Spellings Visits the Department

UNC System President Margaret Spellings visits the CAMAL lab to learn about advanced manufacturing techniques from students and faculty

Spellings vowed to visit all 17 campuses in the UNC system in her first 100 days on the job. On Wednesday, it was NC State’s turn and her first stop was the home of ISE, Daniels Hall.

Spellings visited the department and toured the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL) laboratory where she talked with professors Russell King, Ola Harrysson and Denis Marcellin-Little. “I saw a machine that is the 1st in the world of its kind in 3D printing and the applications are tremendous,” said Spellings referring to the ARCAM Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 3D printer. ISE is renowned for having the world’s first EBM machine.

The professors discussed how CAMAL uses 3D printing innovation to create new processes for creating everything from spare parts and prototypes for large industrial manufacturing purposes to helping save the lives of cats and dogs. “What we have here is a cutting-edge lab where we can do development both for the medical industry and also for aerospace and other types of industries,” explained Dr. Harrysson.

After talking with the faculty, Spellings took time to chat with ISE students; Carter Keough, Matthew White, Logan Freebourn, Zaynab Maybooba and Aidan Special; who work in the lab. “It’s exciting to hear that she supports students and makes them a priority,” said Carter Keough.

After Spellings moved on to her next stop, several news outlets interviewed both Keough and Dr. Harrysson about the CAMAL lab and Spellings visit. See what they had to say by clicking on the links below:

Watch: Time Warner Cable News 14 Video
View: WNCN News Article
View: News & Observer Article