a life member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
DR. GEORGE C. KU
Dr. George C. Ku is a professor of Technology and Vocational-Technical Education at Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut. He has taught Material and Manufacturing technology courses at CCSU for the last 26 years. George Ku holds a B.S. and M.S. degree in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University and an Ed.D. in Industrial and Technical Education from Utah State University. Prior to his current assignment, he taught industrial education subjects at LaSalle High School, South Bend, Indiana, and Logan High School, Logan, Utah. He also worked as a mechanic, machinist, and welder in the modern industry. Dr. Ku has been invited to China and Taiwan to teach and share his knowledge about modern manufacturing technology and technical education programs in the United States. He has published a number of articles in professional journals and his publications range from machine tool operations to international programs.
DR. T. WARREN LIAO
Dr. T. Warren Liao received his M.S. and Ph.D. degree in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University in 1986 and 1990, respectively. He has been with the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department at Louisiana State University since 1990.
Dr. Liao’s primary research is intelligent manufacturing. He has published fifty refereed articles in journals such as Computers & Industrial Engineering, Journal of Manufacturing Systems, International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture, Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, Wear, NDT&E, Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, and Fuzzy Sets & Systems. He has served as a Guest Editor for three journals including Computer & Industrial Engineering, International Journal of Industrial Engineering, and Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing.
Dr. Liao is a recipient of ASEE-ARL Postdoctoral Fellowship Award.
ROBERT L. MABREY
Robert L. Mabrey is currently serving as an adjunct professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Tennessee Technological University (TTU). He recently retired as a full professor after serving for 25 years at TTU and later at Georgia Institute of Technology (GT). During his tenure at TTU, Robert founded and directed the Computer Aided Engineering Laboratory and while at GT he established and directed the Design and Model Fabrication Laboratories. Mabrey has served as president for the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) South Eastern Section and Secretary of the American Society of Computer Graphics for the State of Tennessee. He was also the recipient of the Frank Oppenheimer National Award from the Engineering Design Graphics Division of ASEE. His text on computer-aided graphics and solid modeling has been well received.
STEVEN RAFF
Starting in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, Steven Raff has worked for forty-six years in the electronic engineering segment of the aerospace industry. The Royal Navy provided him with a four-year full time apprenticeship, and a further ten years experience in design, development, and maintenance of avionics and missile systems. After leaving the navy he joined the British Aircraft Corporation as an engineer, where he worked for seven years on developing software and hardware systems for automated test equipment used in the flight controls of the Concorde supersonic transport, and the Rapier missile system. In 1974 he immigrated to Canada where he worked for Canadair on the design, development and test of Unmanned Air Vehicle systems, which are now in service with the German and French armies. His final seven years at Canadair were spent as department head (and designated Transport Canada Design Approval Representative) responsible for ensuring the design of Canadair’s production aircraft included the ability, as required for Airworthiness Certification, to safely survive the effects of lightning strikes and electromagnetic interference. In 1999 he retired from Canadair, but maintained his Transport Canada Design Approval Representative status and runs an engineering consultant business from home.
MARIO RAPISARDA
Mario Rapisarda of Norwalk, Connecticut is a multi-media writer and producer whose credits include developing interactive teaching programs as well as being published in two technical textbooks. His first assignment with Steve Krar, international author of over 60 Machine Tool Technology books, was doing research and some photography for the text Superabrasives: Grinding and Machining. He is the author of PRECISION METAL TECHNOLOGY, published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Mario’s varied teaching experience included the vocational school system of Connecticut, CETA job training programs for the Norwalk Board of Education, and the NTMA (National Tooling and Machining Association). A member of SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers), his practical experiences are the result of working at different levels of engineering, beginning as an apprentice tool and diemaker. He also developed and produced a series of video and A/V programs on machine shop practices for Photocom Productions.
DOUGLAS RIZZO
Mr. Rizzo’s association with the machine tool trade started at an early age in his father’s machine shop where he learned to operate all types of conventional machine tools. As CNC machine were introduced, Doug was one of the first to have the opportunity of learning about, and running this new technology. He gained valuable experience in programming and operating CNC turning and chucking centers and multi-axes CNC machining centers. His extensive experience with CAD/CAM has been a benefit in his and his father’s shop.
Douglas Rizzo’s love of learning has resulted in a B.S. in Business Management and he is currently working on a B.S. in Biology. His eventual goal is an Engineering degree. He has used his CNC trade knowledge to do in-house training for various industries.
PETER SMID
Peter Smid graduated from high school with a specialty in machine shop training. After graduation, he entered industry, completed an apprenticeship program, and gained valuable experience as a machinist skilled on all types of machine tools. Peter immigrated to Canada in 1968 and spent the next 26 years employed in the machine tool industry as a machinist and a tool and die maker.
In the early 1970s he became involved in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) as a programmer/operator and devoted the next 18 years to becoming proficient in all aspects of computerized manufacturing. In 1989 he became an independent consultant and hundreds of companies used Peter Smid’s CNC and CAD/CAM skills to improve their manufacturing operations. During this time Peter found time to write a comprehensive 500 page CNC Programming Handbook that is rapidly becoming the Bible of CNC Programming.
In 1995, he became a consultant/professor of Advanced Manufacturing focusing on industrial and customized training in CNC, CAD/CAM, and Agile Manufacturing. His many years of teaching, training, lecturing, and designing curriculum gives Peter the opportunity of passing along his vast knowledge on modern manufacturing technology to students of all ages.
DIRK A. SMITS
Dirk Smits became associated with the machine tool industry following his early education. During his association with the trade he became interested in the field of grinding. He continued his education completing a Bachelor of Science degree, with majors in Mathematics and Physics, from Northern Kentucky University in 1990. This was followed in 1993 by a Master of Science degree, with a major in Electro-Optics, from the University of Dayton. Dirk has been employed by Bethel Technologies since 1994 and his specialty is Cylindrical Grinding technology.
Mr. Smits has coauthored a number of papers on Centerless and Roll grinding along with producing numerous software programs on various aspects of grinding for the Cincinnati Milacron Co. and ICMI (International Commission on Mathematical Instruction)
Dr. JOYCE A. WILKERSON
Joyce Wilkerson began her pursuit of technological expertise by completing half a Tool and Die Apprenticeship and a Moldmaking Apprenticeship in her home state of Tennessee.
