Yoram Koren, the Paul G. Goebel Professor of Engineering, and professor of mechanical engineering, was one of 76 new members and 11 foreign associates recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

According to NAE, Koren was elected for “contributions to the science, education, and practice of manufacturing through innovations in reconfigurable manufacturing systems, robotics, and manufacturing system control.”

Election to NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors people who have made “important contributions to engineering theory and practice, including significant contributions to the literature of engineering theory and practice.”

It also honors those who have demonstrated accomplishment in “the pioneering of new fields of engineering, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”

Koren, director of the Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (ERC-RMS), conducts research in a variety of areas, including the control of manufacturing systems, computer numerical control, tool wear estimation, mobile robots and adaptive control.

He was integral to the ERC-RMS team that recently created the world’s first, full-scale reconfigurable machine tool.