Mark Benedict awarded Military Additive Manufacturing Lifetime Achievement award
February 27, 2024
Dr Mark Benedict, Additive Manufacturing lead for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and chief technical adviser at America Makes, has been announced as the 2023 recipient of the Military Additive Manufacturing (MILAM) 3D Printing Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is granted for the consistent, distinguished service of an individual or group, and for making groundbreaking lifetime contributions with an enduring impact in the areas of Additive Manufacturing across the Department of Defense.
“We’re tremendously proud to have Mark on our team,” said Dr Charles Ormsby, AFRL division chief, Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies. “He is truly a world leader in Additive Manufacturing technology who transformed a research tool into a competitive advantage for our warfighters. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.”
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“He immediately came and visited us for a deep-dive technical kickoff, bringing with him an immense curiosity and a wealth of experience,” Dr Blake Teipel, CEO of Essentium Inc., who nominated Benedict for the MILAM award, commented. “I couldn’t be more delighted that Dr Benedict received this well-deserved award. His longstanding tenure as a thought- and technology-leader not only within the United States Air Force and AFRL communities, but also for the entire Additive Manufacturing industry, is well-known.”
Benedict attended the University of Dayton, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering. It was during this time that he began working at AFRL in the manufacturing research branch. He then went on to attend Wright State University through a DAGSI scholarship, where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master of Science degrees in material science. He continued to work at AFRL during that time, and eventually earned his doctorate in metallurgy and material science from Cambridge University.
During his time at AFRL, Benedict has worked on various projects but said that the Pacer Edge programme, which was run by the Air Force Lifestyle Management Center (AFLCMC) engines group, and his work on the acceleration of large-scale Additive Manufacturing were two highlights.
About six years ago, Benedict transitioned to the role of chief technical adviser at America Makes, which he said involved more investment planning and strategic alignment of resources with future Air Force needs, maturing the technology and getting it to airworthy status.
Among other awards and honours Benedict has received, he was named an AFRL Fellow in 2023. This honour represents 0.3% of the AFRL professional technical staff and has only been granted to 251 AFRL recipients since the programme began 37 years ago. Benedict is also the recipient of the 2020 Director’s Award (Senior Individual), and the 2023 Director’s Award (Team) as part of the Hypersonics Team. Benedict was recently named Senior Scientist, Convergent (Digital) Manufacturing, at AFRL.
