Bio
Joan is a senior staff member of the nuclear safety analysis team at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). She joined ORNL in 1988 as a nuclear compliance team member at RRD with responsibility for the licensing and preparation of the Safety Analysis reports for nuclear fuel packaging for HFIR and other DOE facilities. Participated in HFIR and Tower Shield Reactor restart evaluation activities after extended DOE shutdowns for pressure vessel embrittlement issues (HFIR) and seismic design concerns (HFIR and TSR).
She joined the Nuclear Safety staff in 1992 to become manager of the HFIR Safety Analysis Report project to include the preparation of and coordination of issue resolution with DOE to allow for the DOE approval of the initial HFIR SAR. Favorite assignments/responsibilities over 30 years include being design/task leader for the installation of the Soil Nail wall/HFIR truck airlock stabilization project, member of the early Cold Source Project scoping and site preparation team, preparing/reviewing NPH evaluations based on new/updated DOE criteria, and participating in structural regulatory upgrades to ensure that the HFIR facility is structurally sound for future operations and experiments.
Prior to coming to ORNL, Joan held various positions within TVA as a design/construction engineer for the Watts Bar and Sequoyah Nuclear plants, structural seismic analyst for Yellow Creek and Watts Bar projects, nuclear safety evaluator, and a manager within the Office of Inspector General. She obtained her Professional Engineer license in TN and was one of the first female inductees into Tau Beta Pi, Gamma Section, University of South Florida.
ORNL Neutron Science Directorate
Research Reactors Division