Event
MSE Seminar: Dr. Saniya LeBlanc, GWU
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
3:30 p.m.
Room 2110 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Sherri Tatum
301-405-5240
statum12@umd.edu
Re-Envisioning Solid State Thermoelectric Conversion with Additive Manufacturing
Abstract: Tackling the energy sector’s pressing technological and workforce needs requires a multi-pronged approach. Dr. Saniya LeBlanc conducts research at the intersection of solid-state energy conversion materials and additive manufacturing as well as large-scale energy systems with integrated renewable power and storage. Dr. LeBlanc’s materials and manufacturing work focuses on thermoelectric power generators that convert waste heat into electricity. Traditional thermoelectric device manufacturing uses steps that lead to material waste and performance limitations and offer little flexibility in designing the geometry of thermoelectric modules. Additive manufacturing could enable new architectures, material-to-device integration, and large-area processing. Dr. LeBlanc has made progress in laser-based additive manufacturing of thermoelectric materials, such as bismuth telluride and silicon germanium, for low and high temperature applications, and she will discuss the link between multi-scale materials, manufacturing, and system-level considerations for thermoelectric generators. Recently, she has extended this work to a broader set of materials and manufacturing techniques relevant for energy conversion and thermal management in high temperature applications.
Bio: Dr. Saniya LeBlanc is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at The George Washington University. She previously served as the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Director of the Energy Innovation Research Initiative where she built research and engagement capacity in three themes: multiscale materials for energy, the next generation energy network, and energy as an equity enabler. Dr. LeBlanc’s own research aims to create energy conversion technologies using advanced materials and manufacturing techniques as well as design multi-technology energy systems for decarbonization and performance improvements. Prior to joining GWU, she was a research scientist at a startup company where she created research, development, and manufacturing characterization solutions for thermoelectric technologies and evaluated the potential of new power generation materials. Previously, she was a math and physics teacher at a multicultural high school in the D.C. public school system through Teach for America.
In 2025, Dr. LeBlanc received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers – the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers. Dr. LeBlanc is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award, and the American Society of Engineering Education named Dr. LeBlanc one of its “20 Under 40” high-achieving researchers and educators in 2018. At The George Washington University, she received the GWU Morton A. Bender teaching award as the only junior engineering professor to ever win the university-wide award. Dr. LeBlanc obtained an MS and a PhD in mechanical engineering with a minor in materials science at Stanford University. She was a Churchill Scholar at University of Cambridge where she received an MPhil in engineering, and she has a BS in mechanical engineering with a minor in French from Georgia Institute of Technology.
