image: Amber Hubbard and Nadim Hmeidat
Credit: ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy
Nadim Hmeidat and Amber Hubbard, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have been honored with the 2026 Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), recognizing their contributions to advanced manufacturing research and engineering innovation.
Hmeidat and Hubbard are among just 12 recipients selected internationally this year, underscoring the impact of their work and the global significance of the honor.
“This recognition reflects the depth of talent within ORNL’s Manufacturing Science Division,” said Yarom Polsky, director of the division. “Nadim and Amber exemplify the innovative, mission-driven research that advances U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and delivers real-world solutions.”
After completing a postdoctoral appointment at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Nadim Hmeidat joined ORNL. A materials scientist and mechanical engineer, Hmeidat focuses on the advanced manufacturing of polymer systems, ceramic composites for harsh environments and next-generation multifunctional materials. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Hmeidat has published more than 25 scientific papers and holds multiple pending patents. His accomplishments were previously recognized in 2024, when he received the Young Professionals Emerging Leadership Award from the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE), honoring early-career technical achievement and leadership potential.
Amber Hubbard is a chemical engineer and materials scientist whose research centers on fiber-reinforced composite formulation and processing, as well as the development of advanced vitrimer-based polymer composites — an emerging class of polymers that can be reshaped, repaired and reused. Her research supports the use of domestically sourced materials to strengthen U.S. energy security and manufacturing competitiveness. Prior to joining ORNL, Hubbard completed a prestigious National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at the Air Force Research Laboratory from 2019 to 2022, where she advanced research in high-performance polymer systems for demanding applications. Hubbard, who has authored 25 peer-reviewed research papers, earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from North Carolina State University. In 2025, she was selected for the American Chemical Society’s inaugural Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering Breakthroughs in Polymers Forum and was named to ORNL’s competitive Early Career Development Program cohort.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. — Tina M. Johnson