Bio
Dr. Bryan Conry joined the Particle Fuel Forms (PFF) group within the Nuclear Fuel Development (NFD) Section in September 2023 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. His research focuses on the development, optimization, and mechanistic understanding of ceramic fuel particle coatings produced via fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FB-CVD), with an emphasis on linking processing conditions to coating microstructure and performance.
Dr. Conry’s work integrates experimental process development, advanced characterization, and data-driven analysis to address complex challenges in coated particle fuel fabrication and characterization. He has led efforts to design modular, benchtop experimental systems that enable high-throughput evaluation of coating process parameters, as well as to develop quantitative frameworks for correlating flow dynamics, deposition conditions, and resulting microstructural features. His research leverages advanced imaging techniques, including X-ray computed tomography (XCT), alongside digital image analysis and computer vision methods to extract statistically meaningful insights from large volumetric datasets. He has also developed and applied machine learning approaches to improve segmentation and feature identification in complex microstructures, supporting improved quality control and process optimization.
Dr. Conry is a skilled scientific communicator, and has been recognized during his research career or his effectiveness in presenting complex technical concepts to diverse audiences. He has delivered numerous oral presentations at major international conferences, including the Materials Research Society, American Nuclear Society, and The American Ceramic Society meetings. His work has received multiple distinctions, including the Most Innovative Poster award at the 2025 Advanced Fuels Campaign Program Review Meeting for his work on automated, physics-informed microstructural analysis, and selection for a special issue of Nuclear Technology based on his presentation at the 2025 ANS Annual Conference. He has also demonstrated excellence in concise scientific communication, earning first place in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s 2025 “Your Science in a Nutshell” competition and representing ORNL in the U.S. Department of Energy National Lab SLAM competition. Across these engagements, Dr. Conry has consistently demonstrated the ability to translate data-intensive, multidisciplinary research into clear and impactful technical narratives.
During his graduate studies, Dr. Conry investigated the role of grain boundary structure, connectivity, and anisotropy in governing mesoscopic material behavior, developing quantitative approaches to characterize and interpret complex microstructural networks. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in July 2023 and received his B.Eng. in Chemical and Molecular Engineering from Stony Brook University in 2019.
Publications
Other Publications
Conry, Bryan M. (2023). Anisotropic Grain Boundary Networks and Their Role in Abnormal Grain Growth. [Doctoral dissertation, Carnegie Mellon University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Conry, B., Kole, M., Burnett, W. R., Harley, J. B., Tonks, M. R., Kesler, M. S., & Krause, A. R. (2023). The evolution of grain boundary energy in textured and untextured Ca‐doped alumina during grain growth. Journal of the American Ceramic Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.19367
Khurjekar, I. D., Conry, B., Kesler, M. S., Tonks, M. R., Krause, A. R., & Harley, J. B. (2023). Automated, high-accuracy classification of textured microstructures using a convolutional neural network. Frontiers in Materials, 10, 1086000. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2023.1086000
Muralikrishnan, V., Liu, H., Yang, L., Conry, B., Marvel, C. J., Harmer, M. P., ... & Krause, A. R. (2023). Observations of unexpected grain boundary migration in SrTiO3. Scripta Materialia, 222, 115055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2022.115055
Conry, B., Harley, J. B., Tonks, M. R., Kesler, M. S., & Krause, A. R. (2022). Engineering grain boundary anisotropy to elucidate grain growth behavior in alumina. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 42(13), 5864-5873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2022.06.059
Cubaud, T., Conry, B., Hu, X., & Dinh, T. (2021). Diffusive and capillary instabilities of viscous fluid threads in microchannels. Physical Review Fluids, 6(9), 094202. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.6.094202