Bio
Tonia Robinson is the laboratory supervisor at the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF; https://www.ornl.gov/facility/cftf) in the Advanced Fibers Manufacturing Group of the Manufacturing Science Division. She specializes in the mechanical testing of carbon fibers and has 28 years of experience.
CFTF provides a platform for identifying high-potential, low-cost raw materials, including textile, lignin, polymer, and hydrocarbon-based precursors, for innovative uses in the clean energy space. [HW1] At CFTF, Robinson is responsible for R&D testing and characterizing of carbon fiber, associated raw materials, and finished products. Among her key responsibilities are managing the wet and dry laboratories (including selecting, procuring, and installing all equipment in both labs when they were first set up); maintaining records of experiments and conditions; preparing and testing specimens; establishing test procedures; and training new lab technicians.
Robinson is president of the TIC Talk Toastmasters Club for 2023–24. A club member since 2019, she previously served as sergeant-at-arms and vice president of education, and she received the Jim Hart Toastmaster of the Year award for 2021–22 and 2022–23. She is on the Board of Directors for the Love Kitchen in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is also a member of the American Society for Quality.
She received an AAS in chemical and environmental engineering technologies from Pellissippi State Technical Community College. A summa cum laude graduate, Robinson received the 1995–96 Oak Ridge Waste Management Association Scholarship. She also participated in the Advanced Materials Training and Education Center program in 2011.