BIO
Dr. Arvind Agarwal
Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Arvind Agarwal is a Distinguished University Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Florida International University (FIU), Miami, FL, USA. He also serves as the Director of the Advanced Materials Engineering Research Institute (AMERI). Prof. Agarwal’s current research interests include advanced materials processing, AM via cold spray, plasma spray, and wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), ultrahigh temperature ceramics processing, nanocomposites and coatings, and biomedical applications of materials. Prof. Agarwal has published more than 350 technical articles, co-authored 3 books, and edited 7 books. He has delivered ~200 presentations at national and international conferences, including 35 keynote/invited lectures. Prof. Agarwal is an inventor holding 11 U.S. patents with 9 more pending. Prof. Agarwal is an an elected Fellow of ASM International, American Ceramic Society (ACerS), and American Association for Advancements in Sciences (AAAS). He also became a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in 2020.
BIO
Dr. Allison Beese
Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Allison Beese is an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University, and the Director of Penn State’s Additive Manufacturing and Design graduate program. Her group performs research on experimentally characterizing, and computationally modeling, the impact of microstructure on the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured materials.
She has previously worked at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, served as a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University, and joined the faculty at Penn State University in 2013.
Dr. Beese has won the NSF CAREER award, the 2018 TMS AIME Robert Lansing Hardy Award, the 2017 International Outstanding Young Researcher in Freeform and Additive Manufacturing Award, and the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award.
She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
BIO
Ms. Kimberly Ramia
Alpha Additive
Kimberly is the Co-Owner and Director of Operations for Alpha Additive in Lakeland, Florida.​
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BIO
Dr, Brett Conner
Chief Manufacturing Officer - SME
Dr. Brett Conner joined SME in October 2025 as Chief Manufacturing Officer, leading initiatives to advance manufacturing innovation and strengthen the nation’s industrial base. A recognized authority in additive and advanced manufacturing, he brings more than two decades of experience spanning industry, academia, and government.
Before joining SME, Dr. Conner served as Senior Program Manager with PM2 Strategies, supporting the U.S. Department of Defense’s Manufacturing Technology Office and the Joint Additive Manufacturing Working Group in advancing joint additive and advanced manufacturing strategy. His career includes leadership roles with Alcoa and Honeywell FM&T, as well as tenure as professor and director of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center at Youngstown State University. Dr. Conner also served in the U.S. Air Force. He also co-founded the additive manufacturing startup Freshmade 3D.
An America Makes Ambassador and recipient of multiple national honors, Dr. Conner holds eight U.S. patents. He earned his B.S. in Physics from the University of Missouri and his S.M. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
BIO
Ms. Mara Hitner
MatterHackers
Ms. Mara Hitner is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at MatterHackers. After 16 years in advertising and ad tech sales, Mara became obsessed with desktop 3D printing, and was inspired by the possibilities it held for the future of personal manufacturing.
Mara is thrilled to help corporations, educators, and enthusiasts embrace desktop digital manufacturing, and make product creation and customization native to the next generation. Through the COVID-19 crisis, she also managed the Maker Response Hub - coordinating over 5,000 volunteers with 14,000+ 3D printers across the USA to donate over 75,000 3D printed PPE to 180+ facilities in need.
Mara is a proud Ambassador for America Makes and Advisor for Women In 3D Printing: Next Gen programs. When not printing kitty rings for friends, Mara can be found singing in 80s and 90s tribute bands around Southern California.
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BIO
Mr. Tom Kelly
Automation Alley
Tom Kelly is a globally recognized expert on Industry 4.0 and its impact on business. As executive director and CEO of Automation Alley, Michigan’s Industry 4.0 knowledge center, Kelly oversees strategic planning and all ongoing activities for the organization, including programs and services designed to help businesses increase revenue, reduce costs and make strategic decisions during a time of rapid technological change.
Kelly joined Automation Alley in 2014 after seven years as a technology business consultant for the state of Michigan’s Small Business Development Centers, where he actively coached more than 300 technology startups in advanced automotive, life sciences, homeland security and alternative energy industries. In addition, Kelly has launched three startup companies of his own.
Kelly is regularly invited to speak at conferences and participate in panel discussions and roundtables. He has served on the Canadian National Research Council’s Peer Review Committee and is a current member of the World Economic Forum's Advanced Manufacturing Hub Working Group, the National Research Committee's Peer Review Committee, and is a board member of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center and the Jackson Area Manufacturers Association.
Kelly has a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Clarkson University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Michigan.
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BIO
Ms. Kimberly Gibson
Kimberly Gibson joined America Makes as Ecosystem Director in late 2021. Gibson had already been recognized as an ambassador for America Makes for her role in bringing 3D printed personal protective equipment (PPE) forward during the initial COVID-19 outburst. She did this while working at IC3D, an America Makes member.
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Before that, she was working as communications director at Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow (LIFT).
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Kimberly spends her free time on a charter school board for four high school dropout recovery programs in inner-city Columbus incorporating career tech education into the curriculum and, through IC3D, initiated the first-ever 3D printed Toys for Tots drive with the US. Marine Corps reserve, delivering 18,000 toys to needy children in 2020.
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BIO
Dr. Eric Wooldridge
Somerset Community College
Col Howie Morotto
The Barnes Global Advisors
Professor Wooldridge is the Director of the Additive Manufacturing Center at Somerset Community College, Somerset, Kentucky. He is a Professional Engineer in multiple disciplines including Architectural, Mechanical, and Manufacturing systems, and holds multiple patents regarding insulated cooler and embalming systems technology. His Master's degree is in Manufacturing Systems Engineering with an additive manufacturing focus.
The recipient of the 2021 NISOD Teaching Excellence Award, he is currently the Director of the Additive Manufacturing (AM) program for the statewide Kentucky Community and Technical College System. He also teaches and provides research and curriculum development from his AM Center located at Somerset Community College.
His most recent development is the Rapid Response Additive Manufacturing Initiative (RRAMI). A first of its kind project resulting from COVID-19 that has created a network of 10 AM sites across Kentucky, capable of providing a flexible, stop gap manufacturing response in both polymers and metals, to supply chain breakdowns and production opportunities for the state. Wooldridge’s goal is to scale his RRAMI network beyond Kentucky’s borders and to create a national AM response platform consisting of colleges and universities.
A fourth-generation cattle farmer, he also owns two private engineering and design firms, and has designed buildings and systems across the central and southern regions of Kentucky.
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Colonel Howard “Howie” Marotto
Colonel Marotto has over 31 years of service and is currently a Reserve Marine with the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Prior to ONR, Col Marotto was the Deputy Commander for 4 th Marine Logistics Group (MLG), second-in-command of 8,500 Marines and Sailors in over 30 states and territories. Before serving at 4 th MLG, he was the Additive Manufacturing (AM)/3D Printing Lead for the Marine Corps from 2015 to 2018.
As a civilian, Howie is a Principal ADDVisor® for Strategy and Integration for The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA). His mission at TBGA is to leverage his skills and network to provide insight into Advanced Manufacturing trends, applications, and AM employment in a variety of scenarios. Prior to joining TBGA, he was Additive Manufacturing Business Director at EWI, providing leadership and strategic direction to EWI’s AM engineering team in deployment of their vast portfolio of equipment focused on delivering cutting-edge solutions to government and industry. He has also worked for the Defense Logistics Agency and in the F-35 Joint Program Office as the Autonomic Logistics Information Systems lead for Foreign Military Sales.
Howie is a veteran of Afghanistan (2011-2012), Iraq (2004-2005), Kosovo (1999) and participated in Operation Silver Wake in Albania (1997).
