Professor Ben Wang
Gwaltney Chair in Manufacturing Systems, Georgia Tech College of Engineering Professor in Materials Science & Engineering, Executive Director, Georgia Institute of Technology
Ben Wang is the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing Systems and Professor in the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, and Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech. In addition, Wang serves as the Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute. Wang is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering. Wang's professional focus is on strengthening manufacturing competitiveness through technology, infrastructure, workforce, and policy.
He served as Vice Chair (2016–2017) and Chair (2017–2019) of the National Materials and Manufacturing Board, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). Under his leadership, the Board oversaw several landmark studies including A Vision for Center-Based Engineering Research (a blueprint for the current NSF Generation 4 Engineering Research Centers), Frontiers of Materials Research: A Decadal Survey, and Strategic Long-Term Participation by DOD in Its Manufacturing USA Institutes.
His research lies at the nexus of advanced manufacturing, innovative materials, and data analytics and is widely acknowledged as a pioneer in nanomaterials science and engineering. Creativity and innovation are central to Wang’s R&D endeavors. He has a portfolio of issued and applied-for patents that now exceeds 35, and 15 of which have been licensed or in discussion for commercialization. Wang is a technical advisor to WEAV3D, an additive manufacturing startup.