Distinguished Collaborator Award

The America Makes Distinguished Collaborator Award was established in 2014 to recognize individuals or organizations with an exceptional commitment and dedication to advancing additive manufacturing technology, practices, and innovation in the manufacturing industry.

The recognized individuals or organizations are honored for cultivating effective collaborative relationships with academia, government, and industry, and contributing to the mission of America Makes.

America Makes Distinguished Collaborator Award recipients are presented with an award of an artistic rendering of an American Badger and a Coyote, a symbolic representation of the collaborative association these two animal foes have forged.

Award Symbolism

Native throughout North America, the American Badger and Coyote would appear to be natural enemies, both carnivores competing for the same food sources. However, they have forged an unusual association, one that is born out of pure ingenuity.

The American Badger is competent at digging, typically pursuing prey underground in burrows. Yet its lumbering body and short legs are not designed for the swiftness necessary to catch any prey flushed from burrows. The Coyote, on the other hand, is quick on its feet, pouncing or chasing prey. What the Coyote is not, is proficient at digging.

But together, these rivals make a formidable pair in the hunt, increasing the available food supply for both.

As a public-private organization, the America Makes membership community is made up of many direct competitors within the additive manufacturing industry. Much like the American Badger and Coyote, our members are working side-by-side in mutualistic relationships to advance our industry. It is in this cooperative spirit that the America Makes Distinguished Collaborator Award depicts an American Badger and a Coyote.

Awardees

2023

Dr. Marilyn Gaska, Lockheed Martin

2022

Dennis Butcher, Ph.D., Limited Life Aircraft Structures

2021

Greg Kilchenstein, Department of Defense

2019

Ralph Resnick, FSME, Retired NCDMM President & CEO and America Makes Founding Director
and
Rob Gorham, Executive Director of Manufacturing Initiatives, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and former America Makes Executive Director

2018

Richard J. Lonardo,
Principle Consultant,
Defense and Energy Systems LLC

2017

Jim Williams, President, All Points Additive
and
Jim McCabe, Senior Director of Standards Facilitation, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

2016

Barb Ewing,
Chief Operating Officer,
Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI)

2015

America Makes Roadmap Advisory Group:

Chair – Teresa Clement
Pedro Gonzalez
Federico Sciammarella
Craig Brice
Shawn Moylan
Emily Fehrman Cory
Chris Holshouser
Tim Caffrey
Tim Shinbara
Brennon White
Ted Reutzel
Carolyn Seepersad

2014

Howard A. Kuhn, Ph.D., P.E.,
Adjunct Professor,
University of Pittsburgh – Swanson School of Engineering