Brian Wirth

Brian Wirth is an authority in the ways materials behave in extreme environments. His research investigates the performance of nuclear fuels and structural materials in nuclear environments.

Wirth expects this research to lead to improved prediction of the longevity of nuclear reactor components and ultimately the development of high-performance, radiation-resistant materials for advanced nuclear fission and fusion energy applications.

Within the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL), the first US Department Of Energy Innovation Hub, Wirth leads the fuels, materials, and chemistry focus area, and serves as the grid-to-rod fretting challenge problem integrator.

In May 2015, Wirth was awarded the highest honor a US Department of Energy midcareer researcher can achieve when he received the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for his commitment to making nuclear energy safer and more secure.

Bio Pages

UT Knoxville

ORNL

In the News

January 2020 Predicting Tungsten’s Role in Powering the Future

November 2017 Wirth Named American Nuclear Society Fellow

November 2016 Four UT Researchers Named 2016 AAAS Fellows

April 2016 Wirth To Address University of Michigan Engineers

July 2015 Wirth Honored in Washington, DC

May 2015 Wirth Receives Top DOE Honor, Credits UT-ORNL Partnership

January 2015 Energy Department Announces Five-Year Renewal of Funding for First Energy Innovation Hub

October 2014 UT Nuclear Engineers Part of Three Grants Totaling $2.6 Million

March 2014 The New Yorker: A Star in a Bottle

September 2012 UT, ORNL Lead National Team to Study Materials Performance in Nuclear Fusion Reactors

February 2012 Governor’s Chair Brian Wirth Briefs Energy Secretary Chu

November 2011 Your Mileage May Vary

September 2011 Faculty News and Notes

March 2011 Wirth: Fukushima Opens Different Conversation about Nuclear Energy

Appointed

June 2010