, serving as an advisor for four different university SAMPE student chapters. As a member of the Carolinas (North America) Chapter, his unwavering engagement with SAMPE has been both diverse and consistent.

Mr. Shin Utsunomiya

Mr. Utsunomiya has made significant contributions to the development and commercialization of composite technology for use in satellite applications. His work has encompassed the creation of carbon fiber composite reflectors and solar array panels, as well as metal matrix composite primary structures. He has been an active member of SAMPE since its establishment in Japan in 1985, while he was working at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Even after retiring, he has continued to contribute by conducting research and taking on leadership roles in SAMPE committees and international activities. He has also served as Vice President of SAMPE Japan. Presently, Mr. Utsunomiya remains an active member of the SAMPE Japan chapter.