Jerry Thiel is the Director of the Metal Casting and Foundry 4.0 Centers at the University of Northern Iowa. He has a diverse industrial background and has held management positions in the metal casting and related industries for over 45 years. Jerry holds degrees in materials science, manufacturing and manufacturing process development and has published numerous research papers pertaining to molding and core materials for the foundry industry. He is a past chairman of the AFS Molding and Materials division, Additive Manufacturing division and Cast Metals Institute. Jerry has received the AFS Scientific Merit Award, the AFS Service Citation award, and is a multi-recipient of the Molding and Materials division best paper award and is a three time recipient of the AFS Howard Taylor award.