November 11, 2020
Staff Accomplishment

Keeping America Safe: Rebecca Erikson

Additive manufacturing is growing as a national security priority

Rebecca Erikson

Composite image by Kelly Machart | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

In a new video series, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is highlighting six scientific and technical experts in the national security domain throughout the fall. Each was promoted to scientist and engineer Level 5, one of PNNL’s most senior research roles, earlier this year and has made significant contributions to the national security science, technology, and innovations developed at PNNL.

As a physicist working in additive manufacturing, Rebecca Erikson’s work incorporates three different areas of engineering and science: formulating and creating feedstock materials for printing, understanding the signatures of 3D printed parts, and pushing the limits of what 3D printers can produce. 

“Additive manufacturing is a disruptive technology and its ubiquity in the technology space has allowed anyone with a 3D printer and crowdsourced engineering to develop incredibly sophisticated, engineered systems,” said Erikson. “And we see that as an emerging threat.”

Published: November 11, 2020