In his State of the State address Monday night, Gov. Bill Lee called Tennessee a “new frontier” for nuclear energy, while also honoring its history – calling out Oak Ridge National Lab’s Michael Whedbee as an example.
Researchers at ORNL are breathing new life into the scientific understanding of neptunium, a unique, radioactive, metallic element — and a key precursor for production of the plutonium-238 that fuels exploratory spacecraft. The team’s research arrives during a period of increased national interest in the use of Pu-238 in radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
Brian Anderson has led ORNL's Enrichment Science and Engineering Division since 2020, overseeing work in enrichment technologies and stable isotope production. The division supports national needs across security, research, medicine and industry while expanding its technical capabilities and workforce.
In 2021, Ateios Systems licensed technology from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to make battery manufacturing faster and cheaper, enabling the nation’s only domestic battery electrode supply chain. By building on this technology and producing electrodes domestically, Ateios has expanded to fill commercial orders while reducing reliance on foreign suppliers for critical battery components.
Purdue University and ORNL have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance their long-standing research collaboration focused on national security. Under the agreement, Purdue and ORNL will pursue new research collaboration opportunities to enhance national defense.
Future Foundries integrates wire-arc additive manufacturing, heat treatment, inspection and machining systems into a unified platform, seamlessly connected by a pallet changer that autonomously moves components between processes.
Interns at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Internet of Things lab gained practical experience that will inform careers in cybersecurity while contributing to ORNL research aimed at protecting consumers and critical infrastructure.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s National Security Sciences Directorate focused on the science in national security during its annual National Security Science Week, held July 15-17, 2025
Carlen Walth of the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been named a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Joel Brogan, who leads the Multimodal Sensor Analytics group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elevated to senior membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
On Feb. 15, 2024, the one billionth item, also known as an “occupancy,” was scanned at the Port of Aqaba, Jordan, one of the early sites where radiation detection equipment was installed. This milestone shows the extent of countries committed to preventing the spread of radioactive material through the amount of data volunteered to ORNL for continuous improvement. As adversaries push the limits of smuggling dangerous material, this collaboration pushes back through science-backed analysis.
The National Security Sciences Directorate within the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has signed a memoranda of understanding with Jackson State University and with Tennessee Tech University. The MOUs detail ORNL’s intention to work with each university to enhance research and educational opportunities in nuclear science and engineering.