Featured Speakers and Panels
SAMPE 2026 Featured Speakers and Panels bring together the leaders shaping the future of advanced materials and manufacturing. These high-impact sessions deliver timely insight, real-world perspective, and forward-looking conversations that connect innovation to impact.
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Featured Panels and Sessions are part of the Conference program and are included with Premium Conference, Full Conference and Student Badges.
​Thermoplastic Composites: The Connector Material Across Industries
Julieta Barroeta Robles, National Research Council of Canada; Joseph Heil Ph.D., Boeing Wichita; Jason Gabriel, Toray Advanced Composites; Mike Buck, ABCO Consulting Inc.; Gourab Ghosh, Ph.D., Hexagon;
Thermoplastic composites have a wide range of performance and processing advantages. This panel will explore how these attributes benefit multiple industries and applications including aerospace, sporting goods, industrial, and automotive. Join experts from the various industries to learn about the latest developments and applications of thermoplastic composites.
From Lab to Line: Developing a Workforce to Take Applied Research to Successful Manufactured Composite Products
Andrew Pokelwaldt, IACMI- The Composites Institute; Dalton "Ross" Smith, Mississippi State University; Jesse Hartsell, Chomarat North America; Tony Caiazzo Jr., Materials Science Corporation MSC-LLC;
In the composites industry the transition from research to successful manufacturing is challenging. The people really do matter. Personnel hiring, training, and successful onboarding to work with product researchers is critical to a company. The panel will discuss ways to select manufacturing personnel for critical roles. Insights into the many technical and soft skills needed to make manufacturing processes successful. The panel will discuss critical roles, skills and how the team can be scaled while successfully transferring knowledge and building an effective manufacturing process.
Next-Gen Automotive: Materials, Manufacturing & Intelligence
Gourab Ghosh, Hexagon; Tarek Belgasam, Ph.D., Honda Development & Manufacturing of America; Sascha Langhein, Daimler Truck North America LLC; Seokpum "Pum" Kim, Ph.D., Oak Ridge National Laboratory; German Reyes-Villanueva, University of Michigan-Dearborn; Anoush Poursartip, Ph.D., The University of British Columbia
Explore how advanced materials, innovative manufacturing, simulation, and AI-driven design are shaping the future of vehicles. Topics include multi-functional composites, additive manufacturing, digital twins, process optimization, and AI-enabled predictive modeling. Gain insights into integrating materials, manufacturing, and computational technologies for high-performance, sustainable, and intelligent vehicles.
Beyond the Hype: Applying Practical AI Strategies for the Composites Industry
Anoush Poursartip, Ph.D., The University of British Columbia; Navid Zobeiry, Ph.D., University of Washington; Carla Reynolds, Ph.D., Boeing; Avner Ben-Bassat, Plataine, Cindy Ashforth, FAA;
Join us in a discussion on how AI is reshaping the composites landscape—from accelerating materials discovery to optimizing manufacturing and design —as diverse experts debate the opportunities, risks, and regulatory future of the use of AI in the composites industry.
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We hear that AI represents the next great leap in the digital transformation of the composites industry. While the potential for accelerating materials design, streamlining product development, and optimizing manufacturing is undeniable, the path forward is complex. This panel moves beyond the buzzwords to debate the practical realities of deploying AI in high-stakes environments.
Advancements & Impact of Composites in Large Scale structures
Uday Vaidya, PhD., IACMI–The Composites Institute, UT-ORNL; Halil Tekinalp, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; John Unser, Composites Applications Group; Ahmed Hassen, Composites Innovation Group; Vipin Kumar, Composites Innovation Group
This panel will be engaging and focus on the impact of non-conventional / emerging applications for composites in various sectors. The panel would be engaging in debating the rationale for materials choices, design/manufacturing challenges, how they were overcome, testing/validation, commercialization outlook, and lessons learned.
Bonding and Repair Panel Discussion
Lisa McHugh, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
Dr. Larry Ilcewicz, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aircraft Certification Service, Policy & Innovation Division
Discussion of bond quality and process control, as well as bond durability, and validation / substantiation for bonded structures. Discussion of bonded structure and repair approaches from CMH-17 Vol. 3
Scaling Innovation: Bridging Academia, Startups, and OEMs in Advanced Materials
Michael Nevinsky, Boeing; Phil Freeman, Boeing; Greg Barr, Boeing; Scott Gunther, Boeing; Chris Rackauckas, JuliaHub
Advanced materials innovation does not occur in isolation—it requires coordinated transitions across academia, startups, investors, and large OEMs. This panel explores the full lifecycle of technology maturation, from doctoral research and spin-out formation to industrial validation and large-scale deployment.
Panelists will discuss how funding strategies evolve as technologies mature, how to identify and refine product–market fit in technically complex markets, and how to develop strategic technology roadmaps that align research outcomes with OEM needs. The conversation will also address organizational design—how teams, leadership structures, and partnerships must adapt as both the technology and the company scale toward sustained commercial success.
​Bridging SAMPE and ACS to Advance Green Chemistry and Engineering for Sustainable Materials
The transition to sustainable materials and manufacturing demands close collaboration between materials scientists, chemists, process engineers, policymakers, academia and industry. SAMPE and ACS each bring complementary expertise: SAMPE focuses on composites and advanced materials design and manufacturing, while ACS brings deep knowledge in molecular design, green chemistry metrics, catalysis, and sustainable process development. This panel convenes leaders from SAMPE and the American Chemical Society to identify pragmatic pathways that integrate green chemistry principles with advanced materials design and large-scale manufacturing. Panelists will discuss innovations in bio-based feedstocks, low-toxicity chemistries, solvent reduction, design-for-recycling, and decarbonized processing — emphasizing case studies where chemistry enabled measurable life-cycle improvements without sacrificing performance. The session will address the integration of green chemistry & sustainability into materials design, the technical and qualification hurdles for deploying sustainable chemistries in high‑performance applications, the scale‑up and commercialization challenges facing emerging technologies, and the role of standards bodies in aligning sustainability expectations across the value chain. Attendees will gain actionable recommendations for cross-disciplinary collaboration, near-term pilot projects, and workforce development strategies to accelerate deployment. The panel aims to produce a set of concrete next steps SAMPE and ACS can pursue together to catalyze sustainable materials innovation across sectors.
Composites in Pickleball Paddle Design: Past, Present, and Future
Justin Barton, Pickleball etc., Karl Hawes, FutureComp
Pickleball has transitioned from a backyard pastime into a global phenomenon, consistently ranking as one of the fastest-growing sports due to its unique blend of accessibility, social connection, and competitive play for all ages. Inspired by rapid advancements in equipment technology, this session will provide both historical and modern insight on paddle material and process engineering. Join Justin Barton (Pickleball Etc., Co-Host of Pickleball Pursuit) and moderator Karl Hawes for a technical deep dive into the rapidly evolving composite engineering in paddle design . The session will trace the industry's progression from Gen 1 "sandwich" constructions to the high-performance Gen 3+ designs of today. We will explore how the strategic use of fiber types, complex laminate orientations, and innovative foam variants, including foam-injected perimeters and thermoformed edges—have redefined the modern paddle.
The presentation will conclude with a brief Q&A session.
Racing the Clock: Strategies to Stay Ahead of Regulatory Challenges Facing Composite and Adhesive Chemistries
David Hatrick, Huntsman
New chemical regulations are increasing on a global basis, impacting the ability to introduce and scale the specialty chemicals that are vital components of next-generation composite and adhesive materials. This presentation will describe the current challenges facing the industry, strategies to deal with regulatory risks (including the use of artificial intelligence tools), and approaches to minimize their impact on the industry.
DOE Leadership in Polymer Composites: Innovation, Challenges, and Opportunities for Energy and Advanced Manufacturing
Ahmed Hassen, Ph.D., Group Leader for the Composites Innovation Group, Manufacturing Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Vlastimil Kunc, Corporate Fellow, Manufacturing Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; John Winkel, Technology Manager, DOE AMMTO; David Leach, Principal, Composite Material Solutions; Aniruddh Vashisth, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington; Edward Blandford, Ph.D., CTO, Kairos Power
This panel will highlight the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) leading role in advancing polymer and composite materials for next-generation energy and manufacturing applications. Speakers will discuss current AMMTO-supported efforts, emerging national priorities, and innovation pathways spanning harsh-environment composites, advanced manufacturing processes, and high-rate production. The session will also explore cross-cutting challenges, gaps, and opportunities for industry, academia, and national laboratories to partner in accelerating U.S. competitiveness in composites and advanced manufacturing.