Sana F. Elyas

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,  Finance Committee Chair, 2024-2025 Vice President, 2025-2026 Executive Vice President, Awards Committee Chair, and 2026-2027 President.