Dr. Scott Smith Honored with 2024 Engineer of Distinction Award by Tennessee Tech’s College of Engineering
Cookeville, TN – Tennessee Tech University’s College of Engineering is pleased to
announce Scott Smith, Ph.D., section head for Precision Manufacturing and Manufacturing
Innovation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), as the recipient of the 2024 Engineer
of Distinction Award. This honor recognizes Smith’s exceptional career contributions
to engineering, research and education.
Smith, a 1983 graduate of Tennessee Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering, went on to complete his graduate and doctoral studies at the University of Florida. His career spans prominent roles in both academia and national research, beginning as a professor and chair of mechanical engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and later serving as assistant director for technology at the U.S. Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office in Washington, D.C.
Joining ORNL in 2019, Smith’s work has focused on high-speed machining, process optimization and machine dynamics. A recognized innovator, Smith was named an ORNL Corporate Fellow in 2023, the highest honor awarded to members of the lab’s research staff. He is a U.S. Fellow of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP), fellow for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and fellow for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). He holds 14 patents and has published over 100 technical papers, along with co-authoring books on machining dynamics and mechanical vibrations.
Throughout his career, Smith has been honored with numerous awards, including the ASME/SME M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal and the AMT Charles F. Carter Advancing Manufacturing Award, among others. His impact in industry and academia is extensive, evidenced by his former leadership roles as chair of ASME’s Manufacturing Engineering Division and President of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute of SME.
The Engineer of Distinction Award celebrates alumni who have achieved substantial professional success and have made significant contributions to the engineering field.
