National Manufacturing Day at Northwestern University
Speakers & Panelists
Leadership Remarks 9:00 - 9:30
MODERATOR
Northwestern University Provost Erik Luijten
Luijten has spent more than a decade in academic leadership roles at Northwestern. In his previous roles, he has managed research administration, research development and Northwestern Engineering’s Ph.D. programs since 2023. A professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Luijten has worked to strengthen scholarship across schools and disciplines, including work with the Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts and Northwestern’s Prison Education Program. During his 17 years at Northwestern, Professor Luijten has developed a reputation for academic excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration and strong, clear leadership. Luijten also holds courtesy appointments in Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, and Chemistry and is an accomplished researcher. Before joining Northwestern, Luijten was an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics at UIUC. He is a fellow of AAAS, a fellow of APS and a recipient of several awards, including the Xerox Award for faculty research and a CAREER Award from NSF. He earned B.S./M.S. degrees in physics from Utrecht University in The Netherlands and a Ph.D. in applied physics from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
Northwestern University President Mung Chiang
Mung Chiang is the 18th president of Northwestern University, ranked No. 7 among national universities by U.S. News & World Report. Chiang is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Before joining Northwestern, Chiang served as president of Purdue University, where he led significant growth in student success, research, innovation, fundraising, campus growth and strategic partnerships. He previously served as Purdue's dean of engineering and executive vice president for strategic initiatives. Prior to his tenure at Purdue, Chiang spent 14 years at Princeton University, rising from assistant professor to one of the youngest chair professors at the university. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and mathematics as well as a master's degree and PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
Lisa Strama, President and CEO, National Center for Manufacturing Sciences
NCMS is a national organization focused on advancing innovation and growing the manufacturing sector in the US. At NCMS Lisa brings extensive and expansive leadership experience spanning functional roles responsible for product delivery, sales, systems design, and infrastructure improvements. Lisa has also served as senior director of Aerospace and Defense business development for digital enterprise software at a Fortune Global 100 ranked company, where she represented the global Aerospace and Defense industry and was responsible for providing integrated product and application lifecycle management solutions, strategy, and executive leadership. Prior to this, Lisa was a senior director for a Fortune 500 global security company where she provided leadership and strategic direction and execution for an affordable, enterprise-wide, integrated and common engineering environment. She also served as a senior director for manufacturing operations, where she grew and led a portfolio of more than $1 billion in manufacturing sales for highly technical and complex products. Lisa serves on the Industry Advisory Board of the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan. She also serves on the Industries of the Blind Board of Directors for the North Carolina based manufacturing and logistics organization. Lisa was also the recipient of SME’s International Manufacturing Management award.
Corporate Panel 9:30 - 10:30
MODERATOR
Jian Cao, Northwestern University Associate Vice President for Research
Bio below
Stan Rendon, VP R&D, 3M Corporate Research Process Laboratory
Stan Rendon is the R&D Vice President for 3M’s Corporate Research Process Laboratory. Stan leads a global team focused on applying science and engineering to create differentiated, world-class process technology solutions aligned to 3M Division and Business Group opportunities that ultimately solve customer and end-user focused needs. Stan began his career at 3M when he joined 3M’s Corporate Research Laboratory (CRL) where he worked on broadening the reach of precision molding, film and microreplication technologies into key market spaces such as Drug Delivery, Occupational Health and Personal Safety, and LED Illumination. Over the course of his 20-year career, Stan has held a range of leadership roles of increasing responsibility in CRL, Divisional R&D, Application Engineering and at 3M’s Business Group Level. Stan has been recognized as one of 3M’s top innovation leaders with four business-level Circle of Technical Excellence & Innovation awards and one at 3M’s corporate-level. He was part of the NAE Frontiers of Engineering class of 2008 as a sole 3M-invitee. He is currently an active member of Northwestern University’s Chemical and Biological Engineering Industrial Advisory Board, AIChE Corporate Council and newly minted board member of the GEM Consortium. Stan holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and master’s and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.
Yu Cao, Chief AI Officer, Applied Materials
Dr. Yu Cao (CalTech’PhD ’MS, USTC’BS) is the Chief AI Officer at Applied Materials, where he oversees the AI strategy and execution across the company, since January 2026. Previously, Yu was a Senior Vice President and Head of AI Program and Strategy at ASML where he shaped the strategy to connect ASML's global innovations to AI technologies. Prior to that, Yu was CEO of HMI, ASML's e-beam business unit. Under Yu's leadership, HMI delivered the industry's first multibeam inspection tools and achieved substantial business growth. During that period, he also served as President and Country Manager of ASML US. Yu co-founded Brion Technologies in 2002 and championed the successful application of deep learning in computational lithography. Brion was acquired by ASML in 2007. Yu was also the co-founder and chief product officer at Founton Technologies, a computational advertising startup which was acquired by Alibaba in 2014. Yu holds over 50 US patents.
Amey Deosthali, Head of Robotics, Industrial & Healthcare (Physical AI) AMD
Amey Deosthali is head of Robotics, Industrial, and Healthcare business at AMD, where he leads business strategy and ecosystem development for intelligent edge and Physical AI. He works with customers and technology partners to translate advances in AI and embedded computing into deployable solutions that address real-world challenges across industrial automation, manufacturing, robotics, and healthcare. Amey has spent more than two decades working across engineering, product strategy, business development, and marketing. Before his current role, Amey held a series of leadership positions at AMD spanning embedded computing, automotive, and industrial markets. Prior to AMD, Amey spent more than a decade at Texas Instruments, where he held engineering, product, and business leadership roles across the company’s OMAP and embedded processing businesses. He holds an MBA from the University of California, Irvine, and an M.S. in Engineering from University of Texas at Austin.
Northwestern Faculty Panel 10:45 - 11:45
MODERATOR
Senior Associate Dean Linda Broadbelt, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Linda Broadbelt is Sarah Rebecca Roland Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE) and Senior Associate Dean in Engineering at Northwestern University. She was Chair of the Department of ChBE from 2009-2017 and Associate Dean for Graduate Research and Education in Engineering from 2017-2023. Her research and teaching interests are in multiscale modeling, complex kinetics modeling, catalysis, novel biochemical pathways, and polymerization/depolymerization kinetics. She served as the Past Chair, Chair, First Vice Chair and Second Vice Chair of the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division of AIChE, and also served on the Executive Board of the National Program Committee of AIChE and the Board of Directors. She is currently an Associate Editor and Executive Editor for Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. Her honors include selection as the winner of the R.H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering from AIChE, the E.V. Murphree Award in Industrial Chemistry and Engineering from ACS, the Dorothy Ann and Clarence Ver Steeg Award, a CAREER Award from NSF, and an AIChE Women’s Initiative Committee Mentorship Excellence Award, and selection as a Fellow of AAAS, a Fellow of AIChE, a Fellow of AIMBE, and a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar. She was elected to the NAE in 2019. In 2021, she was elected to AAA&S.
Jian Cao, Director of NIMSI
Jian Cao (MIT’95, 92, SJTU’89) is an Associate Vice President for Research, the Cardiss Collins Professor of Mechanical Engineering and (by courtesy) Civil and Environmental Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering and Director, Northwestern Initiative for Manufacturing Science and Innovation (NIMSI), at Northwestern University. Cao's major research interests include innovative manufacturing processes and systems, particularly in the areas of deformation-based processes, laser additive, and hybrid processes. Her research has developed analytical and numerical simulation methods, sensors, and control methods, and has integrated machine learning to achieve co-design of geometry, materials and processes and to advance manufacturing. Her work has direct impacts on energy-efficient manufacturing and point-of-need manufacturing. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Prof. Cao serves on the Board of Directors of SME, and Board of mHUB – accelerator for hardtech innovation and manufacturing in Chicago.
Ed Colgate, Director of HAND
Ed Colgate is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the IEEE, and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Colgate and collaborator Michael Peshkin are the inventors of cobots (collaborative robots) and multiple surface haptic technologies that enable users to feel tactile effects on a touch screen. Today, Colgate is the Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center on Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity (HAND).
Mark Hersam, Director of MRC
Mark C. Hersam (Cambridge ‘97, UIUC’00,’96) is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Director of the Materials Research Center, and Chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Northwestern University. He also holds faculty appointments in the Departments of Chemistry, Applied Physics, Medicine, and Electrical Engineering. His research interests include nanoelectronic materials, additive manufacturing, scanning probe microscopy, renewable energy, sensors, neuromorphic computing, and quantum information science. Dr. Hersam has received several honors including the TMS John Bardeen Award, ACS Award in Surface Chemistry, MRS Mid-Career Researcher Award, AVS Medard Welch Award, U.S. Science Envoy, MacArthur Fellowship, and nine Teacher of the Year Awards. Dr. Hersam has been repeatedly named a Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher with over 750 peer-reviewed publications that have been cited ~90,000 times. An elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Inventors with over 170 issued and pending patents, Dr. Hersam has founded two companies, NanoIntegris and Volexion, which are suppliers of nanoelectronic and battery materials, respectively. Dr. Hersam is a Fellow of MRS, ACS, ECS, AVS, APS, AAAS, SPIE, and IEEE, and also serves as an Executive Editor of ACS Nano.
John Rogers, Director of QSIB & Director of QSI-TEAMS
From 1995 to 1997, Rogers was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard University Society of Fellows. He joined Bell Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff in the Condensed Matter Physics Research Department in 1997, and served as Director of this department from the end of 2000 to 2002. He then spent thirteen years on the faculty at University of Illinois, most recently as the Swanlund Chair Professor and Director of the Seitz Materials Research Laboratory. In the Fall of 2016, he joined Northwestern University as the Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, with affiliate appointments in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chemistry, where he is also Director of the recently endowed Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics. He has published more than 700 papers, is a co-inventor on more than 100 patents and he has co-founded several successful technology companies. His research has been recognized by many awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship (2009), the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2011), the Smithsonian Award for American Ingenuity in the Physical Sciences (2013), the MRS Medal (2018) and most recently the Benjamin Franklin Medal from the Franklin Institute (2019). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Founders/SME Panel 12:30 - 13:30
MODERATOR
Curtis Maas Chairman & CEO The RDI GroupCurtis Maas has served as CEO since 1985, helping guide the company’s long-term growth and direction. As the Chairman of the Board and CEO of The RDI Group for almost four decades, Curtis has driven innovation in engineering and manufacturing to serve industrial customers worldwide. With a diverse portfolio of Board and Investor roles, Curtis has established extensive experience and relationships across multiple sectors, including technology, engineering, and manufacturing. His leadership of RDI is focused on innovation, collaboration, efficiency and quality to create products and services that best serve customers and help them meet their goals. Beyond his corporate roles, Curtis has been actively involved in various nonprofit boards, particularly those focused on education and mentorship, working to strengthen their organizational and financial capabilities. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Jason Sebastian, Executive VP, QuesTek Innovations
As EVP of QuesTek Innovations LLC, Jason T. Sebastian, Ph.D., is focused on overall company growth and management, on the development and marketing of QuesTek’s ICMD® materials modeling and design software platform, and on the entire spectrum of commercial- and government-sponsored alloy modeling, development and deployment activities. Since Jason joined QuesTek in 2006, his technical activities have focused on the development of high strength steels for structural and power transmission applications; precipitation-strengthened cobalt-based alloys; alloys for additive manufacturing; non-toxic, high-strength/low-friction copper-based alloys to replace lead-containing bronzes; a low-cost, castable titanium alloy; a highly-processable nickel-based superalloy; advanced soft magnetic alloys; and other computationally-designed alloys.
Demeng Che, co-Founder & CEO, Converge Lab
Demeng Che is an entrepreneur and engineer at the intersection of AI and hardware. He is Co-Founder and CEO of Converge Lab, a Khosla Ventures–backed startup building the first agentic AI platform for hardware engineering. Converge Lab's product is in use at leading hardware organizations across AI infrastructure, semiconductors, networking, and automotive. Demeng holds a PhD from Northwestern University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Gino Domel, co-Founder & CEO, HiDeNN-AI
Gino is the Co-Founder and CEO of HIDENN-AI, where they are developing AI-powered engineering software that combines large language models, advanced physics simulation, and next-generation AI solvers to accelerate engineering analysis and design. He graduated first in his class in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and earned his master’s and PhD from Harvard University before completing a postdoctoral appointment at Northwestern University. His background spans mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, soft robotics, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on translating cutting-edge technologies from the laboratory into real-world impact.
Joe Mullenbach, co-Founder & CEO, Fluid Reality
Joe Mullenbach, PhD, is the CEO and Co-Founder of Fluid Reality, maker of the highest-resolution haptic feedback devices in the world, manufactured at mHUB in Chicago. Fluid Reality's haptic devices enable touch teleoperation systems for robotics: the operator feels what the robot feels, unlocking dexterous assembly tasks that vision alone can't solve. A serial entrepreneur, Joe has taken six products full cycle from concept through manufacturing to ship, personally standing up production from zero to one across robotics components, electronics, consumer packaged goods, and even a board game, developing custom machinery and processes along the way and sourcing both domestically and in China. Previously, he was the product manager at Northwestern haptics spinout Tanvas, bringing the first commercial surface haptic display to market. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University.
Ecosystem Panel 13:30 - 14:30
MODERATOR 
Sumit Dhar, Interim Vice President for Research, Associate Provost for Faculty, Northwestern University
Sumitrajit (Sumit) Dhar is the Hugh Knowles Professor in Hearing Sciences. The Associate Provost for Faculty team leads faculty-focused initiatives and programs related to faculty support and development. The team also assists the Provost on faculty matters such as recruitment, retention, tenure, promotion and resource allocation. Sumit also oversees faculty policies and liaises with faculty groups such as the Faculty Senate. Sumit joined the faculty of the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern in 2004. Prior to joining the Office of the Provost, Sumit served as Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and as Associate Dean for Research in the School of Communication. His research laboratory investigates the function of the inner ear and methods to improve hearing healthcare delivery. Sumit earned his BSc from the University of Mumbai, India, his MS from Utah State University, and his PhD in Hearing Science with a concentration in Neuroscience from Purdue University.
Tom Kurfess, CTO, NCMS, Chief Manufacturing Officer, GA Institute of Tech, Executive Director, GA Tech Mfg Institute
Thomas R. Kurfess is the CTO at the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. He also serves as Chief Manufacturing Officer of the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute. At Georgia Tech he is the HUSCO/Ramirez Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power and Motion Control and Regents’ Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. During 2019-2021 he also served as the Chief Manufacturing Officer, and the Founding Director for the Manufacturing Science Division at ORNL. During 2012-2013 served as the Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing at the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President of the US, where he was responsible for coordinating Federal advanced manufacturing R&D. He served as the President of the ASME in 2023-2024 and was President of the SME in 2018. He served on the Department of the Navy Science and Technology Board, and currently serves on the Department of Energy / National Nuclear Security Administration Advisory Committee on Nuclear Security. His research focuses on the design and development of advanced manufacturing systems targeting secure digital manufacturing, additive and subtractive processes, and large-scale production enterprises. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, is a past president of both ASME and SME, and is a Fellow of ASME, AAAS, and SME.
Berardino Baratta, CEO, MxD
Berardino Baratta is a recognized leader in advancing manufacturing technology. As the CEO of MxD, Berardino leads efforts to modernize and secure U.S. manufacturing, in partnership with the U.S. Department of War and a network of over 360 members from industry, government and academia. Berardino oversees MxD’s critical efforts to enhance digital readiness and cybersecurity across the manufacturing sector; prepare the workforce for the advanced manufacturing jobs of the future; and build resilient and secure supply chains. Prior to joining MxD, Berardino was CEO of Potentia Analytics, an AI healthcare startup, and held multiple positions at Freescale, including General Manager of Freescale Semiconductor’s Multimedia Applications Division. He began his career with Metrowerks Corporation, a leading provider of Software Development tools, where he led engineering through its growth from startup through acquisition by Motorola Corporation.
Lisa Clemmons Stott, Chief Business Attraction & Development Officer, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
Lisa Clemmons Stott is the Chief Business Attraction and Development Officer at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the state agency charged with bolstering a positive economic climate to attract job creators, support Illinois’ skilled workforce, and help communities provide opportunities for all Illinoisans. She was named to this role in December 2025 after serving more than three years as the Department’s eMobility and Innovation Director, where she helped to create and extend public policy to support clean energy manufacturing and production in Illinois. Lisa oversees the Office of Business Development, Office of Regional Economic Development (Team RED), Office of Trade and Investment and site readiness strategy. She represents the Department on the IQMP Board of Managers and on the Enterprise Zone board. Lisa started her career in state government as an intern for the Illinois House and was named to the Samuel K. Gove Illinois Legislative Internship Hall of Fame in 2024.
Allison Fisher, Chief of Staff, mHUB
Allison Fisher, Chief of Staff, is driving future growth and operational efficiency at mHUB. She supports and executes on the CEO’s strategic plan and related organizational priorities. Prior to joining mHUB, she worked at Deloitte Consulting in Chicago, advising a variety of private and nonprofit clients on their strategic and operational goals. Throughout graduate school she interned at several nonprofit organizations across the community in the economic development and human services sectors. At University of Michigan, she led a leadership development program for MBA students and advised student entrepreneurs in-residence at the Ross School of Business’s Impact Studio. Allison received her MBA and MPP from University of Michigan. She also graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in public affairs and nonprofit management.
