Dr. Satish Bukkapatnam has been awarded the George L. Smith International Award for excellence in the promotion of industrial engineering.
This award, given by the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the discipline and exemplifies being a “goodwill ambassador” for the profession.
Bukkapatnam has traveled to various educational institutions and developed many programs and formal partnerships, particularly in France and India, after assuming the role of the director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s (TEES) Institute for Manufacturing Systems in 2014.
He also worked with contacts from the Technocentre Henri-Fabre on the AM2 transatlantic partnership, led by Texas A&M University and TEES and the Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology to develop a vigorous research portfolio in smart manufacturing with the main focus on smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence for the fourth industrial revolution, or, industry 4.0.
“It is an honor to be chosen for this award. I see this as a recognition of the bonds of friendship and partnership our colleagues from France and India had forged with us,” Bukkapatnam said. “In particular, I wish to thank Arts et Metiers and Professor El Mansori for the untiring efforts to build the AM2 partnership. I also wish to thank Professors Tiwari, Ramesh Babu and Satyanarayana for enabling vigorous interactions with our colleagues from India’s premier institutions, especially the Indian Institutes of Technology and National Institute of Industrial Engineering.”
Over the span of 14 years, Bukkapatnam offered internships to 14 undergraduate students, hosted two Bose Scholars, recruited five graduate students (one of whom is a current faculty member at Arizona State University, mentored both students and early-career faculty, and co-organized three major workshops to promote emerging topics in smart manufacturing.
"Dr. Bukkapatnam is the most deserving of this recognition by the IISE. It is a testimony to his great efforts in promoting research and education in smart manufacturing globally,” said Dr. Eyad Masad, executive director of global initiatives for TEES. “His impact encompasses the full spectrum: joint research programs, exchange of students, workforce development and development of unique infrastructure for manufacturing in collaboration with other institutions."