Professor and Director, Center for Smart Convergent Manufacturing Systems (CSCMS)
Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering
Dr. Johnson Samuel is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He is also the founding director of the Center for Smart Convergent Manufacturing Systems—a NYSTAR-designated Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) established in July 2025. Dr. Samuel’s current research focuses on convergent manufacturing, robotic material processing, and smart manufacturing systems. His work is supported by a range of federal, state, and industry sponsors, including the U.S. National Science Foundation, Army Research Lab, NASA, DARPA, Boeing, the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, CESMII, Empire State Development, and NYSERDA.
Since joining RPI in Spring 2011, he has supervised 10 Ph.D., 7 M.S., and 34 M.Eng. students. His team has published in top-tier journals such as Nature Communications, Nano Energy, Carbon, Additive Manufacturing, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Applied Physics Reviews, ASME Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, and the SME Journal of Manufacturing Processes. His research contributions have been recognized with several honors, including the ASME Richard Skalak Award - Bioengineering Division (2024), US National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2014), Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2016), and the Rensselaer School of Engineering Research Excellence Award (2016).
Dr. Samuel is deeply committed to educating and mentoring the next generation of U.S. manufacturing leaders. His education efforts have been recognized with the David M. Darrin '40 Counseling Award (2025), Rensselaer Class of 1951 Outstanding Teaching Award (2014), and School of Engineering’s Education Innovation Award (2015).
Dr. Samuel has held multiple leadership roles within ASME’s Manufacturing Engineering Division (MED) and NAMRI/SME. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of ASME MED (2023–2028). Previous roles include Technical Program Chair of the 2017 ASME Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference and Chair of MED’s Manufacturing Equipment Technical Committee. At NAMRI/SME, he chaired the Scientific Committee for the Manufacturing Education, Workforce Development, and Outreach Track. He has also served as Associate Editor for leading journals, including the Journal of Manufacturing Processes (SME), ASME Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, and Journal of Machining Science and Technology.