Rate My Professor Duckbong Kim

Kim's research focuses on advanced manufacturing, wire + arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), metal big area additive manufacturing (mBAAM), smart manufacturing, data analytics, machine vision, high-temperature alloys, and high entropy alloys. In 2022, he received the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award exceeding $500,000 to develop digital twin-based approaches for additive manufacturing of titanium-zirconium-molybdenum alloys used in rocket engines, high-temperature furnaces, and electronic components, promoting sustainability by reducing carbon footprints through efficient material use. Additional honors include the Wings Up 100 Research Achievement Award at Tennessee Tech (2021-2024) and the Excellence in Creative Inquiry Mentoring Award (2021). He has contributed to university service, including the University Curriculum Committee, and presented seminars on laser/metal-based additive manufacturing qualification issues. Key publications encompass 'A decision-guidance framework for sustainability performance analysis of manufacturing processes' (2015, The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology), 'Conceptual Architecture of Digital Twins with Human-in-the-Loop Based Smart Manufacturing' (2023), 'Wire directed energy deposition of steel-aluminum functionally graded materials' (2024), and 'Recent Progress and Scientific Challenges in Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing of Metallic Multi-Material Structures' (2025). His efforts integrate experiments with computational modeling, fostering innovations in Industry 5.0 and mentoring students through national lab internships and K-12 STEM programs.