Sandra DeVincent Wolf
Executive Director, Manufacturing Futures Institute and NextManufacturing Center
Adjunct Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Sandra DeVincent Wolf is the executive director of the CMU Manufacturing Futures Institute where she works to identify, connect, leverage, and accelerate research in manufacturing across campus and with industry and government partners to support innovation that will accelerate the path of discovery to commercialization to increase US competitiveness and drive economic development in the Pittsburgh region. She is additionally the executive director of the CMU NextManufacturing Center for additive manufacturing research where she leads the activities and partnerships of the center and its consortium and is the director of the metals additive manufacturing laboratories. Wolf originally joined the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in 2015 as Director of Research Partnerships, responsible for facilitating research partnerships and the growth of new initiatives, centers and institutes, and industrial consortia. She continues to lead partnership growth in support of manufacturing at CMU.
Prior to joining CMU, Wolf spent 15 years in research, development, engineering, and management in advanced materials and manufacturing working in national laboratories, a start-up manufacturing company and large corporations. Her technical work experience was followed by over 10 years in executive management of nonprofits where she was responsible for leading initiatives from conception through implementation and assessment, internal and external communications, strategic planning and operational implementation, program management, corporate and government relations, education and outreach, and staff/volunteer engagement and development.
Wolf is a member of the America Makes Governance Board, the SWPA Additive Manufacturing Working Group, the Pittsburgh Chapter of Women in 3D Printing, and the Pittsburgh Chapter of ASM International. She also served on the America Makes Executive Committee, the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) Advanced Manufacturing, Materials and Processes Program (AMMP) Technical Advisory Board, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Convergent Manufacturing, and most recently on an NSF ERC Annual Review Site Visit Team.
Wolf holds the S.B. in materials science and engineering from MIT. She earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in the same field from Case Western Reserve University while she was a NASA Fellow in residence at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Wolf was awarded the CMU College of Engineering’s 2018 Inspirational Leadership Award.
Education
Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (NASA Fellow)
M.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (NASA Fellow)
S.B. Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
What Inspired You to Become an Engineer: Sandra DeVincent Wolf
Virtual Café Sci: Metal 3D Printing
Research Interests
- additive manufacturing
- advanced manufacturing
- advanced materials processing and manufacturing
- commercialization, innovation, selection
- cybersecurity + privacy
- data science
- digital twins
- education technologies
- engineering education
- generative manufacturing
- innovation
- manufacturing engineering
- manufacturing technologies/processes
- manufacturing workforce
- materials characterization
- materials science & engineering
- metallurgy & metallurgical engineering
- ML and AI
- professional skills
- project management
- robotics
- sensors
- STEM education
- surface science
- virtual reality
- women in technology
Media mentions
Additive Manufacturing Media
CMU preparing industry and students for future of AM with AI
Work underway at Carnegie Mellon is helping industrial additive manufacturers achieve success today, while applying artificial intelligence to designing AM alloys, optimizing AM parameters, lowering AM’s skills barrier and addressing a fundamental AM problem—spatter.
CMU Engineering
Machine learning and extended reality used to train welders
Researchers apply machine learning to a lightly-modified off-the-shelf welding helmet and torch integrated with a Meta Quest headset and controller to train welders.
CMU Engineering
New Robotics Innovation Center will anchor community outreach programs in Hazelwood
The new Robotics Innovation Center (RIC) will serve as a home to well-established programs connecting CMU and the Hazelwood community.
Defense News
Wolf’s 3D printing technology mentioned in Defense News
MFI/NEXT Manufacturing’s Sandra DeVincent Wolf’s research was mentioned in Defense News as part of an article on manufacturing issues with 3D printing pertaining to the U.S.’s submarine fleet. “The machines in her labs are rigged with sensors: high- and low-speed cameras, thermal imaging, images of the melt pool, images of the metal spatter, acoustic monitoring, and more,” the article notes.
Pittsburgh Business Times
Wolf featured in Pittsburgh Business Times
MFI/Next Manufacturing’s Sandra DeVincent Wolf was featured as one of 20 People to Know in Manufacturing in the recent issue of the Pittsburgh Business Times.
CMU Engineering
A sweet way to teach kids about manufacturing
Sneha Prabha Narra uses hands-on activities to introduce engineering and additive manufacturing concepts to local grade school students.
MITRE Grand Challenges Power Hour
Revolutionizing the American Supply Chain through Advanced Manufacturing
NextM/MFI’s Sandra DeVincent Wolf participated in a recent panel discussion during Mitre’s Grand Challenges Power Hour: Revolutionizing the American Supply Chain through Advanced Manufacturing.
CMU Engineering
Manufacturing Day 2022
Area high school students visit Mill 19 on Manufacturing Day to learn about advanced manufacturing career opportunities.
the Manufacturing Futures Institute
Guiding the clean energy transition
MFI showcased the future of advanced manufacturing and sustainable practices during the Global Clean Energy Action Forum.
ARM Institute
Wolf featured by ARM Institute
MFI/Next Manufacturing’s Sandra DeVincent Wolf talks MFI goals, purpose, benefits, and robotics with the ARM Institute.
Velo 3D
Wolf featured on additive manufacturing
MFI/NextManufacturing’s Sandra DeVincent Wolf spoke about the unique benefits of additive manufacturing versus traditional manufacturing on the new episode of the @Velo3D podcast, #LaserFocused.
CMU Engineering
Biden calls for investment in American innovation
President Biden touted the importance of advanced manufacturing innovation, robotics, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence during his recent visit to Mill 19.