Honors and Awards

ORNL researcher Vivek Sujan was named Inventor of the Year for his contributions to advanced mobility and energy technologies. His work has helped improve vehicle efficiency, power systems and transportation innovation. Sujan was recognized at Battelle’s Celebration of Solvers in May.

ORNL has named Katherine Kate Evans as associate laboratory director for the Biological and Environmental Systems Science Directorate. Evans will lead the directorate as it advances the science and technology needed to strengthen energy security, safeguard infrastructure and accelerate biotechnology innovation.

Orlando J. Rojas has been named the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chair for Circular Biomaterials. An internationally recognized leader in sustainable materials science, Rojas will hold a joint appointment in UT’s Herbert College of Agriculture and ORNL beginning in late 2026.

Two ORNL supervisors received Patriot Awards from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for supporting employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve, reflecting leadership that helps service members meet military obligations without unnecessary workplace barriers.

ORNL has named Joe Hoagland associate laboratory director for its Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate, supporting its role in advancing the nation’s nuclear energy capabilities and the growth of the Oak Ridge Corridor as a nuclear industry hub. In this role, Hoagland will support the lab’s national missions and the growth of the nuclear and fusion energy sector.

Lianhong Gu, distinguished staff scientist in the Biological and Environmental Systems Science Directorate at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been named a fellow of the Ecological Society of America (ESA).

Rinkle Juneja, an R&D staff scientist at ORNL, has been recognized as an Early Career Distinguished Presenter by the Materials Research Society and was selected to represent ORNL on the “Materials Research at the U.S. DOE National Laboratories” panel at the MRS Fall Meeting.

David Cullen, a Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory distinguished R&D staff scientist, has been elected a Fellow of the Microscopy Society of America, a professional honor recognizing sustained scientific achievement and service that advance the fields of microscopy and microanalysis.

ORNL was recently awarded six Federal Laboratory Consortium awards, including the 2026 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award, for technology commercialized by Element3 that enables the extraction of lithium from oil and gas wastewater.

Adrian Sabau, a computational materials scientist at ORNL, has received the Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division (MPMD) Distinguished Service Award from The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), recognizing his sustained contributions to the field and service to the professional community.