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Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel (2003)

Chapter: Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
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Appendix B Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

WM. HOWARD ARNOLD (NAE) (Chair) retired as general manager of the Advanced Energy Systems Division of Westinghouse Electric Company. His primary areas of expertise include nuclear power, fuel, and waste disposal. He has designed nuclear reactor cores for civilian power reactors, for space power and propulsion, and for production of nuclear materials. He has managed multidisciplinary groups of engineers and scientists working in reactor core design and led work that promoted the use of centrifuge technology in uranium enrichment. As vice president of Westinghouse Hanford Company, he was responsible for engineering, development, and project management at the Hanford Site from 1986 to 1989. Recently Dr. Arnold has been involved in an advisory capacity in the cleanup of Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons material production sites, especially in the vitrification plant at the Savannah River Site. He received his A.B. in 1951 from Cornell University, his M.A. in 1953, and his Ph.D. in physics in 1955, both from Princeton University.

GREGORY B. COTTEN is an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. His expertise is in chemical separations and waste processing. He has seven years of experience as a project engineer and manager at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. He also served for six years as a submarine officer during which he qualified as engineering officer of the watch on pressurized water reactor plants. He is a member of the American Nuclear Society and the National Society of Professional Engineers. He received the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year award in 2000. Dr. Cotten is author or co-author of about 25 publications. He received his Ph.D. (2000), and M.E.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×

(1997), degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Idaho. His B.S. degree (1987) is from the U.S. Naval Academy.

KATHRYN B. HIGLEY is an associate professor of radiation health physics in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Oregon State University. Her expertise is in assessing the effects of radiation on humans and in the environment, nuclear emergency response planning, and environmental regulations. She has three years experience in environmental radiation monitoring at Trojan Nuclear Power Plant and 14 years with Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories as an environmental health physicist. She has been a consultant to DOE’s Office of Environment, Safety and Health, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory. She was president of the Health Physics Society environmental section (1998-1999), and has served on National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements subcommittees and as a member of the American Board on Health Physics panel of examiners. She is a certified health physicist, member of the Health Physics Society, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and BIOMOVs II (Biospheric Model Validation Study). Dr. Higley received her Ph.D. (1994) and M.S. (1992) degrees in radiological health sciences from Colorado State University, and her B.A. degree in radiochemistry (1978) from Reed College.

LINN W. HOBBS is professor of materials science and professor of nuclear engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was the inaugural holder of the John F. Elliott Chair of Materials. His expertise is in characterization, using electron microscopy, diffraction methods, and computer simulation, of atomic and extended defect structures and microstructures that are introduced within inorganic materials by radiation or chemically driven compositional change. He has authored over 200 journal articles and eleven book chapters, and authored or edited seven books. Dr. Hobbs has a longstanding research interest in the use of glass and crystalline wasteforms for storage of radioactive nuclear waste, served on the NRC Committee on Long-Term Research Needs for Radioactive High-Level Waste at DOE Sites, and is the principal organizer for the Engineering Conferences International (ECI) international conference on Alternative Nuclear Wasteforms to be held in January 2004. He is a fellow and director of the American Ceramic Society, a former president of the Microscopy Society of America, and a former councilor of the Materials Research Society. He chaired the British Marshall Scholarships northeast regional selection committee for 13 years, and serves on the Truman Scholarships selection committee. Dr. Hobbs received his B.Sc. in materials science from Northwestern University and his D.Phil. in science of materials from

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×

Oxford University. He was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2001.

DONALD A. ORTH is an independent consultant following his retirement as a departmental fellow, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., and consulting scientist, Westinghouse Savannah River Co. During his 40-year career he did basic work on development, design, and operation of processes and facilities for nuclear materials production. This included production of plutonium, californium, other transplutonium elements, and uranium and thorium isotopes. After retirement, he has participated in site visits to review Russian transplutonium element production and utilization programs as well as annual reviews of the Argonne National Laboratory program on electromechanical treatment of spent nuclear fuels. He received the Glenn T. Seaborg Award in actinide separations in 1990. Upon his retirement in 1992, the Westinghouse Savannah River Company created the Donald A. Orth award for technical excellence, which is presented annually. Dr. Orth received his B.S degree in 1948 and his Ph.D. degree in 1951, both in chemistry, from the University of California, Berkeley.

IRVIN OSBORNE-LEE is an associate professor and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Prairie View A&M University. Previously he spent 13 years in the Chemical Technology Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His expertise is in developing disposition pathways and treatment methods for problematic wastes. He has authored or co-authored about 50 papers in this area. He is also committed to positively impacting society through academic enterprise: educating and empowering students, motivating and inspiring faculty, and building key research programs. His honors and awards include the 2001 Appreciation Award of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Service to Society Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), in which he has held a number of positions. Dr. Osborne-Lee is a member of the AIChE, National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, Sigma Xi, and the National Council of Black Engineers and Scientists. He received his Ph.D., M.E., and B.S. degrees from the University of Texas, Austin, in 1985, 1983, and 1979, respectively, all in chemical engineering.

MARK T. PAFFETT is a New Mexico native who has been at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) since 1983. He began as a post-doctoral fellow in E and CHM divisions working under the supervision of Dr. Charles T. Campbell. He matriculated from the University of New Mexico in 1978 with a B.S. in chemistry (with honors) and Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1983. In the

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×

ensuing years his research endeavors have included fuel cell electro-catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, surface science, and analytical chemistry. Dr. Paffett is the surface science team leader in Chemistry-Spectroscopy and Inorganic Chemistry and project leader for the 94-1 Program. His current research thrusts include fundamental and pro-grammatic research on surface radiolytic and thermal processes over surfaces of importance to LANL. These studies have included in situ studies using IR spectroscopy, gas-phase catalytic measurements of actinide materials, a variety of thermal experimental surface science studies, and chemical kinetic modeling studies of chemistry initiated by surface radiolytic processes. In addition, he has built and maintains extensive analytical surface capabilities that include XPS, SIMS, SNMS, AES, and IR techniques (many of these coupled via load locks to high pressure or specialized microreactors). He has published over 85 refereed publications and has been cited over 1,900 times.

DALE L. PERRY is a senior scientist in chemistry at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California. His expertise is in the chemistry and synthesis of inorganic systems, including those of actinides, lanthanides, and transition metal ions. He has served on several DOE panels related to instrumentation needs in actinides and heavy metals in the environment, including the Fernald Uranium Production Facility Panel for Closure Characterization. He has acted as adviser to DOE and other federal agencies in chemistry and materials chemistry as they relate to national security issues. He is the author and co-author of over 300 refereed journal publications, book chapters, and presentations. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, Materials Research Society, the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. In 2002, he received a DOE Outstanding Mentor Award for his work related to his involving students in research. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was the 1997 National Chairman for the Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society. Dr. Perry received his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Houston in 1974.

PER F. PETERSON is professor and chair of nuclear engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His expertise is in energy and environmental systems, including passive reactor safety systems, inertial fusion energy, and nuclear materials management. He worked at Bechtel on high-level radioactive waste processing from 1982 to 1985. He was a fellow at the Tokyo Institute of Technology from 1989 to 1990 and a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investiga-

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×

tor from 1990 to 1995. He is past chairman of the Thermal Hydraulics Division of the American Nuclear Society (1996-1997) and has served as editor for three journals. He is the author of over 60 archival journal articles and over 60 conference publications. He received his Ph.D. (1988) and M.S. (1986) degrees in mechanical engineering the University of California, Berkeley. His B.S. degree (1982), also in mechanical engineering, is from the University of Nevada, Reno.

STEVEN M. THORNBERG is a staff member at Sandia National Laboratories. His expertise is in developing analytical standards and quality assurance methods for nuclear weapons stockpile surveillance. Recently his work has focused on the analysis of gases produced by materials aging and radiolysis as well as pressure, vacuum, and leak rate measurement of containers for storing materials and fissile isotopes in the DOE weapons stockpile stewardship program. He has participated in several DOE audits, including a sitewide Environmental Health and Safety “tiger team” audit in 1989-1990, the “red team” audit of the Hanford tank farms in 1992, and audits of analytical standards laboratories at several sites. Dr. Thornberg received his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, in 1984, and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Western State College, Gunnison, Colorado, in 1980.

ROBERT W. YOUNGBLOOD is vice president and chief technical officer of the Nuclear Systems Analysis Division of Information Systems Laboratories, Inc. His areas of expertise are probabilistic risk analysis and reliability analysis. Dr. Youngblood has worked extensively with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including assignments as principal investigator in developing an approach to performance-based regulation and as task leader in assessing options for improved regulation of by-product materials systems. For DOE, he served on a panel to recommend responses to concerns raised by the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board, and he was principal investigator for a project to develop and prescribe methods and assumptions for analysis of radiological accidents at a high-level waste facility. He has developed software to support risk analysis and applications of risk analysis. Dr. Youngblood received his Ph.D. (1976) and M.S. (1970) degrees from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and his B.A. degree from Reed College (1968), all in physics.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×
Page 102
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×
Page 103
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×
Page 104
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×
Page 105
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10684.
×
Page 106
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The production of nuclear materials for the national defense was an intense, nationwide effort that began with the Manhattan Project and continued throughout the Cold War. Now many of these product materials, by-products, and precursors, such as irradiated nuclear fuels and targets, have been declared as excess by the Department of Energy (DOE). Most of this excess inventory has been, or will be, turned over to DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM), which is responsible for cleaning up the former production sites. Recognizing the scientific and technical challenges facing EM, Congress in 1995 established the EM Science Program (EMSP) to develop and fund directed, long-term research that could substantially enhance the knowledge base available for new cleanup technologies and decision making.

The EMSP has previously asked the National Academies' National Research Council for advice for developing research agendas in subsurface contamination, facility deactivation and decommissioning, high-level waste, and mixed and transuranic waste. For this study the committee was tasked to provide recommendations for a research agenda to improve the scientific basis for DOE's management of its high-cost, high-volume, or high-risk excess nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuels. To address its task, the committee focused its attention on DOE's excess plutonium-239, spent nuclear fuels, cesium-137 and strontium-90 capsules, depleted uranium, and higher actinide isotopes.

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