Cary, NC October 21-24

Melisa Buie makes high tech stuff and solves problems. Currently, Buie is a Senior Director with Lam Research, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer. She has extensive experience in operations and engineering leadership, lean manufacturing, and experimentation. Prior to joining Lam, Buie was the Global Director for Lean Operational Excellence at Coherent Inc., a global photonics solutions company. She was also a Member of the Technical Staff and an Engineering Manager at Applied Materials Inc., a manager with Advanced Energy and a researcher with the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. She lectured and advised master’s-level students for 10 years at San Jose State University in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering.

Buie’s first book, “Problem Solving for New Engineers: What Every Engineering Manager Wants You to Know,” was published in 2017 by CRC Press. She has co-authored more than 40 journal publications, holds six patents and speaks regularly at conferences. Her degrees include a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering/plasma physics from the University of Michigan, a master’s in physics from Auburn University and a bachelor’s in mathematics.

Buie currently serves on the Southwest Regional Board of Directors for the Association for Manufacturing Excellence and the Board of Directors for the Diocese of California. She is a member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, Women in Manufacturing, and the Society of Women Engineers.