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Amanda Nummy, senior polymer engineer at Hyundai Automotive Technical Center Inc. (HATCI, Superior Township, Mich., U.S.), is the SPE Automotive Division’s (Troy, Mich., U.S.) fourth keynote speaker for this year’s September event.

Nummy’s presentation, “Balancing Multiple Objectives in Composites Design,” will give an overview of Hyundai Motor Group and the role of materials, with a particular focus on sustainability goals and strategies. Automotive case studies will be analyzed, highlighting the decision criteria leading to a balanced solution to reducing cost, weight and carbon footprint in composites applications. Insights will be provided on the material selection process and holistic design strategies, emphasizing a systems-level approach to increasing impact. 

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“The 25^th anniversary of ACCE is the perfect venue for presenting the shift from conventional design to the holistic design approach that I have been using at Hyundai for the last few years,” says Nummy. “Our ongoing battery work at Hyundai including composites has benefited from the holistic design and manufacturing approach, and I am looking forward to sharing it to benefit the industry.”

Nummy is a senior polymer engineer with a decade of experience in the automotive industry, trailblazing holistic design approaches to material selection and use, and bringing creativity from nature-inspired innovation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in polymer, textile and fiber engineering from Georgia Tech, a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from Wayne State University and a master’s degree in biomimicry from Arizona State University. She also recently earned her Professional Certification in biomimicry, one of only 110 individuals globally that have achieved this level of expertise in the emerging field, leading and facilitating a new design thinking methodology for sustainability and regenerative practices across multidisciplinary teams.

In her current role, she is responsible for plant support and application development of all plastic components for North and South America and leads several global collaborations for fuel cell and battery electric vehicle development. Notable research and product development experience throughout her career includes hydrogen and biomedical fuel cells; specialty textiles; nanomaterials; carbon capture; built environment design; advanced processing and recycling technologies; reclaimed ocean plastics; recycled single-use PPE waste for automotive use; automotive shredder residue circularity; thermal runaway test method development; and lightweight composites.

Nummy is the author of several papers published within the industry, and has given technical presentations, keynote speeches and guest lectures to diverse audiences around the world, advocating for the thoughtful and responsible use of polymeric materials and alternative energy as part of the complex system of solutions that will be needed to ensure a sustainable future.