Two additive manufacturing researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory received prestigious awards from national organizations.
Amy Elliott and Nadim Hmeidat, who both work in the Manufacturing Science Division at ORNL, were recognized recently for their early career accomplishments.
Elliott was named by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers to its ASME 2024 Watchlist of 25 early career professionals. Now working as a group leader for the System Automation and Monitoring Research group, Elliott’s achievements with ORNL have resulted in a number of patents and her work has appeared in several major journals and publications, including Scientific Reports, Materials, Journal of the American Ceramic Society and Nature Communications.
In addition to her accomplishments as a researcher, Elliott’s work in media has drawn significant attention to one of her passions; encouraging young girls to pursue careers in STEM.
“I want to fill a major gap we have in education, and that’s career education,” Elliott said. “My platform is around STEM and trades because we need both. We need people to get into both because they’re both very rewarding.”
Elliott first gained industry notice as an engineering reality show contestant on the Discovery Channel. That experience, she said, springboarded her to becoming a well-known STEM role model for young girls. She now has a children’s book and web series, Amelia Gearheart, and has spent six seasons co-hosting The Science Channel series Outrageous Acts of Science.
Nadim Hmeidat received the Young Professionals Emerging Leadership award from the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, or SAMPE, at its Keynote and Awards Breakfast early this summer in Long Beach, California.
“I’m incredibly humbled by this recognition, and I’m thrilled to be considered for this prestigious award for my work in additive manufacturing and multifunctional materials,” said Hmeidat. “Being a part of the SAMPE community has been an enriching experience, and I’m grateful for the opportunities it has provided me to grow both personally and professionally.”
SAMPE president Sarah Cox added her praise to Hmeidat’s early-career accomplishments.
“Nadim has set a high standard for innovation and creativity in advancing material and process engineering,” said Cox. “This award recognizes the skill, dedication and professionalism of the future leaders in this industry.”
Originally from Palestine, Hmeidat came to the United States in 2014 and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. After working as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, he accepted an offer to work at ORNL in October 2023. He has coauthored over 20 scientific papers, including a book chapter, and has several pending ORNL patent disclosures.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. — Mark Alewine
