Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility names scientific director
Idaho National Laboratory has selected Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) associate professor of physics, Jeff Terry, as scientific director of the Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR NSUF). ATR NSUF is based at INL in Idaho Falls. It is a U.S. Department of Energy-Nuclear Energy user facility and is the nation's only designated nuclear energy user facility.
The search for a new director began when previous director Todd Allen stepped down to assume the position of INL's deputy director of science and technology in January 2013.
"I am very pleased that Jeff Terry will serve as the next ATR NSUF scientific director," said Allen. "He is a highly respected researcher and professor who has a strong relationship with the research community and experience working with DOE, national laboratories and universities."
IIT College of Science Dean Russell Betts is pleased to see this example of the institute's partnerships with national laboratories.
"IIT's College of Science is committed to its collaborative and supportive relationships with the national laboratories and research institutions," Betts said. "Jeff's appointment as scientific director of ATR NSUF is a strong recognition of this commitment and its effectiveness."
As scientific director, Terry will provide strategic direction for ATR NSUF, leadership to the program staff and a dedicated team of scientists and engineers, and he will work closely with potential academic and industrial ATR NSUF users. He will also serve as the lead interface between the program and various stakeholder groups such as the DOE, university researchers and the ATR NSUF User Group.
Terry has a Ph.D. in chemical physics from Stanford University and a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Chicago. He specializes in utilizing synchrotron radiation techniques to analyze materials' properties. Terry has worked for the past three years as the radioactive sample coordinator for IIT’s Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) beamline at Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Photon Source, an ATR NSUF partner facility since 2009.
Terry also worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory where he received a Science and Technology Award for his work on the measurement of the electronic structure of plutonium.
"ATR NSUF is the most unique user facility in the U.S.," Terry said. "The combination of the facilities at INL and at the partner facilities gives ATR NSUF great ability to solve materials challenges in nuclear energy generation. I look forward to continue expanding the role of ATR NSUF in nuclear materials research."
National Scientific User Facility designation allows research teams performing nonproprietary research to obtain cost-free access to INL and 11 affiliated partner facility nuclear reactors, beamlines, and postirradiation examination capabilities through a competitive peer-reviewed proposal process.
Terry began his joint appointment position Aug. 5 and will split his time between ATR NSUF and his faculty responsibilities as an associate professor of physics at IIT.
\Since its designation as a National Scientific User Facility in 2007, ATR NSUF has awarded 72 research experiments involving 20 universities and four other national laboratories. To learn more about the proposing research and capability offerings, visit the ATR NSUF website at http://atrnsuf.inl.gov.
INL is one of the DOE's 10 multiprogram national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE's strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance. Subscribe to RSS feeds for INL news and feature stories at www.inl.gov. Follow @INL on Twitter or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IdahoNationalLaboratory.
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