August 5, 2025
By Ashley Ritchie

Shreyes N. Melkote, interim school chair and Morris M. Bryan Jr. Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been honored with the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award (DAA) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.

Presented annually during the Institute Convocation Day, the DAA recognizes alumni for their outstanding contributions and leadership across academia, research, industry, entrepreneurship, public service, and beyond. It is one of the highest honors bestowed by the Institute.

Melkote graduated with a Bachelor of Technology degree (with honors) in manufacturing science and engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1987. Since then, he has built an internationally recognized career as a scholar, educator, and research leader in advanced manufacturing.

“To be recognized by IIT Kharagpur, the place where my journey in engineering truly began, is a deeply meaningful honor. The foundation I received there continues to guide and inspire my work to this day,” Melkote said. “I’m grateful to my mentors, colleagues, and students who have been part of this journey and humbled to be counted among the Institute’s distinguished alumni.”

Melkote joined the faculty at Georgia Tech in 1995 and has since become a cornerstone of the Institute’s manufacturing innovation ecosystem. He currently serves as executive director of the Novelis Innovation Hub and was previously associate director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute. His research spans precision manufacturing, industrial robotics, and data-driven cyber manufacturing, and he has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles. He is also a co-founder of OpenWerks Inc., a startup focused on AI-powered manufacturing capability intelligence.

In 2015–2016, Melkote served as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Foundation Swanson Fellow and assistant director for technology at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, contributing to the development of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation — now known as Manufacturing USA.

Melkote is a Fellow of ASME, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and CIRP, and has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the ASME Milton C. Shaw Manufacturing Research Medal, the SME Gold Medal, and the ASME Blackall Machine Tool and Gage Award, among others. He has also held national and international leadership roles, including serving as president of the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME and as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Austrian Center for Digital Production.

Faculty at IIT Kharagpur who nominated Melkote for the award cited his contributions to engineering research, public policy, and technological innovation as key attributes of his impact. In recent years, he has helped shape national conversations on smart manufacturing, sustainability, and the role of AI in the future of production.

Melkote was formally recognized at IIT Kharagpur’s 71^st convocation ceremony last month.