The Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) has selected Aaron P. Stebner as its new associate director, expanding the institute’s leadership as it scales advanced manufacturing research, infrastructure, and industry engagement.

Stebner is the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing and a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, with a joint appointment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. He also serves as a James R. and Sarah R. Borders Faculty Fellow, founding director of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing (Georgia AIM), and executive director of Georgia Tech’s Professional Master’s in Manufacturing Leadership program.

In his role as associate director, Stebner will lead operations, engagement and continued growth of the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF), a cornerstone of Georgia Tech’s manufacturing ecosystem. The facility brings together artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and digital manufacturing to accelerate materials discovery and manufacturing innovation at pilot scale.

The AMPF is evolving into what Georgia Tech leaders describe as a national first: a university-based, self-driving manufacturing facility that allows new technologies to be invented, tested and de-risked before they reach full-scale production. Backed by more than $80 million in federal, state, and private investment, the facility serves as a shared-use platform for industry, startups, researchers, and government partners.

“AMPF is a national user facility and a blended industry-academia, human-AI environment where new manufacturing discoveries are made ready for industry adoption,” Stebner said. “By integrating AI-enabled systems, real-time automation and pilot-scale validation, we’re helping shorten the timeline from discovery to deployment.”

Stebner’s research and leadership sit at the intersection of artificial intelligence, manufacturing, materials, and mechanics, with an emphasis on intelligent and adaptive manufacturing systems. His work spans advanced alloys, additive manufacturing, autonomous experimentation, and data-driven process design, with applications across aerospace, automotive, biomedical, energy and industrial sectors.

Under his leadership, the AMPF is expected to continue expanding as a national collaboration hub for academia, industry, and government. The facility supports pilot-scale testing of emerging technologies, workforce development and applied research aimed at strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and economic resilience.

Stebner’s appointment also strengthens the alignment between GTMI, Georgia AIM and Georgia Tech’s broader research enterprise, integrating AI-driven research, translational infrastructure, and industry partnerships into a cohesive model for manufacturing innovation.

“With Aaron’s experience building forward-looking manufacturing programs and leading large, interdisciplinary teams, GTMI is well positioned to accelerate the impact of the AMPF and related initiatives,” said Tom Kurfess, executive director of GTMI.