Uckan, a senior scientist and program leader in charge of the ORNL Next-Step Fusion Studies, will become editor of the publication in June 2001. Her appointment concludes a year-long search for a replacement for George Miley, a professor from the University of Illinois and founding editor of the publication.
She is a fellow of the American Nuclear Society and a recipient of the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization's Fusion Energy Division for her contributions to fusion science and engineering.
Uckan has worked at ORNL for more than 25 years and has held numerous positions. She has a broad background and experience in the physics and engineering of magnetic fusion energy and has worked on plasma transport, plasma performance, plasma waves and current drive, burning plasma physics, plasma engineering, physics-safety interface, magnetic configurations and various fusion reactor studies.
Her present research is in plasma engineering, burning plasmas, fusion power plant studies and fusion energy development. She has published more than 200 technical papers/reports on these topics. Uckan has taught a number of undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Tennessee, where she serves as adjunct professor of nuclear engineering.
Uckan obtained bachelor of science and master's degrees in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul, Turkey. As a NATO Scholar at the University of Michigan, she earned additional master's degrees in nuclear engineering, computer information and control engineering and mathematics. Uckan also earned a doctorate in nuclear engineering from Michigan.