Champion for Manufacturing Education Khalil S. Taraman Completes Board Commitment

Dec. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- DEARBORN, Mich.,— Khalil S. Taraman, PhD, FSME, PE and D.I.T. Chair Manufacturing Engineering, Lawrence Technological University (LTU), Southfield, Mich., and President of the SME Education Foundation Board of Directors, completes his three-year term on December 31, leaving with accolades and the heart-felt thanks of board members, donors and industry partners. An announcement of the new board will be made in January 2012.  

“We are honored to have had Dr. Taraman as our president and thank him for his leadership, insightful direction and reinforcing demeanor,” Bart A. Aslin, chief executive officer, “He’s our champion among manufacturing educators.”  

An incumbent officer and SME member since 1970, Dr. Taraman joined the SME Education Foundation Board in 1992, served as chair of its Proposal Review Committee (1999-2000), named director (1992-2007), was elected vice president in 2008, and served as president 2009-2011, extending his term of office by one year.  

His many awards include being named SME 1988 Educator of the Year for SME Region VII, Calif., SME Fellow in 1991, receiving the SME International Siegel Award in 1998, and being given the Outstanding Leadership Award in 1999 and 2000.

During his tenure, in the midst of a severe economic downturn, Dr. Taraman steadied the course of the SME Education Foundation in its mission to transform manufacturing education, change public perception of manufacturing and direct funding to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education to address the shortage of manufacturing and technical talent in the United States.

His leadership impacted the funding of tech-based education programs designed to motivate young people. Most notably, this included the expansion of the Foundation’s partnership with Project Lead The Way (PLTW) and expansion of K-12 programs with the introduction of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education for middle school students offered through the Gateway Academy, and the addition of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) courses to PLTW high schools. New program launches included the introduction of a new website, CareerMe.org, which offers career direction in advanced manufacturing, and in fall 2011, the introduction of PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education), a community-based approach to transforming manufacturing education.  

His total commitment to manufacturing engineering education, which spans more than 40 years, includes mentoring scores of young men and women and encouraging them to pursue viable careers in manufacturing, engineering, science and technology. His international perspective on how education is delivered in a global economy is highly regarded.

A graduate of Ain Shams University in Egypt, Dr. Taraman earned a BSME in 1964 and a MSME in 1967. He secured a MSME in 1969 from the University of Wisconsin and his PhD in 1971 from Texas Tech University.

Prior to joining LTU, Dr. Taraman was a professor at the University of Detroit for 16 years, where he was Director of the Manufacturing Engineering Institute and ME Chairman. He served as Senior Technical Consultant to many companies, the most notable being Bendix, Ford Motor Company, and General Electric.

In 1986, Taraman joined LTU to serve as Dean and Associate Dean of Engineering. Today, he is the DIT Chair of Manufacturing Engineering and Director of Manufacturing Systems Graduate Programs (DEMS and MEMS). He has supervised more than 100 graduate students who obtained their Master and Doctorate of Engineering under his direction at Bendix, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, General Electric, General Motors and Westinghouse.

Industry publications have also benefited from his involvement. He served on the International Board of Editors, Computer Integrated Manufacturing Journal, and as editor of the Manufacturing Systems Journal.

He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and is a member of the Michigan Technology Council, and the Society of Machine Intelligence. He has contributed his expertise to the National Academy of Engineering and to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO). Dr. Taraman has served as President of the Pacific Congress on Manufacturing & Management (PCMM), as a member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Council on Engineering and Technology Education (INTERTECH) and is the founder of the Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management (GCMM).

About Lawrence Technological University:
Lawrence Technological University (www.ltu.edu) offers more than 100 undergraduate, masters and doctoral degree programs in the Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Management. Founded in 1932, the 4,500-student, private university pioneered evening classes and today has a growing number of weekend and online programs. Lawrence Tech’s 102-acre campus is in Southfield, and programs are also offered in Detroit, Lansing, Petoskey, Traverse City and Toronto. Lawrence Tech also partners with universities in Mexico, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

About the SME Education Foundation:
The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, supporting and preparing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists in the advancement of manufacturing education. Created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979, the SME Education Foundation has provided more than $31 million since 1980 in grants, scholarships and awards through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations, and individual donors. For more information, visit the SME Education Foundation at www.smeef.org. Also visit www.CareerMe.org for information on advanced manufacturing careers and, our award-winning website for young people, www.ManufacturingisCool.com

Media Contact:
Bart A. Aslin, chief executive officer, SME Education Foundation, (313) 425-3300, baslin@sme.org, or email at foundation@sme.org. Note to Editors: Jpeg photo available on request.

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