National award highlights ORNL’s leadership in developing nuclear fuels
Andrew Nelson. Credit: ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy
Andrew Nelson, interim director of the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle division at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will receive the American Nuclear Society’s 2026 Mishima Award at the society’s Annual Conference in Denver, May 31 to June 3.
The award honors outstanding contributions in research and development work on nuclear fuel and materials. Established in 1991, the award is named for Dr. Yoshitsugu Mishima, a professor at the University of Tokyo.
Nelson was recognized for his technical accomplishments, leadership, mentoring and active role in developing and maintaining U.S. nuclear fuels research.
Nelson has served in leadership roles since joining ORNL in 2018, focusing on fuel fabrication and nuclear fuel material performance. His research interests are focused on the development and assessment of ceramic nuclear fuel forms, with an emphasis on advanced fuel systems for light water reactors. He is also active in the development of dispersion and particle fuel concepts for advanced reactor applications. Nelson has held leadership roles in multiple DOE nuclear material development programs and has published over 150 peer-reviewed publications.
He received his doctorate in nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for 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.