Dr. Karl Haapala, Associate Professor and Tom and Carmen West Faculty Scholar in the Oregon State University School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering, received a 2019-20 Fulbright-Tampere University Scholar Award through the Fulbright Finland Foundation. The award supported Haapala for a year of research and teaching at Tampere University (Tampere, Finland), which was shortened by the global suspension of the Fulbright Program in March 2020. Haapala was one of more than 800 U.S. citizens who taught, conducted research, and/or provided expertise abroad for the 2019-20 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

In addition to experiencing the Finnish country, langage, and culture, Haapala investigated metamodeling techniques to improve the sustainability performance of additive manufacturing, and taught topics in smart manufacturing, systems engineering, and sustainable manufacturing. During his time in Tampere, Haapala co-advised two Ph.D. students, and worked to develop a dual Ph.D. program agreement between the two universities. He also contributed to a successful project proposal to Business Finland, which will investigate the design, manufacture, and testing of next generation superconducting magnets with Tampere University researchers, Finnish companies, and academic collaborators in France and Canada.