Renowned Automotive Industry Leaders to Judge Altair's 2015 Enlighten Award

Recognizing achievements in weight reduction across the automotive industry for three straight years

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Apr 16, 2015, 10:00 ET

TROY, Mich., April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Altair today announced that an eminent group of industry leaders will serve as judges for the 2015 Altair Enlighten Award, the automotive industry's only award program created specifically to acknowledge innovations in vehicle lightweighting, essential to improving fuel economy and performance. In collaboration with the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), Altair created this award to recognize achievements in weight reduction across the automotive industry from motorcycles to passenger cars, light-trucks to commercial vehicles and buses.

The judging panel for the award program comprises the following industry leaders:

Dr. Jay Baron, President and CEO, Center for Automotive Research, Ann Arbor, Mich., and director of CAR's Coalition for Automotive Lightweighting Materials (CALM)

A. Harvey Bell, Clinical Professor of Engineering Practice and Co-Director, Multidisciplinary Design Program at the University of Michigan

Gary Latham, Director of Design Engineering at Pratt & Miller Engineering

Dr. Imtiaz Haque, Founding Chair and Executive Director of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research

Dr. Royston Jones, President of Altair ProductDesign Europe and Global Chief Technology Officer

Dr. Clemens Schmitz-Justen, Founder and Head of Strategic Consulting, CSJ Schmitz-Justen & Company, former director of international programs at the Clemson University College of Business and Behavioral Science, and former president of BMW Manufacturing LLC in Spartanburg, S.C.

Chris Theodore, President of Theodore & Associates automotive industry consulting; former CEO of ASC, Inc., vice president of Ford Motor Co. and senior vice president of DaimlerChrysler; and former executive director of North American advanced vehicle development at General Motors.

Ryan Gehm, Associate Editor, SAE International, writing for Automotive Engineering, Off-Highway Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering with over 15 years' experience of advanced-technology topics with a focus on materials, interiors, body and chassis. Ryan is a new entry to the award's judging panel.

"The Enlighten Award will recognize leaders who have pioneered new lightweighting applications and found ways to overcome barriers along this road to 2025. The industry will learn from the Enlighten Award applicants and see real-world applications that have overcome barriers that were once believed to be insurmountable," said Dr. Jay Baron, President & CEO for the Center for Automotive Research.

Entry submissions may be made now through May 29, 2015 at www.altairenlighten.com/award. Finalists will be selected in June, with the winners announced in August at the 50^th annual CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI.

"I'm very pleased to be able to welcome all of our judges back for the 2015 Altair Enlighten Award," said David Mason, Vice President, Global Automotive for Altair. "It is also my pleasure to welcome Ryan Gehm to the judging panel for the first time. Ryan's role as Associate Editor for SAE International and his involvement in SAE's Automotive Engineering magazine gives him a global view on the current trends and strategies in automotive lightweighting. Ryan will be a valuable member of the 2015 judging team."

The Altair Enlighten Award provides a platform to showcase success stories, allowing industry leaders to be recognized by their peers for elite performance achievements in the area of lightweighting. The award is intended to recognize these achievements annually; to inspire interest from policymakers, educators, students and the public; to create further competition for new ideas in the industry; and to provide an incentive to share technological advances.

About Altair

Altair is focused on the development and broad application of simulation technology to synthesize and optimize designs, processes and decisions for improved business performance. Privately held with more than 2,300 employees, Altair is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA and operates more than 40 offices throughout 22 countries. Today, Altair serves more than 5,000 corporate clients across broad industry segments. To learn more, please visit www.altair.com.

About CAR

The Center for Automotive Research is a non-profit organization based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Its mission is to conduct research on significant issues related to the future direction of the global automotive industry, organize and conduct forums of value to the automotive community, and foster industry relationships. For more information, visit the CAR website: www.cargroup.org

Media Contacts
Altair Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Evelyn Gebhardt
+49 6421 9684351
[email protected]

Corporate / Americas
Jennifer Korail
+1 (248) 304-1429
[email protected]

SOURCE Altair