Diana Kalisz, a pioneer in 3D printing, receives the AMUG Innovators Award
Diana Kalisz Vice President Materials 3D Systems The next recipient of the award has been announced. Additive Manufacturing Users Group, (AMUG). Innovators Award.
The accolade, which has previously been awarded to industry pioneers including Chuck Hull, Scott Crump, Carl Deckard, Fried Vancraen, Gideon Levy, Hans Langer, and Andy Christensen, spotlights individuals who have ‘cultivated innovative ideas’ that have advanced the AM industry. Kalisz is the first woman to be awarded the award in 3D printing.
Speaking about Kalisz’s contribution to the industry over the last three decades, Mark Abshire, AMUG president, said Kalisz’s influence is often overlooked “because she does her job so well and doesn’t seek out recognition.”
Abshire commented: “Diana’s contributions to innovation in additive manufacturing centre around bringing innovative ideas to life. She has been a key player in the delivery of new machines, materials, software, and other innovations. And she not only nurtured innovations, but she also enabled those around her to innovate.”
Abshire added, “Diana is the reason why I joined the additive manufacturing industry. Diana was my customer at 3D Systems nearly 30 years ago. Her passion for and dedication to the technology was infectious.”
Following a career in aerospace, Kalisz joined 3D Systems as a project manager for the large-format SLA 500 system. Over the last 30 years, Kalisz has managed engineering and development programs across multiple 3D Systems hardware, software, and materials products, and now is focused on developing production applications for the company’s Figure 4 platform.
In an interview with TCT back in 2020, Kalisz described her early experiences in AM as, “a bit like magic,” adding that, “being able to work in such an innovative field, and then digging into what it takes from a technical standpoint to make a real, usable product made it exciting.”
Diana is also a member of P.E.O., a women’s philanthropic educational organisation that supports higher education for women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans, and stewardship. This small organisation has raised and given hundreds of millions of dollars to support women’s education over its 153-year history. Abshire also noted that Kalisz was “instrumental” in AMUG’s early days, often listening to user wishes and turning them into R&D projects.
Attendees to the 2023 AMUG Conference will be able to hear from Kalisz in the annual Innovators Showcase spot, a conversational interview which allows attendees to get to know the person behind the innovation and gain insights into their industry experience.
The 2023 AMUG Conference will be held March 19 – 23, 2023, at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, and will feature nearly 150 presentations, workshops, and hands-on training sessions.
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