Tony Schmitz
UT Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering Professor Tony Schmitz is no stranger to accolades, having earned several awards or special recognitions for his efforts related to advanced manufacturing techniques, training, and research.
He most recent achievement was being elected as an associate member of the International Academy for Production Engineering, more commonly known as Collège International pour la Recherche en Productique, or CIRP.
While CIRP has a broad mission of production engineering research “at the forefront of design, optimization, control, and management of processes, machines and systems,” its membership is by invitation only, and is limited to the some of the top minds in the field.
“This is a tremendous recognition of a career in manufacturing research and education, and a validation of my efforts related to advancing the field of production engineering together with my students and collaborators,” Schmitz said. “I am humbled to have been selected and I look forward to working with CIRP as the nature of our work continues to evolve.”
Schmitz’s election makes him one of just a handful from the United States currently serving as a member, and only the second from Tennessee, along with Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Scott Smith.
“Dr. Schmitz has had an amazing impact on both our college and his field in the relatively short time he’s been with us, and this election is a reflection of that,” said Tickle College of Engineering Dean Matthew Mench, the Wayne T. Davis Dean’s Chair of the college. “We congratulate him on his selection.”
Schmitz has a wide variety of roles at UT, with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and with IACMI—The Composites Institute. He leads UT’s Machine Tool Research Center, which houses the recently announced Gene Haas Machine Tool Research Academy; serves as director of the Southeastern Advanced Machine Tools Network, which addresses challenges in machining through training and technological breakthroughs; and serves as training content developer for America’s Cutting Edge (ACE), a Department of Defense Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program-supported effort that has the goal of restoring American manufacturing prowess by providing training related to manufacturing and machining.
As part of his CIRP membership, Schmitz is encouraged to attend the annual Winter Meeting in Paris in February and a rotating international General Assembly location each August, and to publish papers related to his work to the group’s internal communications channels.
The appointment comes with an initial three-year term that can be extended by a member vote when that period ends.