UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sneha Narra, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, will present “Multi-scale microstructure evolution and control in fusion-based metal additive manufacturing” at 3:05 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, in 10 Sparks Building on the University Park campus.

The event is part of the Penn State Department of Materials Science and Engineering’s (MatSE) 590 Seminar series. The talk is free and open to the public.

The ability to control microstructure during fabrication is one of the key advantages of fusion-based metal additive manufacturing and the goal of Narra’s talk is to discuss microstructure evolution and control across multiple scales, with a focus on phenomena occurring within and outside the melt pool.

Narra will discuss her early work on experimentation-based parameter development for controlling solidification microstructure and transitions and then talk about her recent work on understanding the evolution of nanoscale particles in oxide dispersion strengthened alloys during melting and solidification. She will also discuss microstructure evolution outside the melt pool, where repeated thermal cycles can be used to control solid-state transformations, including tempering and strengthening phase precipitation. She will conclude her talk by discussing opportunities to integrate these approaches toward controlling microstructure and properties directly during fabrication.

Narra’s research focuses on understanding and controlling defect formation and microstructure evolution in fusion-based metal additive manufacturing to enable qualification and certification. Her group integrates experiments and modeling to study process-structure-property relationships and to develop process design and control strategies for powder and wire-based additive manufacturing.

Narra received her undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Osmania University in India. She earned a master of science in computational mechanics, a master of science in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in mechanical engineering, all from Carnegie Mellon University. She completed postdoctoral training at the NextManufacturing Center and previously served as an assistant professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute before joining the Carnegie Mellon faculty.

About the MatSE 590 Seminar Series

The fall 2026 MatSE 590 Seminar series offer graduate students, faculty and the general public a wide range of lectures featuring invited speakers from academia and industry, providing a platform for sharing research, exploring emerging topics and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue in materials science and engineering.

Support for the MatSE 590 Seminar series is made possible through the generous contributions of industry partners through the Friends of MatSE program.

For more information and a list of upcoming speakers visit the program website.