Mario Moisés Alvarez is a Rómulo Garza Insignia Professor at Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA in Tecnologico de Monterrey in Monterrey, México. He is a Biochemical Engineer by training and received a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering in 2001. Mario Alvarez has postdoctoral experience in both Industry and Academia. He conducted research and technology development at the Pharmaceutical Institute at Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (2001–2002) and was a Visiting Professor at the Harvard MIT Health Sciences Division in the Khademhosseini Lab (2014–2016).
Mario Alvarez is a senior AIChE member with technical expertise in diverse areas of materials science and engineering, including biotechnology and bioengineering, biofabrication, biomaterials engineering, micro- and nanotechnologies, mixing, and pharmaceutical engineering. He has more than 120 research papers published across these areas in prestige journals, such as Biomaterials, Advanced Materials, PNAS, Nature Review Materials, Materials Horizons, ACS Nano, Biofabrication, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Scientific Reports, Advanced Healthcare Materials, Acta Biomaterialia, and Biotechnology and Bioengineering. Mario Alvarez is also active in the area of technology development and has been granted two USPO patents and 12 Mexican patents.
At Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mario Alvarez has been a researcher and faculty member for more than 29 years, was the founder and first director of the Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA (2002-2010), and the founder of the Ph.D. Program in Biotechnology.

Dr. Ming C. Leu is the Keith and Pat Bailey Distinguished Professor and Curator’s Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology. He founded Missouri S&T’s Center for Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies in 2004 and has been serving as its director until 2016.

He also served as the Director of Intelligent Systems Center, 2003-2020. Prior to joining Missouri S&T, he was a Program Director at the National Science Foundation, 1996-1999, the State Chair Professor in Manufacturing Productivity at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, 1987-1996, and a faculty member at Cornell University, 1981-1987. Professor Leu obtained his Ph.D. degree in 1981 from the University of California at Berkeley, his M.S. degree in 1977 from the Pennsylvania State University, and his B.S. degree in 1972 from the National Taiwan University, all in Mechanical Engineering.

His research interests include additive manufacturing, 3D printing, smart manufacturing, intelligent robotics, and cyber-physical systems. He has published over 500 refereed papers in professional journals and conference proceedings, as well as one e-book, 11 book chapters, and 5 granted U.S. patents.

Dr. Leu has received numerous professional awards including, among others, the ISC/MST Distinguished Investigator Award (2022), International Freeform and Additive Manufacturing Excellence (FAME) Award (2020), ASME Milton C. Shaw Manufacturing Research Medal (2018), University of Missouri President’s Leadership Award (2017), ASME Blackall Machine Tool and Gage Award (2014), ISFA Hideo Hanafusa Outstanding Investigator Award (2008), ASME Dedicated Service Award (2004), SME University Lead Award (1994), NJIT Harlan J. Perlis Research Award (1993), NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1985), SAE Ralph R. Teetor Education Award (1985), FPRS Wood Award (1981), and best paper recognition from multiple professional conferences.

He was elected to SME Fellow in 2018, CIRP Fellow in 2008, and ASME Fellow in 1993, and is a member of Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies.