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Dr. Hitesh D. Vora is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering Technology. He received his Ph.D. and Masters’ from the University of North Texas in Materials Science & Engineering (in 2013) and Mechanical Engineering Technology (in 2008), respectively. Dr. Vora is a Director of the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) at Oklahoma State University, which is funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the year 2016-2021 with total funding of $1.8 million. For those not familiar, the Industrial Assessment Centers help small and medium-sized U.S. manufacturers to save energy, improve productivity, and reduce waste by providing no-cost technical assessments conducted by university-based teams of engineering students and faculty. He is actively teaching several courses and pursuing research in advanced (smart/cyber) manufacturing and energy management to improve energy efficiency (reduced energy, cost, and throughput) for small to medium-sized manufacturers.

In addition, he is a Matrixed Professor in the ENDEAVOR Digital Manufacturing Maker Space located in the new ENDEAVOR building, which is a 72,000-square-foot and $30 million building. This maker space provides additive manufacturing support for design courses, laboratory courses, and entrepreneur initiatives. This facility houses several different technology 3D printers that capable of printing parts from polymers, fibers, composites, and metals as well as 3D scanning and subtractive manufacturing equipment. His research focuses on machining and manufacturing with a specific concentration on the use of additive manufacturing processes for advanced materials. He emphasis on design for additive manufacturing (DfAM), topology optimization, lightweight applications, and finite element analysis in additive manufacturing processes. Dr. Vora extensively teaches the additive manufacturing technology through the dedicated undergraduate (MET 4173) class as well as through the hands-on training sessions and certification (level 1 to 4) in the Endeavor Digital Manufacturing Maker Space.

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Pragya Niraula is a graduate student in Industrial Engineering and Management at Oklahoma State University (OSU). She earned a MS degree in Energy Engineering at Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand in 2016 and BS degree in Mechanical Engineering at Tribhuwan University, Nepal in 2010. She has been associated with OSU Industrial Assessment Center since 2017 and has participated in 25 energy assessment in industrial manufacturers. Her area of interest includes energy management, continuous improvement, maximizing energy efficiency and performance in industrial systems.

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Amrit Chugani is an undergraduate student at Oklahoma State University pursuing a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering & Management. He is the Vice President of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers organization at OSU and is the Philanthropy Chair at the Beta Nu Chapter of Omega Delta Phi fraternity. He is a dynamic individual who aims to make a positive impact on the world by building successful technology products. His interests include supply chain management, product management, strategy consulting and data analytics.

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Nilesh Baraskar is a graduate student pursuing his master’s degree (M.S.) in Industrial Engineering and Management at Oklahoma State University since 2019. He completed his under-graduation (B.E.) in Mechanical Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University, India. He is currently working with the Industrial Assessment Center (OSU IAC) as a Graduate Research Assistant under Dr. Hitesh Vora. His areas of interest lie in process improvement, energy management, and supply chain logistics.

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Anusha Saraf is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. She has been associated with the OSU Industrial Assessment Center since 2019. Her areas of interest include manufacturing, energy systems, and renewable energy.

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Dr. Michael L. McCombs

Dr. McCombs is Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Division of Engineering Technology at Oklahoma State University (OSU). He earned a PhD in technical rhetoric at OSU in 2018 and an MA degree in technical writing at Minnesota State University in 2005. Dr. McCombs is the assistant director of the OSU Industrial Assessment Center (IAC), where he has worked in various positions since 2008. He has particular interest in lighting, HVAC, and M&V systems, and has participated in nearly 150 IAC assessments of manufacturing plants in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and Kansas.

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