Bio
Ron Burke is a senior mechanical engineer on the US ITER Vacuum Team, working on the Roughing Pump System and Vacuum Auxiliary System for the ITER project. Ron's primarily responsible is contract management as a Technical Project Officer (TPO). Since joining ITER, Ron has worked on the fabrication of critical components supporting the Central Solenoid, Vacuum Systems and Princeton Plasma Physic Lab's (PPPL) diagnostic components. Ron works closely with US ITER's supply base delivering hardware to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Cadarache, in the South of France.
Ron joined ORNL and US ITER in February of 2020.
Professional Experience
Prior to joining ORNL, Ron has extensive experience in commercial industry. Working at manufacturing facilities worldwide. Based in Southern California he has supported facilities throughout Southeast Asia and Europe. He started his career in 1981 as a draftsman's for Huffy bicycles while earning his Mechanical Engineering degree. His career has included; the medical industry, consumer products and the semiconductor industry. Major corporations include Lockheed Aircraft (flight simulators), Eastman Kodak (military tape recorder), Puritan-Bennet (ventilators), Hewlett Packard (printers), ASML (semi-conductor EUV lithography equipment) and others. His experience includes: high volume manufacturing, tool making, plastic injection molding, managing suppliers and engineers, and a great deal of project management. 1.4 million miles on United Airlines, the world has been his workshop.
Education
Ron has a B.S in Mechanical Engineer for California Polytechnic University and has completed a significate number of MBA courses.