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Conference boosts ASU’s status as ‘thought leader’

The Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering is playing host to the 2005 National Science Foundation Design, Service and Manufacturing Research and Grantees Conference on Jan. 3 – 6. The conference – “Manufacturing for the New Millennium: New Products, Technologies and Economic Development” – is being held at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale and is focused on the technical and economic contributions of manufacturing.

This conference marks a continuing trend for Arizona and its universities as they position themselves to become thought leaders in science and engineering, while the nation continues to prepare for a new generation of related products and infrastructure to support the design, development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of those products.

The conference brings the nation’s attention to ASU and the efforts already under way to boost Arizona universities as leaders in providing new products, new technologies and economic development for the state and its other communities.

“Hosting the conference provides us with enormous satisfaction because of the recognition by the National Science Foundation of ASU leadership in areas represented in this conference,” says Dr. Rene Villalobos, professor of industrial engineering and conference co-chair. “It also represents an opportunity to showcase our university and the region to North America and beyond, hopefully benefiting the greater Phoenix area by attracting high-tech small companies participating in the conference.”

The conference, which is open to the public, is sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Division of Design, Manufacture and Industrial Innovation (DMII). DMII has sponsored this conference for 27 years with the vision of “enabling the nation’s future through discovery, learning and innovation.” This conference focuses on the engineering and science base needed to design innovative products and systems; deliver high-quality products and systems by discovering new manufacturing processes; distribute research to commercialization and education; and employ the diverse engineering workforce needed to thrive in a global economy.

With more than 600 attendees, this conference is North America’s largest concentration of researchers in this field. Attendees will explore topics relevant to design and manufacturing research, as well as the SBIR programs nationally and internationally.

Highlights of the conference include sessions featuring prominent speakers such as Dr. Rick Welch, flight system chief engineer and operations mission manager for NASA’s Mars Exploration and Kim Stanley Robinson, science fiction author and NSF grantee; poster presentations showing research results in engineering, science and small business; tours of local industry and manufacturing laboratories; and proposal-writing workshops providing one-on-one interaction with NSF program officers.

Numerous opportunities for networking at the conference exist, including opportunities to interact with the people who are defining the multidisciplinary fields of design, service and manufacture, ranging from undergraduate students to the technical, business and political leaders who are changing the global marketplace.

For more information on the conference, go to: http://www.fulton.asu.edu/dmii2005.