Amy Elliott, who graduated with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2013, has received two significant accolades in the last couple months. In November 2021, she received the 2021 International Additive Manufacturing Young Professional Award from the American Society for Testing and Materials. The award, which is presented annually, honored her early career research contributions and leadership.

This month, Elliott will again achieve recognition, this time by the Knoxville News Sentinel as one of the news outlet's 40 under 40. This award  recognizes East Tennesseans under 40 who are innovating in their industries, making changes in their communities and checking off major accomplishments.  Her group of standouts will be formally recognized in a virtual award ceremony on January 20.

Elliott is also a group leader for robotics and intelligent systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In the past, she has been a contestant on the Discovery Channel's Big Brain Theory, an on-camera science personality for The Science Channel's Outrageous Acts of Science, and an IF/THEN Ambassador for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.