Rollett and Beuth visit Capitol Hill

The Next Manufacturing Center's faculty co-director Tony Rollett, professor of materials science and engineering, joined NASA for Congressional meetings and a full staff briefing on the NASA's University Leadership Initiative, which is dedicated to examining new ways to build and power aircraft of the future. In addition, Rollett met with several Pennsylvania offices and briefed the House Science Committee staff with NASA.

Jack Beuth, faculty co-director of the Next Manufacturing Center and a professor of mechanical engineering, led a panel hosted by the House Manufacturing Caucus entitled, "Artificial Intelligence + Manufacturing: The Power to Make Anything Anywhere Quickly." The panel heard from researchers directly engaged in developing transformative AM capabilities, and from federal agency leaders working on the policies, standards and technologies to ensure that the US is leading the way toward an AI-driven manufacturing future. It also described some of the key challenges manufacturers face and how AI can be used to find existing solutions that will grow U.S. manufacturing capacity. The event included remarks from Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY).