image: Brittany Rodriguez, a research engineer with DOE's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL, develops advanced processes for thermoplastic polymer composites.
Credit: Credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Brittany Rodriguez and Akash Phadatare of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Science Division (MSD) have been named to SME’s prestigious 30 Under 30 program for 2025.
For the past decade, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers has recognized young visionaries in the field — talented individuals with a passion for innovation across manufacturing, research and engineering disciplines.
“I am immensely proud of Brittany Rodriguez and Akash Phadatare for their innovative contributions that continue to propel our advanced manufacturing efforts,” said MSD Director Yarom Polsky. “Their achievements underscore our dedication to fostering breakthrough research and cultivating the next generation of manufacturing leaders.”
Brittany Rodriguez’s journey from ORNL intern to research engineer at the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) reflects her trailblazing path as a first-generation college graduate. At MDF, she works alongside industry partners to push the boundaries of next-generation manufacturing, improving and expanding technologies for real-world applications.
Her expertise lies in manufacturing engineering, with a focus on computer-aided design and process development for advanced manufacturing systems. She specializes in gantry and robotic-based extrusion systems for thermoplastic polymer composites, contributing to new methods that enhance efficiency and scalability.
Akash Phadatare is pursuing his doctorate in mechanical engineering at the University of Tennessee, where he collaborates with Uday Vaidya, the UT–ORNL Governor’s Chair for Advanced Composites Manufacturing. While serving as a graduate research and teaching assistant, he earned a nomination for UT’s Graduate Student Senate Award for Excellence in Graduate Research.
While researching fastener-less joining technology for composite structures with Vaidya at UT’s Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility, he discovered the large-scale manufacturing opportunity at ORNL, which led him to MDF. He has since expanded his work to lead efforts in filament winding and has supported ORNL researchers in developing a hybrid process that integrates additive manufacturing with conventional winding techniques.
Rodriguez and Phadatare were featured in a special-edition SME publication highlighting each honoree’s story. Their recognition reflects ORNL’s ongoing leadership in advancing U.S. manufacturing and developing the workforce that will drive its future.
The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility is supported by DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office and acts as a nationwide consortium of collaborators focused on innovating, inspiring and catalyzing the transformation of U.S. manufacturing.
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