Frontiers in Research Summits

Advanced Manufacturing of Ceramic and Composite Materials for Extreme Environments

Agenda

September 22-23, 2026

Doug Pitcock ’49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center
Reveille and Ross Rooms
177 Joe Routt Blvd., College Station, TX 77840

Hotel Information

We encourage all conference attendees to reserve their accommodations at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center using the booking link below to receive the special conference rate. Amenities and accommodation information can also be found at this link.
 
Please note that the discounted conference rate is available through Aug. 22. After this date, reservations will be accepted based on availability at the hotel’s prevailing rates.

Summit Objectives:

  • Review the state-of-the-art in advanced manufacturing of ceramic and composite materials for extreme environments
  • Identify critical scientific and technical gaps limiting manufacturing reliability, scalability and performance
  • Share perspectives from academia, industry, national laboratories and federal agencies
  • Develop recommendations for future research directions, collaborative efforts and community benchmarks

Sponsor and Contributors

Sponsor

Texas A&M Division of Research

Contributor

National Science Foundation

Contributor

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

Summit Organizers

Sara Abedi

Amir Asadi

Diego Donzis

Don Lipkin

ZJ Pei

Lin Shao

Petros Sideris

Bruce Tai

Kelvin Xie

Feng Zhao

Steering Committee

Speakers

Agenda

Doug Pitcock ’49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center
Reveille and Ross Rooms
177 Joe Routt Blvd., College Station, TX 77840

Tuesday, Sept. 22

8:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.

Breakfast

    9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

    Opening Remarks

    Division of Research

    Dr. Henry Fadamiro, Associate Vice President for Research, Strategic Initiatives; and Professor, Entomology, Texas A&M University

      9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

      Manufacturing Processes 1

      (Moderated by Jian Cao, includes 30-minute panel discussion)

        Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics

        Brigid Mullany, University of North Carolina Charlotte

          Design and Additive Manufacturing of SiC Heat Exchanger for Harsh Environments

          Dileep Singh, Argonne National Lab

            Bulk Amorphous SiCN Produced through Plasma Synthesis and Spark Plasma Sintering

            Suveen Mathaudhu, Colorado School of Mines

              10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

              Break

                11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

                Manufacturing Processes 2

                (Moderated by Brigid Mullany, includes 30-minute panel discussion)

                  Role of AI in Digital Twins for Geometry-Agnostic Material-Aware Manufacturing Processing

                  Jian Cao, Northwestern University

                    The Challenge of Scale-Up: How to Deal with Large Part and Quantity Part Printing

                    Matt Wiggins, Arc-Impact

                      Multifunctional Ceramics for Extreme Environments: Wireless High-Temperature Sensing

                      Cheryl Xu, North Carolina State University

                        12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

                        Networking Lunch

                          1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

                          Industry Applications

                          (Moderated by Dileep Singh, includes 30-minute panel discussion)

                            Applications of Ceramics in Nuclear Systems

                            Lin Shao, Texas A&M University

                              Silicon Carbide in Advanced Nuclear Reactors: Applications From Fuel to Structural Components

                              Gyanender Singh, Idaho National Lab

                                Beyond Composition: Processing-Controlled Microstructure in Ultra-High Temperature Carbides for Extreme Aerothermal Environments

                                Ian McCue, Northwestern University

                                  3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

                                  Break

                                    3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

                                    Healthcare Applications

                                    (Moderated by Cheryl Xu, includes 30-minute panel discussion)

                                      Advanced Manufacturing of Nanocomposites for Therapeutic Biofabrication

                                      Akhilesh K. Gaharwar, Texas A&M University

                                        Optimizing the Design of Composite 3D-Printed Scaffolds to Maximize Bone Regeneration

                                        Warren Grayson, Johns Hopkins University

                                          Additive Manufacturing of Living Materials: From Bioprinting to Cryobiomanufacturing

                                          Carlos Ezio, Criocore

                                            4:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

                                            Poster Session

                                            (all posters will be displayed during the entire workshop)

                                            6:00 P.M.

                                            Reception Remarks

                                            Division of Research

                                            Dr. Brendan Roark, Associate Vice President for Research, Centers and Institutes; and Professor, Geography, Texas A&M University

                                              6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

                                              Networking Reception

                                                Wednesday, September 23

                                                8:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.

                                                Breakfast

                                                9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

                                                Opening Remarks

                                                Division of Research

                                                Dr. Gerianne Alexander, Associate Vice President for Research, and Research Integrity Officer; and Professor, Psychology and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University

                                                9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

                                                Agencies’ Perspectives 1

                                                (Moderated by Jacob Marx, includes 30-minute panel discussion)

                                                Emerging Opportunities in Advanced Manufacturing at the National Science Foundation

                                                Alexis Lewis, National Science Foundation

                                                Accelerating Innovation for Tomorrow’s Manufacturing

                                                Said Jahanmir, National Institute of Standards and Technology

                                                Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies

                                                James “Willie” Kemp, Department of Energy

                                                10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

                                                Break

                                                11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

                                                Agencies’ Perspectives 2

                                                (Moderated by Said Jahanmir, includes 20-minute panel discussion)

                                                Perspectives on the Future of Ceramics Processing and Investment Opportunities at the DEVCOM Army Research Office

                                                Jacob Marx, Army Research Office

                                                High Throughput Materials Discovery for Extreme Conditions

                                                Debjoy Mallick, Army Research Lab

                                                12:00 p.m. – 1:00 P.M.

                                                Lunch

                                                1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

                                                Optional Activities To Form Collaboration Teams

                                                Closing Remarks

                                                Division of Research

                                                If you have any questions, please contact: firsummits@tamu.edu