Laine Mears is the BMW SmartState endowed chair of automotive manufacturing, and professor and founding faculty member in Clemson University’s automotive engineering department. He teaches and conducts research in manufacturing quality estimation, intelligent machining systems, manufacturing process design and control, and manufacturing equipment diagnostics at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

Mears has published more than 160 peer-reviewed articles and is the recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award, SAE Ralph Teetor Educational Award, and the IMechE George Stephenson Gold Medal and Thatcher Bros. Prize. Prior to academia, Mears had more than 10 years of manufacturing industry experience in bearings and automotive engines and drivelines. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree and PhD in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a senior member of both the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the American Society for Quality. He is an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), BMW Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and a licensed Professional Engineer.