Maria Mahbub, an ORNL research associate, develops trustworthy AI methods for healthcare, national security and drone detection, with a focus on improving AI reliability and robustness. Her work combines machine learning with domain expertise to help ensure AI systems perform accurately and reliably in real-world applications.
DOE's Office of Science’s Isotope R&D and Production program has re-established and revolutionized its domestic stable isotope enrichment capabilities. Led by pioneering advancements at ORNL, this expansion stabilizes the national isotope market, reducing decades of reliance on foreign suppliers for critical medical, national security and industrial technologies.
Tyler Spano’s impact on the field of mineralogy is anything but small. So, when a newly discovered mineral, modest in size but significant in meaning, was named spanoite in her honor, it became a fitting tribute to her contributions to the field.
Sam Hurst was a pioneering ORNL physicist and inventor who helped develop resistive touchscreen technology, laying the foundation for the touchscreens used in modern devices. He earned more than 30 patents, founded four companies, and played a key role in strengthening the long-standing partnership between ORNL and the University of Tennessee.
ORNL has licensed its Cyber Grid Guard technology to GridForge Energy Solutions to commercialize a blockchain-based platform that detects cyber threats and verifies grid data in real time, helping improve grid reliability, security, and transparency.
ORNL’s DUECE project is developing next-generation gas centrifuge technology to restore the United States’ ability to enrich uranium domestically for defense missions, including naval nuclear propulsion and tritium production. After nearly a decade of research and development, NNSA has partnered with BWXT to build a pilot plant and manufacturing capability, with the goal of reestablishing a reliable U.S. uranium enrichment capability by the 2040s.
Robert Stewart turned a childhood fascination with maps and computers into a career at ORNL developing geospatial and AI tools for environmental cleanup and human security. His work has influenced nuclear remediation practices and supported efforts credited with saving lives. Today, he focuses on mentoring future scientists and advancing data-driven research at ORNL.
Researchers at ORNL developed a new method to detect underground tunnels by sending acoustic signals upward from below the ground rather than downward from the surface. In testing, the method revealed tunnels through unique low-frequency signals created when sound waves bent around the underground structure. This technique could improve detection of hidden voids that threaten roads, railways, and other critical infrastructure.
ORNL researchers combined the SAMMY code with VENUS neutron imaging to identify nuclear materials without damaging them. The method uses precise data and modeling to distinguish complex isotopes. Tests on gold, tantalum and hafnium showed it can accurately match nuclear “fingerprints.”
ARC and ORNL signed an MOU to accelerate AI-enabled, on-demand production of qualified, mission-critical components for U.S. national security applications. The partnership will combine ORNL's computing and manufacturing capabilities with ARC's ARCNet distributed manufacturing platform to create a closed-loop system for AI-enabled materials and manufacturing qualification and autonomous production at defense-relevant scale.
David Page, head of the Geographic Data Science Section at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, leads with a focus on judgment, collaboration and empowering teams. Drawing on experience in academia, entrepreneurship and national security science, he has helped advance faster, scalable geospatial analysis while building resilient, forward-looking research teams.
ORNL researchers developed a portable, highly sensitive detector that can identify GPS spoofing in real time, helping protect trucking shipments from theft and misdirection. Unlike existing systems, it works even when fake and real signals are equally strong and doesn’t rely on external references. The technology aims to improve transportation security by alerting drivers and operators to otherwise invisible GPS manipulation.