Bio
Dr. Tara M. Pandya currently works as the Group Lead for the Radiation Transport group that is part of the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle division in the Fusion and Fission Energy Science directorate. She received her B.S. in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University in 2006 and then continued on to received her M.S. and PhD in 2009 and 2012. After graduate school, Tara joined the Radiation Transport group on a 2-year postdoctoral appointment where she worked on Monte Carlo code development. She transitioned to R&D Staff in 2014. In 2020, she transitioned to the Group Lead of the Radiation Transport group. Tara is currently working on high-fidelity radiation transport solutions and analysis under the Nuclear Energy and Application Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program as well as other areas of hybrid deterministic-Monte Carlo radiation transport analysis and method development.
Professional Experience
- 2020–present Group Lead, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
Lead the Radiation Transport Group of 10 research and technical professionals. Collaborate with
members in the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle division and across ORNL. Leadership roles:
- LDRD Focus Area Lead: Transformational Nuclear Science and Technology Focus Area,
2020–2021
- 2017–2020 R&D Staff, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
Develop new computational methods, analysis methods, algorithms, and parallel radiaton transport
application codes for use by ORNL, DOE, industry, and other sponsors. Collaborate with
members in the HPC Methods and Applications Team and across ORNL. Mentor junior staff,
PhD candidates, and students. Leadership roles:
- LDRD Focus Area Lead: Transformational Nuclear Science and Technology Focus Area,
2019–2020
- Deputy: Radiation Transport Methods Focus Area, CASL Energy Innovation Hub, 2017–2020
- 2014–2017 Associate R&D Staff, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
Develop new computational methods and apply them in parallel radiation transport application
codes.
Awards
- 2020 DOE Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership Program Cohort 4 Member
- 2018 Knoxville YWCA Tribute to Women Honoree
- 2017 DOE-NE Leaders of Tomorrow in Nuclear Energy Forum Participant
- 2017 CASL Squire Honoree
- 2016 Knoxville Business Journal 40 Under Forty Recipient
- 2016 R&D 100, Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA)
- 2014 ORNL Award’s Night Research Accomplishment
- 2014 International Data Corporation (IDC) HPC Innovation Excellence Award
- 2006–2008 INPO Graduate Fellowship
- 2008–2012 Alpha Nu Σ Honor Society
Education
- 2012 Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, GPA 4.0
Dissertation, Long-Characteristics Methods with Piecewise Linear Sources in Space and Time for
Transport on Unstructured Grids.
- 2009 M.S. Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, GPA 4.0
Thesis, Long Characteristic Method in Space and Time for Transport Problems.
- 2006 B.S. Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, GPA 3.8
Professional Service
- 2006–2023 American Nuclear Society, LaGrange Park, IL
Mathematics and Computation Division: Executive Committee, 2015–2018; Secretary, 2018–2020;
Vice Chair, 2021–2022; Chair, 2022–2023; Past Chair, 2023–2024
- 2021–2024 ORNL WINGS Networking Group, Oak Ridge, TN
Outreach Chair, 2021–2023; President, 2023–2024
- 2015–2020 Oak Ridge/Knoxville American Nuclear Society Local Section, Oak Ridge, TN
Executive Committee, 2018–2020; Past Chair, 2017; Chair, 2016; Vice-Chair, 2015
- 2015 Nuclear Science Week National Big Event, Knoxville, TN
Co-Chair
- 2014 Oak Ridge Postdoctoral Association, Oak Ridge, TN
Research Committee
Professional Affiliations
American Nuclear Society
Trademarks and Patents
- 2023 SCALE, Commercial Copyright, Author, U.S. copyright Pending (90000270)
- 2022 RX-PSA, Commercial Copyright, Author, U.S. copyright 90000175
- 2022 ML-PSA, Open Source License, Author, https://www.osti.gov/doecode/biblio/69252
- 2019 Exnihilo, Commercial Copyright, Author, U.S. copyright 90000072
- 2019 VERA Infrastructure, Commercial Copyright, Author, U.S. copyright 90000069
- 2018 CTF, Commercial Copyright, Author, U.S. copyright 90000045
- 2019 ORIGEN API, Commercial Copyright, Author, U.S. copyright 90000065