Romeo Fono Tamo

Biography

September 2025-Present
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Tennessee 

2021-2025
Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Fibers & Composites Manufacturing Facility, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee

2019-2021
Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Papua New Guinea University of Technology

2016-2019
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg

Education

• PhD, Mechanical Engineering, 2015
  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
• MS, Mechanical Engineering, 2009
  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
• BS (Honors), Mechanical Engineering, 2006
  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Research

• Composite materials and manufacturing
• Additive manufacturing and advanced materials
• Sustainable materials and waste diversification
• Life cycle assessment
• STEM education and workforce development

Professional Service

• Regular reviewer for international journals including Advances in Mechanical Engineering, Tribology in Industry, Environmental Technology, Journal of King Saud University: Engineering and Science, African Journal of Engineering Research, Society of Automotive Engineers, Polymer Testing, Journal of Composite Materials, and Composites Part B 
• Conference proceedings reviewer for Conference of the South African Advanced Materials Initiative (CoSAAMI),  Global Conference on Materials Science and Engineering, International Conference on Sustainable Materials Processing and Manufacturing (SMPM 2017), and Global Conference on Polymer and Composite Materials
• Curriculum development, STEM activity implementation, and workforce development planning  with the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI)

Awards and Recognitions

• Award for Composite Excellence (ACE), CAMX 2024: “Infinite Possibility for Market Growth”
• Award for the InnoCrate composites education initiative to expand the horizons of K-12 students for careers in composites
• Eagles Service Award, IACMI members conference, 2023 

Publications

Book Chapters

• Pravatnallini Chhotaray, Bikash Chandra Behera, Bikash Ranjan Moharana, Kamalakanta Muduli, Fono Tamo, Romeo Sephyrin. “Enhancement of Manufacturing Sector Performance with the Application of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).” Chapter. In Smart Technologies for Improved Performance of Manufacturing Systems and Services, 1st ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003346623. 
• Patro, S., Mahapatra, T.R., Fono Tamo, R.S., Murty, A.V.K., Parimanik, S.R. and Mishra, D.  “Implementation of FEM and Machine Learning Algorithms in the Design and Manufacturing of Laminated Composite Plate.” Chapter. In Intelligent Manufacturing Management Systems. Scrivener, 2023. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119836780.ch9. 
• Adeniran J.A., Fono Tamo R.S., Akinlabi E.T., Jen T.C.  “Comparison of Hydrogen Yield from Ball-Milledand Unmilled Magnesium Hydride in a Batch System Hydrogen Reactor.” Essay. In Trends in Manufacturing and Engineering Management, 1003–11. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. Springer Singapore, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4745-4. 

Journal Articles

• Abdallah Barakat, Georges Chahine, Marc Al Ghazal, Romeo Fono Tamo, John Unser, Joshua Hagan, Uday Vaidya, Experimental and numerical cure kinetics analysis of unsaturated polyester resin system using compression molding process, Polymer Testing, Volume 150, 2025, 108914, ISSN 0142-9418, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108914.

• Chahine G, Meraki Y, Barakat A, Hess J, Fono Tamo R, Vaidya U. Hybridizing of glass sheet molding compounds (SMC) with recycled carbon fiber (rCF). Journal of Composite Materials. 2025;0(0). doi:10.1177/00219983251319590
• Barakat A, Al Ghazal M, Fono Tamo RS, Phadatare A, Unser J, Hagan J, Vaidya U. Development of a Cure Model for Unsaturated Polyester Resin Systems Based on Processing Conditions. Polymers. 2024; 16(17):2391. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16172391
• Rubera, B., Jo, E., Fono Tamo, R. S., Ozcan, S., & Vaidya, U. (2024). Cumulative energy demand and environmental impact analysis in the manufacture of recycled fiber reinforced composites panels for use in truck bodies. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 46(1), 10109–10120. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2024.2382333
• Vaidya U, Fono Tamo RS, Chahine G, et al. (2023) Effect of recycled fibers and shredded intermediates variation on the mechanical properties and energy absorption of fiber-reinforced composite panels. Polym Compos. 2023;1‐13. doi:10.1002/pc.2802