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Man is flying drone in hurricane aftermath, holding the controller

During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, ORNL deployed drone teams and the Mapster platform to gather and share geospatial data, aiding recovery and damage assessments. ORNL's EAGLE-I platform tracked utility outages, helping prioritize recovery efforts. Drone data will train machine learning models for faster damage detection in future disasters. 

Researchers are looking at computers, working with a bright blue box in the middle of the table

Researchers at ORNL are using microwave radar reflection to nondestructively detect and measure the moisture content of materials within walls without removing drywall or cladding. This also expedites the moisture identification process and enables mold growth to be treated in the early stages.

Summit Supercomputer

Scientists conducted a groundbreaking study on the genetic data of over half a million U.S. veterans, using tools from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to analyze 2,068 traits from the Million Veteran Program.

Two scientists are standing in the lab pointing at an object on the table, both wearing glasses.

ORNL, as a partner in the DOE’s Stor4Build Consortium, is co-leading research with several national laboratories to develop thermal energy storage to complement electrical battery storage and recently hosted a two-day workshop focused on advancing these technologies.

Three speakers are presenting at the front of the room with a presentation on the pulled down screen in the background
A team of researchers at ORNL are using virtual reality to understand normal and abnormal human behavior in a given location – specifically, a nuclear reactor. As people move around their lives, they tend to do similar activities in the same
Researcher Maximiliano Ferrari is kneeling down next to an emulator in the networked microgrids laboratory at the Grid Research Integration and Deployment Center

Maximiliano Ferrari, a researcher in the Grid Systems Architecture group at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elevated to prestigious senior membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 

Picture shows magnetic domains in uranium with a blue and orange organic shapes, similar to lava flowing through water, but in graphic form

The US focuses on nuclear nonproliferation, and ORNL plays a key role in this mission. The lab conducts advanced research in uranium science, materials analysis and nuclear forensics to detect illicit nuclear activities. Using cutting-edge tools and operational systems, ORNL supports global efforts to reduce nuclear threats by uncovering the history of nuclear materials and providing solutions for uranium removal. 

ORNL computing staff members Hector Suarez (middle) and William Castillo (right) talk HPC at the Tapia Conference career fair in San Diego, California. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept of Energy

The National Center for Computational Sciences, located at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, made a strong showing at computing conferences this fall. Staff from across the center participated in numerous workshops and invited speaking engagements.

Pictured is the ORNL concrete sign in front of the ORNL campus

ORNL’s National Security Sciences Directorate partnered with the University of Tennessee’s Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs to develop a graduate certificate in nuclear security that launched in the fall of 2024. 

ORNL HPC engineer Elijah MacCarthy speaks, holding a microphone, during the 2022 FacultyHack event.

A research collaboration between the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and several partner institutions was honored with the Best Event Report award at the 2024 International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons and Game Creation Events.