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Instructors

Benefit from the guidance of experienced machine tool professionals.

ACE Train-the-Trainer Instructor

Emma Betters

Emma Betters

Machining and Machine Tool Research R&D at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and ACE Train-the-Trainer Instructor

“I think it’s really important to see ACE spread to other places, a full range of high school to undergrads to graduate students. Getting kids excited from a younger age, understanding that manufacturing is a viable career they can do is key.”

Emma has been involved with ACE from its development stages and now focuses on train-the-trainer instruction, where she shows educators how to teach the ACE curriculum. She’s excited to see the program expand to so many states in such a short time.
ACE Instructor

Phill Davis

Phill Davis

Lab Manager at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) and ACE Instructor

“When industry finds out what we’re doing, they will be coming to us. ACE is a good way to integrate with industry and to get connected with people.”

Phill was one of the first to be certified to teach the ACE curriculum beyond the initial testbed in Tennessee. He looks forward to seeing the impact it will have in his North Carolina community, from high school students to industry professionals.
ACE Instructor

Tom Lewison

Tom Lewison

Assistant Professor of Mechatronics at Roane State Community College and ACE Instructor

“Once you’re successful at creating something, you gain confidence. Once you have confidence, sky’s the limit. That’s what I think ACE will do.”

Tom completed the ACE train-the-trainer course in July 2022 but has been in machining (both as a machinist and as a teacher) for many years. He’s looking forward to bringing the ACE curriculum to Roane State Community College students.
ACE Instructor

Jose Nazario

Jose Nazario

Mechanical Engineering Technology Instructor at Pellissippi State Community College and ACE Instructor

“I’m trying to give them real-world experience in a college setting. I don’t want to just give them a block and say, cut this. I want them to know the programming behind it.”

Jose has taught the ACE curriculum to a wide range of participants, including students in high school, two-year programs, and universities as well as current machinists. He aims to give a broad introduction to machining and machine tool dynamics so that participants can find where they best fit in U.S. manufacturing.
ACE Curriculum Developer

Dr. Tony Schmitz

Dr. Tony Schmitz

Mechanical Engineering Professor at University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) and Developer of ACE Curriculum

“I want nothing less than eliminating the shortfall in the manufacturing workforce that exists today. U.S. manufacturing is ready for a new renaissance.”

Early in the pandemic, Dr. Schmitz was reimagining how to teach some of his engineering classes and developed what is now the online and in-person ACE curriculum for metal CNC machining. He continues to lead in-person training at UT for both participants and trainers planning to replicate ACE across the country.
ACE Instructor

Rick Smoot

Rick Smoot

Machinist Instructor at the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) at Marshall University and ACE Instructor

“We’re a nation of purchasers instead of producers. Manufacturing needs to be a big part of our economy. That will make us more self-sustainable, keeping the money in our country, creating more jobs.”

Rick has been a machinist for 40 years, and 35 of those have been on CNCs. He likes how the CAM programming has become more intuitive and hopes programs like ACE can bridge the gap between designers and machinists. He helped lead the first ACE bootcamps outside the state of Tennessee.

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