SAMPE - Key Persons
Arnt Offringa studied aerospace engineering at the University of Delft. He started his career in 1985 as a design engineer at Fokker Aircraft. In 1989 he joined Fokker Special Products and started a market oriented thermoplastics R&D effort. In 1991 an R&D department was created and in 1996 he became manager Engineering. In 2003 he became Director R&D of Fokker Aerostructures. As of 2019 he is GKN Aerospace's Head of Technology for Thermoplastic Composites and responsible for the GKN Global Technology Center Netherlands. Arnt is a member of SAMPE Global and Past President of SAMPE Europe.
Job Titles:
- Manager of LSI Systems, Senior Engineer, over 28 Years of Material Testing Experience.
Bin Wang, General Manager of LSI Systems, senior engineer, over 28 years of material testing experience.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Bede Test Center for Bede Aircraft
After serving with the U.S. Air Force as a flight test project engineer at Edwards Air Force Base, Burt Rutan became the director of the Bede Test Center for Bede Aircraft in Newton, KS. With the experience and a strong interest in aircraft design and manufacturing, he formed the Rutan Aircraft Factory in Mojave, CA in 1974 to develop light, homebuilt aircraft. This company developed the VariViggen, VariEze, NASA AD-, Quickie, Defiant, Long-EZ, Grizzly, scaled NGT trainer, Solitare, Catbird, and the all-composite Voyager (which flew around the world on a single tank of fuel.
In April 1982, he founded Scaled Composites to develop research aircraft. Scaled has become the world's most productive aerospace prototype development company. Aircraft they produced include a single-seat, twin-jet, the subscale T-46A demonstrator for Fairchild Republic, a two-seat, single-engine recreational aircraft (Microlight proof of concept) for Group Lotus, Ltd., an eleven seat, twin turboprop high performance business aircraft (85% scale Starship 1 prototype) for Beech Aircraft, a large agricultural aircraft (full scale Predator proof of concept) for DARPA, a reconnaissance aircraft (full scale CM-44 UAV prototype) for DARPA, a tandem wing, three surface technology demonstration (62% Advanced Technology Tactical Transport) for DARPA, and the short run production of an all composite reconnaissance UAV (Model 324 Scarab) for Teledyne Ryan.
Job Titles:
- President, North America Region / Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Materials Science and Engineering
Dr. Lijiao Xun received her B.E. degree degree from East China University of Science and Technology in 2020. Since then, she has been pursuing her Ph.D. degree at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the supervision of Professor Tong Zhao and Professor Heng Zhou. Her research focuses on high-temperature-resistant structural battery integrated composites. Specifically, she introduces thermosetting resins with high thermal stability and excellent flame-retardant properties into the design of structural electrolytes, investigating the impact of the crosslinked structures of thermosetting resins on electrolyte performance. She aims to develop structural battery integrated composites capable of stable operation under high-temperature conditions. The related findings have been published in Advanced Science.
Job Titles:
- Professor and Director of the Center for Composite Materials
Dr. Srikanth Pilla is a Professor and Director of the Center for Composite Materials at the University of Delaware (UD-CCM) with faculty appointments in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering. He is also the Founding Director of ‘AIM for Composites,' a Department of Energy-funded Energy Frontier Research Center. Pilla also co-directs IDeAS Composites, an NSF National Research Traineeship program focused on training next-generation composite leaders.
Pilla earned his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with postdoctoral training from Stanford University. Before joining UD-CCM, Pilla held the ExxonMobil Employees Chair in Engineering at Clemson University and was the founding director of the Clemson Composites Center. Pilla also worked as an Assistant Scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Pilla's research interests lie in the fundamentals and applications of sustainable and lightweight functional materials and manufacturing. He has co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed archival publications. His research is supported by NSF, DOE, USDA, DOD, and NASA, as well as several foundations and industries, including automotive OEMs and their suppliers. Pilla is a fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers and is the recipient of the 2021 Green Chemistry Challenge award from the Environmental Protection Agency and the 2022 Team award from the Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office.
Yiyin Liu, Master degree, engineer in the field of composite materials. Engaged in composite materials testing and development for 6 years, working in AVIC Composite Co., LTD. Published 3 papers, compiled more than 10 enterprise and group standards.
As a graduate student/research fellow at MIT, George Epstein studied the effects of elevated temperature on structural adhesives. Later at North American Aviation, he developed the first high temperature structural adhesives. This technology is used today in film adhesives in aircraft and space systems. His 1954 book, Adhesive Bonding of Metals, was the first on structural adhesives.
As assistant chief engineer of the Structural Materials Division at Aerojet-General Corp., he contributed to the development of high temperature thermal insulations for rocket motors and impermeable liners for pressure vessels, materials for filament winding, and metal/fiberglass laminated structures. He developed the tensile test method for fiberglass rovings, and the concept of laminating thin metal sheet with alternating plies of unidirectional fiberglass, the precursor to the GLARE material used in today's Airbus A380.
Epstein's most significant contributions were at The Aerospace Corporation from 1966-1991. He introduced advanced composites into U. S. Air Force space systems. At the time, the Air Force discouraged the use of advanced composites in favor of metallic structures. Because weight is a major limiting factor in the design of space systems, he gained support from the
Air Force Materials Laboratory for an extensive R&D program to develop design data and demonstrate feasibility. Subsequently, he led a team of engineers in monitoring/supporting the development of the narrow beam precision horn antennas and mounting structure for the NATO III communications satellite consisting of thin carbon/epoxy facings bonded to low density honeycomb core. The success of this effort led to the use of advanced composites in other Air Force and NASA space programs.
Having been involved in solving these and many other problems as the director of the manufacturing engineering office at The Aerospace Corporation, Epstein established the Air Force Manufacturing Problem Prevention Program (MP3) with team members from Air Force contractors to disseminate lessons learned as to prevent recurrence. He also contributed to the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center Commander's policies to prevent such problems.
George Hansen is a pioneer in the development and application of advanced composite materials technologies. He is at the forefront of research and manufacturing in multifunctional composite systems for the most demanding of applications, including electromagnetic properties in otherwise non-conducting materials for shielding and electrical conductivity within composites.
Job Titles:
- Professor for Polymer Engineering at the University of Bayreuth
Job Titles:
- Technology and Development Manager
1] Recycling technology development strategy based on LCA and its sensitivity analysis2] Although FRP was less consumed than metal materials and plastics, it will ‘really' have to be recycled in the near future. In order to consider the direction of creating more valuable FRP services on the basis of recycling as well as minimising the impact of climate change and resource depletion, there is a growing need to develop and improve the accuracy of FRP's LCA. This presentation will show how data incompleteness in LCA can be considered and how decisions can be made.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Professor / China Carbon Composite Innovation Center ( CCIC ) University of Nottingham
Mr. James Mazza is a highly sought-after industry leader in adhesive bonding and repair technologies, contributing significantly to our materials and processes community. His expertise enabled implementation of repairs on critical military systems worldwide. In mentoring colleagues, future engineers, and SAMPE leaders, Jim is the embodiment of a SAMPE Fellow.
Naoya Nakamura is responsible for global business development at CARBON FLY, a Japanese scale-up company innovating the full-scale implementation of carbon nanotubes for global societal impact. Before joining CARBON FLY, he worked at the Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office in Tokyo, supporting Japanese startups' global expansion, with a focus on the deep-tech, materials, and space sectors.
Job Titles:
- Principal Professional Staff
Job Titles:
- Fellow Materials and Processes Engineer
Pete George is a Boeing and SAMPE Fellow materials and processes engineer with over 30 years of engineering experience with composite material characterization, processing and application development. He is Boeing's technical focal for composites recycling working internally and collaboratively with academia and industry to advance knowledge, readiness and implementation of the science and technology.
Dr. Garcia has 20 years of industrial experience in the aerospace and defense industry. Prior to Weber State University (WSU), Dr. Garcia worked at Northrop Grumman managing a research group focused on the automated fabrication of carbon/carbon and ceramic matrix composites and also as a senior business development manager for the COI Ceramics organization in San Diego, California. He has extensive experience in the advanced manufacturing of composites working with new carbon and ceramic reinforcement fibers and developing new composite matrix materials, thermal protection systems, insulation, ceramic matrix and carbon/carbon composites. Dr. Garcia received a BS in Materials Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a doctorate in Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He now leads the Miller Advanced Research and Solutions (MARS) Center at Weber State University which is a development center for the advanced manufacturing of high-performance composites. CLOSE
Job Titles:
- President, Europe Region / Vice - President & Head of Faculty - Engineering School of Engineering
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Manufacturing
Prof. Dr. Frank Henning has been Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Manufacturing in Ulsan, Korea and since 2011 of the Fraunhofer Project Center for Research in London, Ontario, Canada. Since 2010, Henning has been an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. In 2009, he was named Deputy Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) in Pfinztal, Germany, as well as Director of Fraunhofer FIL in Augsburg, Germany. In 2008, Henning was appointed Professor for Light-Weight Technologies at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany; and that same year, he was appointed CEO of the Fraunhofer innovation cluster KITe hyLITE - Karlsruhe Innovation Cluster for Hybrid Light-Weight Solutions. In 2005, Henning became Director of the Competence Centre for Automotive Light-Weight Solutions. In 2002 he was named Director of Polymer Engineering at Fraunhofer ICT. He has been Vice-President of SAMPE Germany e.V. since 1999 and is President since 2016. In the years 1997 to 2001, he was Group Leader for the composites team at Fraunhofer ICT. Henning holds a Ph.D. degree in Composites Engineering from the Universität Stuttgart in Germany earned in 2001. He earned his Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the same university in 1996. He published numerous articles in refereed journals and owns patents in the field of polymer manufacturing. He was awarded multiple times for his achievements and introduced materials and technologies in industrial applications. He has more than 20 years of experience in polymer engineering with a special focus on composite processing.
Since January 2021, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Ruckdäschel has been a full professor for Polymer Engineering at the University of Bayreuth. He is also a member of several institutes, including the Bavarian Polymer Institute, and maintains strong connections with industry. Since January 2022, he has served as CEO of Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH, a non-academic research institute with 60 employees focused on developing new materials and processing technologies for industrial transfer. Ruckdäschel excels at bridging science, technology, digitalization, sustainability, and business.
Before his academic career, he worked for 13 years at BASF, where he led digital strategy for the Performance Materials division. His career at BASF also included polymer research, leading a global wind energy research team, and developing technology strategies for plastic additives. He managed multi-million-dollar budgets and global teams throughout his time there.
Ruckdäschel holds multiple degrees in materials science, digital leadership, data science, and business model innovation. His current research spans resins, composites, polymer foams, functional thermoplastics, additive manufacturing, and recycling, with a focus on integrating digitalization and sustainability. He holds numerous patents and has published widely. At Neue Materialien Bayreuth and the University of Bayreuth, he oversees around 100 people, including 35 PhD students.
Job Titles:
- President, Japan Region / Professor / Director Innovative Composite Center
Job Titles:
- Director, Composite Material Center of AVIC
Ranji Vaidyanathan Life-long contributions to the advancement of science and engineering of composite materials through support of student entrepreneurship, education of students to accept leadership roles in SAMPE and development and transition of composite technology to industry, resulting in tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society.
Job Titles:
- Director, Materials Science & Engineering / Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc
Job Titles:
- Director / JSS Composites LLC
Job Titles:
- Product Development Manager / American Air Liquide, Inc
Susan Ruth is a talented engineer and supervisor who brought these same skills to SAMPE. After SAMPE expanded internationally, Susan was our first female international president. (Peggy Moore was the first woman to serve as SAMPE's president.) Her unique global vision was critical as she implemented a program of growth and consolidation for all the international sectors of SAMPE. Susan also understood and promoted the student-related activities of SAMPE realizing that new, young members were a key to SAMPE's long-term growth and strength.
Susan was especially interested in providing a strong voice and feeling of belonging to SAMPE's non-North American members. For many years, she hosted annual parties at her home, with special attention to international members on the day following the SAMPE exposition and conference in Anaheim or Long Beach. Members from all over the world marveled at the models of space ships, naval ships and paraphernalia of Star Wars and Star Trek that Susan and her husband made and collected. It was always a fun evening of good food and interesting conversation.
Susan saw the advantages of SAMPE becoming more directly involved in the space programs (was it the Star Trek effect?) and she led SAMPE to much tighter interactions with this important sector. Susan was a section leader at her company and used this position to invite several college students to work for the Aerospace Corporation as interns. She taught them how to think long-term and strategically as well as how to perform complex and difficult engineering systems analyses. She strengthened the student organizations in SAMPE and always was a kind advocate for student events.
In that international spirit, Susan worked to reconcile the breach that had occurred between SAMPE and the people in India who had formed I-SAMPE. Susan became good friends with the leadership of I-SAMPE and made several attempts to draw them into the SAMPE organization.
Just before Susan's presidency, there was a major downturn in the aerospace industry and it caused SAMPE to lose money. However, Susan quickly reacted and was able to pull SAMPE to a breakeven financial position.
Susan was a pioneer for women in SAMPE and also was an example for everyone on how to think strategically and globally. A compassionate and perceptive as a leader, we thank her for her service.
Job Titles:
- Global Immediate past President / President and Director