Alex Roschli, a researcher at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has been named to the 2026 Mechanical Engineering Watch List by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
The annual watch list highlights 25 early-career engineers whose work is shaping the future of the profession.
Roschli was selected in the research category and is featured in the June issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine, which highlights his work applying large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) to challenges in nuclear energy construction. The magazine discussed how ORNL used LFAM to create precision composite molds for large concrete structures used in advanced reactor systems, reducing production times from weeks to days while maintaining the accuracy required for nuclear applications. The project recently earned the 2026 SME Aubin Additive Manufacturing Case Study Award for its potential to lower costs and shorten deployment timelines for next-generation nuclear energy systems.
“Alex combines deep technical expertise with a relentless drive to solve real-world manufacturing challenges,” said Yarom Polsky, director of ORNL’s Manufacturing Science Division (MSD). “His work has helped establish ORNL as a global leader in large-format additive manufacturing. This recognition from ASME reflects both his individual accomplishments and the impact his research is having across the manufacturing community.”
Since joining MSD in 2012, Roschli has helped advance some of the laboratory's most visible additive manufacturing achievements. He was a member of the original team that developed big area additive manufacturing, or BAAM, technologies used to produce large-scale molds, tooling and structures for aerospace, transportation, energy and industrial sectors. He also leads development of ORNL Slicer 2, the laboratory's novel toolpath generation software.
During his career at ORNL, Roschli has contributed to multiple award-winning manufacturing innovations, including the R&D 100 Award-winning Future Foundries and Techmer Engineered Additive Manufacturing Materials , or TEAMM, projects.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for 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 https://energy.gov/science . — Tina M. Johnson