People: Levi Kirby, graduate research assistant

Mission Area: Advanced Manufacturing and Materials

Lab: Additive Manufacturing-Integrated Product Realization Laboratory or AMRPL

Levi Kirby, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and a graduate research assistant for the University of Iowa Technology Institute, has received the E. Wayne Kay Graduate Scholarship from the Society for Manufacturing Engineers (SME).

Kirby is second-year student whose work focuses on additive manufacturing. He works with Xuan Song, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, in Additive Manufacturing-Integrated Product Realization Laboratory or AMRPL.

Kirby's research focuses on manufacturing with the use of in-lab constructed 3D printers. The printers are used for fabrication of highly dense ceramic material which can be applied towards advances in healthcare and aviation. Additional projects involve printing of tailorable energetic materials for more efficient combustibles and explosives. Simulation is used to emulate and better understand experimental processes.

Each year, the E. Wayne Kay Graduate Scholarship is only given to one Ph.D. student in the field of manufacturing. The award focuses on Ph.D. candidates progressing the fields of industrial or manufacturing engineering. Students who have proven scholastic ability, exemplary character and leadership capability were given highest consideration. Candidates must also demonstrate potential for future leadership in the profession.

For more information on SME scholarships, visit the website.