Technology award takes grad student, lecturer abroad

Arizona State University’s Adrian Teo and Trian Georgeou have been jetting to enviable destinations this fall and past summer. The two have visited Chicago and Italy to be recognized for a paper they co-wrote about machine tool technology.

The trips were part of the Italian Machine Tool Technology Awards sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission and the Association of Italian Manufacturers Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and Ancillary Products.

The award program challenges graduate students attending premier North American universities to write a thesis on the relative innovation taking place in metalworking industries and the issues they face.

“This paper is part of the work for my graduate thesis in high-speed, high-efficiency metal machining,” said Teo, a graduate student in the manufacturing engineering technology program and also the director of Web consulting services in the University Technology Office. Using this methodology we’ve effectively managed to triple the cutting speeds compared to traditional methods.”

As part of the award, Teo and Georgeou spent a week in Italy during the summer touring top Italian companies in the machine tool industry to experience firsthand Italian machine tool machinery and the technologies that have made Italian manufacturers recognized world leaders.

“The program enriches the engineering education of students and advances knowledge on issues of importance within the industry for the next generation of metalworking professionals,” said Georgeou, lecturer in the College of Technology and Innovation.

Italy is one of the world’s main producers of machine tools and systems for a wide variety of sectors and has been providing companies around the globe with innovative metalworking technologies, ideas and solutions.

“I was very surprised and impressed with the amount of innovative technologies and the extent of the manufacturing industry in Italy,” said Teo.

Teo was one of three students selected for the award. The trip to Italy benefitted these students as well as the faculty members who accompanied them.

“I was able to experience and learn about Italian metalworking technology, which will enhance my teachings in the classrooms,” said Georgeou.

More recently the pair were welcomed at the Sixth Italian Machine Tool Conference in Chicago held at the Harold Washington Library Center’s Winter Garden to be recognized by their peers, the Italian Trade Commission, the Association of Italian Manufacturers and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

Chris Lambrakis, lambrakis@asu.edu
(480) 727-1173
Public Affairs at ASU Polytechnic campus