Sounder Kumara’s name is inscribed on a plaque next to Kumara’s Manufacturing Engineering Society’s 2026 Fellow Medal. Credit: Provided by Soundar Kumara.
July 13, 2026
Written by Jocelyn Bilker
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — Sounder KumaraAllen E. Pierce and Allen M. Pierce Professor of Industrial Engineering at Penn State University. Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME) College of Fellows.
Mr. Kumara was one of eight manufacturing professionals selected as 2026 Fellows. Established in 1986, the SME College of Fellows recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the social, technical, and educational aspects of manufacturing. This honor is awarded to individuals with at least 20 years of experience who have demonstrated sustained leadership and made a significant impact on the manufacturing engineering profession.
“I am truly honored to be recognized as a Fellow of SME, an achievement that I value very highly,” Kumara said. “It’s especially rewarding to see how the research that my group began in the early 1980s, including sensing, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), manufacturing applications, and networked edge computing in manufacturing, is helping to shape smart manufacturing research, education, and practice today. As academics, engineers, and researchers, it is an immense privilege to have the opportunity to make such an impact.”
At Penn State University, Mr. Kumara is the department chair. Center for Industrial Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIMI) Within the Computational and Data Science Institute. His research spans nonlinear real-time sensor analysis, machine learning for process diagnostics, and large-scale complex networks. One of his most notable contributions was the co-development of the label propagation algorithm, a widely used machine learning technique that has been incorporated into major machine learning software platforms. The study was recognized by Physical Review E as one of only 25 “landmark papers” chosen from more than 50,000 publications to celebrate the journal’s 25th anniversary.
“This honor is well-deserved given his pioneering work in manufacturing process monitoring and diagnostics and, more recently, AI and machine learning in manufacturing,” he said. Lynn Rothrockinterim chair and professor in the Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.
In addition to his research contributions, Kumara has supervised 70 doctoral students and 81 master’s students throughout his career. He is a Fellow of the Society of Industrial Systems Engineers, the International Academy of Industrial Engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
His previous honors include: IISE Baker Prize, ASME Award for Excellence in Computer and Information Research in Engineering and Pearson Digital Pioneer Award. Kumara also Notable Alumni of Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Outstanding Industrial Engineer Award by Purdue University.
Beyond academia, Kumara has served as a consultant to the Army Science Board and currently serves on the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence, helping to guide the responsible development and application of artificial intelligence technologies. Kumara is an SME member since 2021.
