We are proud to share that Professor Xun Xu has been named one of the seven distinguished industry professionals inducted into the 2025 SME College of Fellows.
Since 1986, the SME College of Fellows has honored those members who have made outstanding contributions to the social, technological, and educational aspects of the manufacturing profession. These seven industry professionals have earned this highly prestigious honor through 20 years or more of dedication and service to manufacturing.
The 2025 honorees include:
- Bopaya Bidanda, Ph.D. FSME, Ernest E. Roth Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Wayne Cai, Ph.D., FSME, Technical Fellow, General Motors Global R&D Center, Warren, Michigan
- Azad M. Madni, Ph.D. FSME, Professor of Astronautics, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and the Northrop Grumman Foundation Fred O’Green Chair in Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Michael “Mick” Maher, FSME, President, Maher & Associates LLC, Baltimore, Maryland
- Iris V. Rivero, Ph.D., FSME, Paul and Heidi Brown Preeminent Chair and Department Chair of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Xun Xu, Ph.D., FSME, Professor, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Jiwang Yan, Ph.D., FSME, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
“The contributions of this year’s College of Fellows demonstrates the momentum of the ever-evolving manufacturing industry,” said Jeannine Kunz, SME executive director and CEO. “At SME, we’re proud to honor these visionary leaders whose passion, dedication, and service help shape a thriving future for advanced manufacturing.”
The members of the 2025 College of Fellows will be recognized at a variety of events during 2025, including the NAMRI/SME Awards Luncheon during NAMRC 53 and the SME Fall Gala in October.
In particular, as announced on SME’s official LinkedIn channel, Professor Xun Xu’s election as an SME Fellow recognizes his long-standing contributions to smart manufacturing and digital transformation. Read more on LinkedIn
Recipients are vetted through the SME International Awards & Recognition Committee and receive lifetime, dues-free membership and carry the designation “FSME” (Fellow of SME) after their names.
SME is accepting nominations for the 2026 SME College of Fellows through Dec. 1. Previous winners, award information and nomination criteria can be found at sme.org/fellows.
About SME
Established in 1932 as a nonprofit organization, SME represents the entire North American manufacturing industry, including manufacturers, academia, professionals, students, and the communities in which they operate. We believe manufacturing holds the key to economic growth and prosperity, and champions the industry’s potential as a diverse, thriving, and valued ecosystem. SME accelerates new technology adoption and builds North America’s talent and capabilities to advance manufacturing and drive competitiveness, resiliency, and national security. SME designs new ways to understand and solve problems, and our solutions advance the next wave of growth in manufacturing. Learn more at SME.org.
(Adapted from SME website)