Since Professor DeVries has retired, he is no longer accepting new graduate students or other research staff. DeVries, a registered professional engineer and a certified manufacturing engineer, also does consulting in the fields of manufacturing processes and manufacturing systems engineering. He has served as president and director of the Society for Manufacturing Engineers. He was the 1999/2000 President of The International Academy of Production Engineering (CIRP), and is a Life Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a Fellow of the Institute of Production Engineers, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and an Honorary Fellow of CIRP. From 1987-90 he worked at the NSF as senior program director for manufacturing processes and equipment. From 1991-95 he served as the chair of the mechanical engineering department. DeVries is the former director (1983-92) of the college's Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program. This master of science degree program received the 1988 University LEAD award from the Computer and Automated Systems Association of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The program has also received recognition as a University of Wisconsin Center of Excellence. Professor DeVries retired from the mechanical engineering department in 2005.His teaching and research work had focused on material removal processes and computer-aided manufacturing.