Avik Samanta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Florida (USF), Tampa, Florida. His research interests encompass Advanced Manufacturing, Laser-based Material Processing, Surface Engineering, Wettability Modification, and Stimuli-responsive Materials. He is spearheading the Laser-Aided Materials, Manufacturing, and Processing (LAM2P) research group in advancing laser engineering techniques for innovative functional materials and pioneering new manufacturing processes employing advanced manufacturing technologies. He is currently advising two Ph.D., one MS and six undergraduate students. He has authored or co-authored over 40 journal papers in leading manufacturing and materials processing journals. Before joining USF, he was associated with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as a postdoctorate research associate. He received his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, in 2020.