Advancing manufacturing for a circular and sustainable future

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ISM at a Glance

$55M+ Research Funding

20+ Faculty & Researchers

200+ Industry & Gov. Partners

35+ Countries Collaborated

100+ Graduate Students Trained

30+ Years of Impact

Research for Next Generation Sustainable Manufacturing

Advanced Manufacturing and Surface Engineering Laboratory

Brazing, Soldering and Heat Exchangers Research Laboratory

Manufacturing Systems and Supply Chain Research Laboratory

Next Generation Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory

Sustainable Machining Research Laboratory

Sustainable Operations Management Research Laboratory

Welding Research Laboratory

Research Collaborations and Areas of Excellence

View recent external collaboration from the last 5 years on a country level.

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Latest from ISM

Badurdeen named director of Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing

Fazleena Badurdeen, Ph.D., Earl Parker Robinson Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the graduate certificate in manufacturing systems engineering, has been named the director of the Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing (ISM) in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.

Jawahir honored with UK Sustainability award

Materials and Manufacturing

Ibrahim Jawahir, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing, received the UK Sustainability Yanarella Levine Legacy Award at the 2025 Sustainability Showcase. The award recognizes members of the UK community who have contributed a tremendous body of work supporting a legacy of sustainability at the University of Kentucky and beyond.

2026 Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars announced

Computing, Networks, and AI, Energy and Infrastructure, Human Health and Safety, Materials and Manufacturing

Thanks to the generous support of Stanley and Karen Pigman and Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund (RCTF), engineering researchers are receiving additional annual funding to enhance the research priorities and programs of the Pigman College of Engineering. Established in 2024, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment supports faculty, research, graduate students, facilities and research infrastructure in the Pigman College of Engineering. This year, the endowment made $235,000 in funds available for distribution.

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