McGregor Among SME’s 30 Under 30

Davis McGregor, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and Fischell Fellow at the University of Maryland (UMD), has been selected for the Society of Manufacturing Engineering’s (SME) 30 under 30 program, which recognizes talented young leaders in manufacturing.

McGregor, who directs the MIRAGE (Manufacturing Intelligence Research and Advanced Geometry Evaluation) Lab, has been investigating methods for automating metrology of diverse part geometries using computer vision and computational geometry.

He and his team at MIRAGE are also developing machine learning (ML) models for rapidly qualifying additively manufactured parts.

Aside from his research, McGregor is highly focused on educating and mentoring students, both in the classroom and lab and through UMD’s new student chapter of SME, which he advises.

“I have had the privilege of not only advancing my research interests but also making a meaningful impact on the lives of many students,” Davis said, noting that he has directly mentored more than 25 advisees in cutting-edge research projects focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and additive manufacturing technologies.

Looking to the future, Davis is excited about the transformative potential of smart and sustainable practices that are reshaping the industry. “The integration of AI and ML is paving the way for more intelligent systems that can autonomously optimize production processes, enhance quality control and significantly reduce waste,” he said, emphasizing the need for companies to strategically invest in AI and train the next-generation workforce.

Leaders in both academia and industry should work to “identify the most effective ways to apply AI tools within their specific fields, unlocking the full potential of these technologies,” he said.

Davis earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has published 17 journal articles with more than 450 citations, and received a U.S. patent related to leveraging ML for advanced manufacturing.

He joined the mechanical engineering faculty at UMD in 2023 and was named a Fischell Fellow at the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices the same year.

Published October 1, 2025