The Morrow Professorship is intended to “support the scholarly activities of a professor in the College of Engineering to develop strong relationships with industry by assisting the industrial community in meeting its applied research needs and providing a communication link between the university and industry,” according to Amr Elnashai, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering.
Simpson, a professor of mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, engineering design and architecture, teaches courses on mechanical engineering design, industrial systems design, additive manufacturing and product family design. He is co-director of the Penn State Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D) and he also helps oversee the Engineering Design and Optimization Group within the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.
A member of the Penn State faculty since 1998, Simpson has successfully teamed on more than $39 million in externally funded projects since 2011, including nearly $1 million in industry support.
He is nationally recognized for his work in 3D printing and has spoken at numerous industry events and conferences on the topic. His work has been widely published in both scholarly journals and mainstream media.
Simpson has received several awards including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Ben C. Spark Award in 2014, the American Society of Engineering Education Merryfield Design Award in 2011, and the University and College Designers Association Excellence in Design Award in 2011. His work was also recognized with a “We Are” from Penn State last year for helping advance the use and access to 3D printing across campus.
Simpson is an ASME Fellow, a Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology Fellow in 3D Printing, and an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Associate Fellow.
He is an active member of ASME, helping to organize the society’s Innovative Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing Design Challenge and launch the Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing Conference & Expo. He also serves as chair of the Design Engineering Division, the largest division within ASME, and he is a founding member of ASME’s Design, Materials and Manufacturing Segment Leadership Team.
Simpson helped establish Maker Week in collaboration with Schlow Centre Region Library and Discovery Space in State College to give local residents from all age ranges experience with new “making” technologies, including 3D printing.
He is part of the founding membership of the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, now America Makes, and he is an active member of the America Makes Workforce, Education and Outreach working group.
Simpson holds doctoral and a master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.