Jason Lopes, chief technology officer at Gentle Giant Studios, has been named the latest recipient of the President’s Award from the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG). The announcement took place during AMUG’s 37th annual conference, where President Shannon VanDeren recognized Lopes for over a decade of leadership, technical involvement, and service to the additive manufacturing community.
AMUG, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing industrial applications of 3D printing, reserves the President’s Award for individuals demonstrating sustained commitment to the group’s mission. Since its founding, the award has only been given to twelve individuals. “As I worked through this year, there was one name that continually rose to the top in many instances, Jason Lopes,” said VanDeren. “As AMUG president, I was inspired to recognize Jason for his character and contributions as a person, contributor, teammate, teacher, and student. The sharing of this award with Jason was a delight and honor.”
Lopes joined Gentle Giant Studios, a digital production and scanning company specializing in high-fidelity 3D assets for entertainment and consumer products, in 2022 and was promoted to CTO just 15 months later. He previously held roles at Stan Winston Studio and Legacy Effects, where he integrated 3D printing into the production of props, suits, and special effects. He later joined Carbon, a digital manufacturing company, where he focused on helping clients apply resin-based additive manufacturing to real-world use cases. Lopes also served as chair of the Society of Plastics Engineers’ Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing division and is currently a board advisor for Axtra3D, a firm developing hybrid light engine technologies for photopolymerization systems.
Joe Allison, CEO of Gentle Giant Studios and a past AMUG board member, commended Lopes’s hands-on approach to innovation. “As long as I’ve known Jason, he ‘eats, sleeps, and breathes 3D printing.’ He’s always looking for what he can do with new technologies and materials. His passion and his enthusiasm are contagious.” Allison added, “He loves to share everything he learns with anyone who is interested. Over the years, he has always been very generous with his time to share his journey and knowledge. This very much includes AMUG, which I know holds a special place in his heart.”
Lopes has been attending AMUG since 2010 and received the group’s DINO (Distinguished INnovator Operator) Award in 2012. He has served in multiple volunteer capacities since then, including as a committee member for the DINO Selection, New Members, and Technical Competition groups. VanDeren noted that Lopes “has always answered the call to deliver while at AMUG” and that “he continually offers encouragement, suggestions, affirmations, and his time to the user community.”
Over the years, Lopes has presented seven times on the AMUG stage, including four keynotes. His talks have focused on the creative and technical applications of 3D printing in the entertainment sector. “I am beyond humbled to receive the President’s Award and to sit alongside the previous eleven recipients that came before me,” said Lopes. “I would like to thank AMUG President Shannon VanDeren for all her hard work and seeing the value that I bring to the group and industry.”
Past recipients of AMUG’s President’s Award include Thomas A. Sorovetz (2000), Patti Brown (2006), Guy E. Bourdeau (2007), Robert Zubrickie (2010), Timothy Gornet (2013), Gary Rabinovitz (2014), Mark Abshire (2016), Elizabeth Goode (2019), Terry Hoppe (2021), Vince Anewenter (2021), and Mark Wynn (2023). Lopes marked 2025 as his 15th consecutive year attending the AMUG Conference. “The talent and openness are truly what make this group what it is, and the motto says it all, ‘For Users, By Users’,” he said.
AMUG continues to serve as a peer-led forum for sharing technical knowledge in additive manufacturing. The annual conference provides a platform for engineers, designers, and manufacturers to exchange practical applications of industrial 3D printing technologies across hardware, materials, and software.
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Featured image shows AMUG President Shannon VanDeren presenting Jason Lopes with the President’s Award. Photo via AMUG.
