Somasekhar Bobba Global Technical ManagerSABIC Specialties Somasekhar (“Soma”) Bobba., is serving as Global Technical Manager Automotive for SABIC’s Specialties business division. In this executive role, he is responsible to work closely with OEM’s and Tiers to identify new and innovative solutions for automotive applications using SABIC’s thermoplastic materials to achieve benefits like light weighting, part integration for improved production rates, performance enhancement and cost optimization. Soma has over 17 years of professional experience in automotive industry and his achievements include 26 invention disclosures with 17 issued patents, andmultiple articles in technical magazines, international journals and conference publications.He is currently vice chair of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Polymers & Coatings committee and has been serving as a session organizer for the SAE World Congress & Exhibition since 2011. Huijuan Dai Supervisory Program Manager U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)Huijuan Dai serves as Supervisory Program Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). She leads a staff of 20+ federal employees, contractors, and fellows with an annual budget of over $80 million to invest in research, development and demonstration for technologies that covers smart manufacturing, high performance computing, next generation materials including composites, conductivity enhanced materials, and harsh environment materials, and advanced processes. Three Manufacturing USA institutes are under Huijuan’ s portfolio, including the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) and Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII). Prior to joining DOE, Huijuan spent more than 15 years working on industry research and technology development across aerospace and energy industries. She has more than 10 years of experience in program and team management, leading multidisciplinary teams from idea generation to new technology introduction. Professor Marcelo DapinoFellow of ASME and SPIEHonda R&D Americas Designated ProfessorDirector, NSF IUCRC on Smart Vehicle ConceptsDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State UniversityProf. Marcelo Dapino is the Honda R&D Americas Designated Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The Ohio State University. He is the Director of the Smart Vehicle Concepts Center (www.SmartVehicleCenter.org), a graduated National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center. The Center’s mission is to advance fundamental and applied science at the PhD level, alongside professional training and translational research, to promote the integration of smart materials and structures in transportation applications. Prof. Dapino has authored 140 journal articles, 130 conference papers, and 10 book chapters in collaboration with students and colleagues (https://u.osu.edu/smsl/publications/). Among his many recognitions, he received the 2017 ASME Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Medal, the 2017 MAE OSU Distinguished Graduate Faculty Advisor Award, and the 2014 COE OSU Harrison Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education. He is a Fellow of ASME and SPIE (International Society for Optics and Photonics). Tim GaurSr. Program Manager – Research and TechnologyAirbus Americas Tim Gaur is currently the Senior Program Manager for Research and Technology at Airbus Americas in Herndon, VA, with a focus on advanced manufacturing and material technologies. He has been in the aerospace industry for over 25 years, and held numerous engineering and program leadership positions in both the commercial and defense sectors. Prior to Airbus, Tim worked for other major OEM’s including Sikorsky Helicopter and Lockheed Martin, as well as the Eaton Corporation, which supplies major components to the aerospace industry. Tim’s experience has spanned the entire product development and manufacturing lifecycle. His career has taken him to project locations in more than a dozen countries and he has worked on numerous air vehicle development programs ranging from fighter jets to large commercial transport aircraft. He has an undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from George Mason University. Christopher Hoppel, PhD Chief of the Sciences for Extreme Materials DivisionDEVCOM Army Research Laboratory Dr. Christopher Hoppel is the Chief of the Sciences for Extreme Materials Division in the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory. He leads basic and applied research in advanced materials, materials systems, and manufacturing science to enable the future force. In 2022-2023, Chris served in the White House Leadership Development Program. He worked in the Made in America Office of the Office of Management and Budget to improve domestic manufacturing capability. At the DEVCOM ARL he has served as the Program Manager of the Physics of Soldier Protection Essential Research Program, the Chief of the Soldier Protection Sciences Branch, and the Chief of the High-Rate Failure Mechanics Branch. He has also served on the executive committee of the American Society for Composites and led the joint Department of Defense/Department of Energy program on Advanced Composite Materials for Munitions. Chris has led research into the high-rate dynamic response of materials leading to the most effective armors in the world, providing lightweight protection for Soldiers and vehicles. While serving at the DEVCOM Soldier Center, he led the Army Ballistics and Blast Community of Practice, bringing together stakeholders from across the Department of Defense to revolutionize armor technology. While working with the Ground Vehicle Systems Center, he led the armor research for the Army’s Future Combat Systems. Working with the DEVCOM Armaments Center, he led the development of advanced projectiles and weapons systems. Dr. Hoppel is a Fellow of the American Society for Composites. He was recognized with the Army Civilian Service Commendation and Achievement Medals in 2022 and 2016. He has earned the Army Research Laboratory Director’s Award (2022), Award for Community Service (2010 and 2013) and Award for Engineering (2003). In 2003 he was recognized as one of the Army Materiel Command’s ten outstanding personnel. Dr. Hoppel earned his B.S., M. Eng. and Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from the Pennsylvania State University. He has formed and coached high school robotics and soccer teams that successfully competed on the national level. Gang Li, PhDProfessor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University.Associate Director of AIM for Composites, DOE Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC)Co-Director of NSF Research Traineeship (NRT), Clemson University Dr. Gang Li is a Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University. He is also Associate Director of AIM for Composites DOE Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) and Co-Director of NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program at Clemson University. He also served as the Associate Director of Clemson Composite Center (2020-2023). Dr. Li obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Li’s background and experience are in the areas of computational mechanics, computational modeling of mutiscale and multiphysics phenomena in engineering materials, computational design of composite and metamaterials, numerical methods, and machine-learning methods for computational science and engineering. He has authored/co-authored more than 80 journal and conference papers, 3 book chapters and 1 book on these topics. He received various honors and awards for his computational mechanics and modeling research contributions. He is a member of ASME, USACM and SES. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Computational Electronics. He has been serving on the ASME Committee on Computing in Applied Mechanics since 2007. He has co-organized symposiums and served on technical program committees for numerous national and international conferences. Ying Li, PhD Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Li joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison in August 2022 as an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. From 2015 to 2022, he was an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut and was promoted to Associate Professor. He received his Ph.D. in 2015 from Northwestern University, focusing on the multiscale modeling of soft matter and related biomedical applications. His current research interests are: multiscale modeling, computational materials design, mechanics and physics of polymers, and machine learning-accelerated polymer design. Dr. Li’s achievements in research have been widely recognized by fellowships and awards, including ACS Polymeric Material Science and Engineering (PMSE) Young Investigator Award (2023), NSF CAREER Award (2021), Air Force’s Young Investigator Award (2020), 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (2020), and multiple best paper awards from major conferences. He has authored and co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, including Science Advances, Nature Communications, Physical Review Letters, etc. Dr. Li’s lab is supported by multi-million-dollar grants and contracts from NSF, AFOSR, AFRL, ONR, DOE/National Nuclear Security Administration, DOE/National Alliance for Water Innovation, and industries. Amar Mohanty, PhDProfessorDirector, Bioproducts Discovery & Development CentreUniversity of Guelph, Ontario Amar Mohanty is a Professor, a Distinguished Research Excellence Chair in Sustainable Materials & the Director of the Bioproducts Discovery & Development Centre at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Mohanty is the Editor-in-Chief in Sustainable Composites of Composites Part C (ELSEVIER). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE), the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE). He is one of the most cited researchers worldwide (Google Citations 60,477 & h-index 114). He has received the prestigious Miroslaw Romanowski Medal for his significant scientific contributions to the resolution of environmental problems from the Royal Society of Canada, JL White Innovation Award from the Polymer Processing Society (PPS), the Andrew Chase Forest Products Division Award from the AIChE and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society (BEPS). His research encompasses sustainable composites, circular economy, environmental sustainability, waste plastic valorization, biodegradable plastics, biocarbon based biocomposites and AI-assisted sustainable materials all targeted in reducing the greenhouse gas emission. Anisur Rahman Senior Aerospace EngineerNaval Air Warfare Center – Aircraft DivisionDr. Rahman is a Senior Aerospace Engineer with over two decades of experience in advanced aerospace materials and engineering innovation, primarily within the federal defense sector. Currently, he serves at the Naval Air Warfare Center in Patuxent River, MD, where he plays a pivotal role in advancing composite technologies for naval aviation. In this position, Dr. Rahman provides technical leadership and expertise in advanced composites, focusing on closing technology gaps in structural performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. His work includes mentoring junior engineers, leading proposal development, and collaborating with entities such as the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and other government agencies to implement innovative programs in composite materials. One of his notable achievements is the development of low-cost thermoplastic fabrication techniques, which has demonstrated significant improvements in durability and affordability for defense applications. Previously, Dr. Rahman held a three-year rotation as Program Officer at ONR, where he managed an $18 million annual portfolio. His responsibilities included setting strategic program directions in lightweight and sustainable materials, leading over fifty research programs spanning academia, industry, and government laboratories. His achievements include initiating projects on ultra-lightweight flight armor and multifunctional materials that integrate functionality into structural elements, enabling weight reduction and enhanced capability for air platforms. Dr. Rahman also spearheaded collaborations with prominent institutions, such as MIT and Caltech, to develop ballistic protection materials and load-bearing antenna systems. Dr. Rahman is also a dedicated mentor and educator. As a lecturer at the University of Maryland, he developed specialized courses tailored to meet the needs of engineers working at NAWCAD. He holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University, with a focus on composite materials and fracture mechanics, and has published on subjects ranging from composite structures to stress analysis. His contributions have significantly advanced the state of aerospace materials technology and strengthened defense capabilities through innovation and research. Nicholas Rorrer Manager and Senior Researcher - Polymer Science and EngineeringNational Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)Nicholas (Nic) Rorrer, PhD (He/Him) is a senior researcher and group manager for the Polymer Science and Engineering team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). His research interests are mostly on the concept of performance advantaged bioproducts or how can we leverage the inherent functionality of biomass to make materials that have better performance in their manufacturing, lifetime, or end-of-life. Recently, this work has focused on thermosets understanding how we can implement bioderived content while making these materials recyclable at the end-of-life. His recent work published in Science titled, “Manufacture and testing of biomass-derivable thermosets for wind blade recycling” is emblematic of this theme. Nic is also a member of the BOTTLE consortium at NREL and was foundation in establishing their DEIA efforts. He is an author on over 40 publications and 10 patents on related subjects as well.
