Yarom Polsky, director of the Manufacturing Science Division, or MSD, at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, or ASME. As a mechanical engineering thought leader for more than 25 years, Polsky was nominated for his technical prowess and leadership both within ORNL and in the development of collaborative initiatives. Less than 5% of ASME members are selected as fellows.
“I’ve been an ASME member for over 25 years and deeply appreciate the organization’s impact in disseminating new engineering knowledge and developing engineering standards to make critical technologies safer and more effective,” Polsky said. “It’s truly an honor to be part of and recognized by the society.”
Since joining ORNL in 2009, Polsky has held a variety of leadership roles, including serving as section head for Energy Systems Integration and Controls, engineering lead for accelerator design at DOE’s Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL, and manager of ORNL’s fossil energy and carbon management and geothermal energy programs. He provides scientific leadership at the national level, such as leading process innovation and intensification for the National Alliance for Water Innovation.
Polsky’s research in heavy equipment design and manufacturing, drilling, geothermal technologies, neutron scattering techniques and sensing technologies earned him 14 patents and led to more than 60 peer-reviewed publications.
As MSD director, Polsky oversees applied research in the development, implementation and scale-up of next-generation manufacturing approaches that support DOE’s mission to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.
Polsky received his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology before professional stints at Schlumberger and Sandia National Laboratories. He is also a joint faculty member at the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a program under the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute that unites resources and capabilities from the university and ORNL.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
