Ph.D. Student Matthew Azaroff Selected for Additive Manufacturing Research at Savannah River National Laboratory

Matthew Azaroff, a doctoral student at Kennesaw State University, has been selected for a summer research internship at the Savannah River National Laboratory to advance additive manufacturing technologies. Working within the federally funded research and development center, Azaroff will focus on laser powder bed fusion processes and the development of novel material applications. This appointment highlights the growing collaboration between academic institutions and national laboratories to solve complex engineering challenges in the 3D printing sector.

Matthew Azaroff, a student in the Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Engineering program at Kennesaw State’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SPCEET), will conduct his research at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). SRNL is a premier facility supporting national security, energy, and advanced manufacturing initiatives. Azaroff’s work will specifically target additive manufacturing, a field he has pursued through both academic rigor and hands-on automotive fabrication. SPCEET Dean Lawrence Whitman noted that the appointment reflects the impact of combining curiosity with rigorous research training in the field of advanced manufacturing.

The core of Azaroff’s research at SRNL involves laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), a sophisticated additive manufacturing process that utilizes lasers to fuse powdered materials into precise components. A primary objective of his summer appointment is the investigation of a palladium-silver alloy, a precious metal combination that has not yet been successfully produced via 3D printing. Azaroff and the team of scientists at the national lab will conduct research to determine if this alloy can be effectively printed for practical application use, potentially opening new avenues for material science in the industry.

Beyond the specific alloy research, the appointment emphasizes the broader industrial benefits of additive manufacturing, including its ability to produce complex geometries that are often too costly or difficult for traditional manufacturing methods. Azaroff highlighted that sectors such as aerospace, defense, automotive, and energy production stand to benefit significantly from AM due to improvements in performance and reductions in production time and costs. Following the completion of his doctorate, Azaroff intends to continue his career in research at a national laboratory or within the industry, eventually returning to academia to mentor future engineers.