Bio
Sana is responsible for evaluating and aligning industry partners with core research activities in the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), one of Department of Energy (DOE) designated user facilities for the Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies and Composites Innovation Group’s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Develop technical collaborations focused on industry partner problems while directly aligning with Department of Energy initiatives. In developing the industry partnerships, she directly aligns potential industry partners with the Department of Energy (DOE) initiatives in the areas of additive manufacturing, compression molding, injection and over-molding, extrusion, bio-based materials, composites, hybrid materials, circular economy, clean energy technology, simulation tools, and digital manufacturing as it relates to the U.S. industry.
Her research interests involve thermoplastic and thermoset composites, with more than a decade of application development in aerospace, transportation, industrial, and consumer electronics structural light-weighting projects with multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) and Tier companies. Her background is in adv. composite materials and manufacturing processes, program management, and new product introduction at multiple start-ups along with strong industry connections in the US., Europe, and South Asia.
Outside work, she volunteers with a global 80-year-old non-profit professional member society, The Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE) in various leadership roles in the North America Executive Cabinet; as the strategic champion for Professional Member and Chapter Experience, Thermoplastics Committee member, the 2023-2024 Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair.
Awards
2021 Society for the Advancement for Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE) inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Leader Award.
2020 SAMPE Young Professional Emerging Leader Award.
2010 Scholarship from the Composites Lab at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).
2009 Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects Symposium Best Poster Award for "Trigger Mechanisms of Progressive Crushing-Energy Absorption in Flat Plate Fiber reinforced Composites", WSU.
Education
- Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering: Wichita State University, KS USA
- Bachelor of Engineering in Aeronautical Engineering: Inst. of Aeronautical Eng., India
Professional Service
- Project Management
- Lean Six Sigma
Professional Affiliations
- Society for the Advancement for Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE) member
- Board Member, Director-SAMPE Tennessee Valley Chapter
- Treasurer and Chair of Finance Committee SAMPE North America
- Thermoplastics SAMPE Technical Committee member
- Society of Women Engineer (SWE) member
- Vertical Flight Society (VFS) member