Mark D. Benedict, a member of the Scientific and Professional Cadre of Senior Executives, is the Senior Scientist for Convergent Digital Manufacturing, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
He serves as the principal scientific authority and independent researcher in the research, development, adaptation and application of advanced manufacturing and is a recognized expert on additve manfacturing process modeling, machine development, data management and airworthiness qualification/certification.
In his prior role as America Makes Chief Technical Advisor, AFRL, Wright-Patterson, AFB, Ohio, he was integral to the planning, requirements definition, selection and execution of the $446M technical portfolio that America Makes has in the area of convergent manufacturing over the last decade.
EDUCATION
2003 Bachelor of Science, Materials Science, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
2004 Master of Science, Materials Science, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
2008 Doctorate, Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. March 2008–March 2014, Senior Research Scientist, Universal Engineering Sciences Inc., Dayton, Ohio
2. March 2014–February 2024, Principal Materials Engineer, America Makes Chief Technical Advisor, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
3. February 2024–present, Senior Scientist for Convergent (Digital) Manufacturing, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
AWARDS AND HONORS
2017 Frank J. Zanner Best Paper Award, Liquid Metals Processing and Casting Conference (named in honor of inventor of metal additive manufacturing)
2019 30th Annual Symposium For Freeform Fabrication - Best Paper
2019 Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel Technology Innovator Award
2019 Air Fprce Research Laboratory Director’s Award - Senior Individual
2021 Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Annual Logistics Functional Award, Large Team - Pacer Edge
2022 AFRL Director’s Award - Team: Hypersonics Team
2022 NASA Engineering and Safety Center Group Achievement Award: Additive Manufacturing Standards Development Team
2023 Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Science and Technology International Award for Parts and Performance
2023 Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Science and Technology International Award for Additive Manufacturing
2023 (national) Lifetime Achievement Award from the Defense Strategies Institute Group at the Military AM Summit
2023 Air Force Research Laboratory Fellow
2024 American Society for Testing and Materials Award of Excellence in Research
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Lead contributing author for Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Department of Defense Additive (Published January 2021) Additive Manufacturing Strategy
Contributing author for Department of Defense Instruction 5000.93 (June 2021) Use of Additive Manufacturing in the DoD
Contributing author for DoDI 5000.93_DAFI63-149 (January 2022) Use of Additive Manufacturing
Contributing author for MIL-STD-1587 Rev F. DoD Design Criteria and Standards: Material and Process requirements for Aerospace Weapons Systems
Contributed to NSTC Advanced Manufacturing Strategy 2022 by authoring The Strategy for American Leadership in High-Consequence Additive Manufacturing (as directed by NSTC; cited in NSTC Strategy)
Contributing author for NASA 6030 Additive Manufacturing Requirements for Spaceflight Systems
Contributing author for ASME 10.1 - 2019 Standard for Verification and Validation in Computational Solid Mechanics
Contributing author for ASME Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification Terminology in Computational Modeling and Simulation
Contributing author for ASME 10.2 Role of Uncertainty Quantification in Verification and Validation of Computational Solid. Mechanics Models
Lead for Pacer Edge CoCrMo Powder, Process and Materials specifications
Lead for Pacer Edge NA718 Powder, Process and Materials specifications
(Current as of July 2025)