Dr. Dawn Wellman

Senior Fellow – Critical Minerals and Materials at Savannah River National Laboratory, United States

Speaker

Dr. Dawn Wellman is an executive leader with nearly 30 years of experience driving innovation, research, and development across federal research, industry, and critical mineral sectors. Dr. Wellman currently serves as Senior Fellow for Critical Minerals and Materials at Savannah River National Laboratory. Prior to that, she was the Strategic Programs Manager for Rio Tinto's Copper R&D group, where Dr. Wellman managed transformative programs enhancing critical mineral recovery, decarbonization, tailings and water management, and copper production technologies.

Previously, she demonstrated exceptional leadership at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), managing a $70M annual R&D portfolio and growing organizational revenue by 14% within a year. Dr. Wellman’s proven ability to lead diverse, matrixed teams, develop market-driven strategies, and cultivate high-impact partnerships makes her an ideal candidate to direct large-scale Research and Development or Innovative Technology programs. With a Ph.D. in Chemistry, a prolific record of publications, and a passion for sustainable innovation, Dr. Wellman combines technical acumen with strategic foresight to deliver transformative results.