Interim Associate Laboratory Director for Fusion and Fission Energy and Science
Jeremy Busby is the interim Associate Laboratory Director for Fusion and Fission Energy and Science at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He oversees the directorate’s unique facilities, capabilities, and talented scientists and engineers who are tackling such challenges as extending operations of the current US nuclear reactor fleet; investigating economical and flexible advanced reactor systems; and making fusion energy a viable power source.
Dr. Busby joined ORNL in 2004 and has served in several leadership roles at the laboratory, most recently as director of the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division. His research is focused on materials performance and development of materials for nuclear reactor applications. While at ORNL, Dr. Busby has participated in materials research efforts for space reactors, fusion machines, advanced fast reactors, and light water reactors. His diverse research aims to enable the development of operating criteria for structural materials in a variety of adverse environments that will allow for design and operation of safe, reliable, and cost-effective nuclear systems.
Dr. Busby was the lead for the Materials Aging and Degradation Pathway for the DOE–Office of Nuclear Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability Research and Development program from 2009 to 2015. He also led the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies Materials Cross-cut effort, in addition to participation in several nuclear industry-sponsored research tasks. As principal investigator for the DOE Office of Science ITER Program, he led an investigation into the feasibility of utilizing an innovative cast austenitic stainless steel for the first wall structure of the international ITER project.
In 2010, Dr. Busby received the Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering, for “excellence in research leading to the development of high performance cast stainless steels, a critical part of the U.S. contributions to ITER project, and for his mentoring of students both as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Michigan and at ORNL.”
In 2011, he was awarded a Secretary of Energy Achievement Award for contributions to DOE’s response to Fukushima. The American Nuclear Society presented Dr. Busby with the Landis Young Member Achievement award in 2006 and, in 2007 he received the ORNL Early Career Award for Engineering Accomplishment for his leadership in the cast stainless steel effort.
Dr. Busby is an adjunct assistant professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at the University of Michigan and has developed and taught a graduate level course in materials degradation and performance for fission and fusion reactors. He also is heavily involved in the leadership of many professional society activities.
He received a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Kansas State University and holds a master’s degree and doctorate in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan.