AMUG presents 2020 DINO awards in virtual ceremony
July 14, 2020
The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has presented its annual DINO (Distinguished INnovator Operator) Award for Additive Manufacturing expertise and service to ten recipients for 2020. In lieu of an on-stage ceremony at the annual AMUG Conference, which was postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), the award presentations took place during a virtual event.
The DINO Award recognises those that have contributed to the Additive Manufacturing industry with the intent of advancing the industry as a whole, or to advance the skills and knowledge of individuals. Over its thirty-two-year history, AMUG has awarded DINOs to only 168 individuals.
The recipients of the 2020 DINO Award are:
- Jeff DeGrange, Impossible Objects Inc
- Bob Diaz, College of Southern Nevada
- Leslie Frost, GE Additive
- Youping Gao, Castheon
- Ed Graham, ProtoCAM
- Paul Hojan, Christie Digital
- Evan Kirby, Materialise
- Ulf Lindhe, Oqton
- Dana McCallum, Carbon, Inc.
- Bob Wood, The ExOne Company
“These are unprecedented times, so we took the unprecedented step of making virtual award presentations,” stated Carl Dekker, AMUG president. “We did everything we could to preserve the suspense and surprise to make this a special moment in the Additive Manufacturing careers of our new DINOs.”
Gary Rabinovitz, AMUG chairman and chair of the DINO selection committee, commented, “We considered postponing the awards to coincide with the 2021 AMUG Conference, but the committee unanimously agreed that DINO recognitions should not be delayed. It would be unfair to make them wait nearly a year for recognition of all that they have done.”
Rabinovitz added, “At the heart of this award is a passion for and dedication to Additive Manufacturing, coupled with a desire to share and to be accessible to others. The new DINOs truly embody what the DINO Award stands for.”
A recorded broadcast of the DINO Awards presentation is available to view via the AMUG website. Nominations for the 2021 DINO candidates will be accepted from October 1, 2020.
