Thomas Kurfess is the Chief Manufacturing Officer for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In this position he is responsible for the strategic planning for advanced manufacturing at ORNL. His research focuses on the design and development of advanced systems by rapidly developing, scaling and integrating new technologies into production operations. Kurfess has significant experience in production operations, manufacturing systems and policy issues related to advanced manufacturing. Prior to joining ORNL, he was Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the HUSCO/Ramirez Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power and Motion Control. During 2012-2013, Kurfess was on leave serving as the Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing at the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President of the United States of America. In this position, he had responsibility for engaging the federal sector and the greater scientific community to identify possible areas for policy actions related to manufacturing. He is Past President of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). He is currently serving on the Board of Governors for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Board of directors for SME, the Board of Director for the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), the Board of Trustees for the MT Connect Institute, and the Executive Committee of MxD (formerly the Digital Design and Manufacturing Innovation Institute). He earned his PhD, SM and SB in mechanical engineering, and an SM in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.