Lab leader named ‘Supervisor of Year’

A leader in composite materials research at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate was selected as the Supervisor of the Year recently during the directorate’s annual awards banquet.

Amber Davis, section chief for the Materials and Processing Section, Composites Branch, Structural Materials Division, was recognized for her excellence in leadership in front of a crowd of more than 300 scientists, engineers, researchers and family members during a recent event. Davis is responsible for the management of the polymer matrix composite and ceramic matrix composite research teams.

The supervisor of the year award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in supervisory skills and the ability to balance the goals of the directorate with the needs of the individuals on the team.

In addition to overseeing two of the largest research teams in the directorate, Davis also manages $66 million in Manufacturing Technology programs, helping to transition next generation technologies into the industrial base in order to facilitate their widespread use on military and commercial applications. She also found time to pursue professional leadership development taking several courses-including the AFRL Pre-supervisory Development Program and the “Maximizing Your Leadership Potential” course through the Center for Creative Leadership.

Davis received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Wright State University and a Master of Science degree in materials engineering from the University of Dayton.