From developing technology for critical repairs on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers to teaching teenagers to design and race 3D-printed cars, Kyle Saleeby has applied his manufacturing expertise to challenges worlds apart.

Now, the Georgia Tech alumnus and former research faculty member is bringing his experience to Washington as one of 11 "exceptional Americans" selected for the 2026-27 class of White House Fellows.

Saleeby has been assigned to the National Security Council, where his work will focus on advanced manufacturing and the supply chains that support it.

The White House describes its nonpartisan fellowship as an opportunity for “gifted and highly motivated young Americans” to gain firsthand experience in government and national leadership.

“Georgia Tech has both the opportunity and the responsibility to serve our nation by bringing our expertise to bear on consequential decisions facing our leaders,” said Tim Lieuwen, interim president of Georgia Tech. “Given the critical importance of manufacturing and strengthening our domestic industrial base for our nation's economic prosperity and national security, Kyle's expertise and experience will be invaluable. We are tremendously proud of his selection as a White House Fellow and the opportunity he has to serve our country.”

Saleeby earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and later joined the research faculty at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute. There, he worked with industry partners to solve manufacturing problems using advanced machining, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence.

One of those problems came from the U.S. Navy, which for decades relied on a single specialist to repair critical components of the system used to launch aircraft from carriers. Saleeby was part of a Georgia Tech team that developed an automated approach to those repairs, reducing the Navy's dependence on one person's specialized knowledge.

“One of the biggest challenges in American manufacturing is getting new technology out of the laboratory and onto the factory floor,” said Tom Kurfess, executive director, Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute “Kyle has spent his career working at that intersection. He understands what it takes to move from a promising idea to something manufacturers can actually use.”

Steven Ferguson, GTMI deputy director, has worked closely with Saleeby on research projects and educational outreach. What impresses him most about his former colleague goes beyond his technical abilities.

“He's a gifted individual who is incredibly technical but is able to distill that information and convey it in a way an industry executive, a ninth-grader, a high school teacher, and a Ph.D. scientist and engineer can all understand,” Ferguson said.

Saleeby and Ferguson also co-founded Advanced Manufacturing Pathways, a Georgia Tech program that brings manufacturing engineering into high school classrooms. Students design, 3D-print, and race pinewood derby cars, learning how digital designs become physical products. The program now includes eight Georgia high schools, with plans to expand further.

Ferguson said Saleeby routinely invited colleagues into research projects, even when he didn't need their help. He wanted others to have opportunities they might not otherwise get.

“He is a consummate collaborator,” Ferguson said.

About the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)

The Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) convenes industry leaders, government partners, and top researchers to collaborate on the grand challenges facing manufacturing today: accelerating technology development and deployment; creating, maintaining, and filling quality jobs; ensuring global competitiveness; and advancing economic and environmental stability.

Our vision is to ensure rapid innovation that secures U.S. dominance in advanced manufacturing. Through the design and development of artificial intelligence systems, secure digital manufacturing, additive and subtractive processes, and large-scale production enterprises, GTMI stands at the forefront of manufacturing innovation — leveraging state-of-the-art facilities, including the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, to turn research breakthroughs into market-ready solutions.