The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, continues to be number two in cumulative Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) awards. This year, two students received the award, bringing the university’s total SCGSR award recipients to 21 since the program began in 2014.
This year’s recipients are:
Davis Easley, doctoral candidate in nuclear energy at the Bredesen Center, will be working in the Fusion Energy Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with Ezekial Unterberg, leader of the Power Exhaust and Particle Control Group. In addition to this continuing collaboration, Easley will also work researchers at the W Environment in Steady-State Tokamak (WEST) in France, using virtual diagnostics to expand existing understandings of tungsten material migration in reactors.
“I am excited to be working alongside the world-leading fusion scientists at ORNL. DOE’s exemplification of high-caliber research and its commitment to fostering the next generation of scientists have had a profound impact shaping my early career,” said Easley.
Cameron Jorgensen, doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering in the Tickle College of Engineering, will work with Lisa Debeer-Schmitt, neutron scattering scientist at ORNL, to investigate neutron scattering of high entropy alloys (HEAs) at different temperatures. Jorgensen hopes this work will serve as a stepping stone to including HEAs in more common objects like turbines and vehicle engines.
“I feel extremely privileged and lucky,” said Jorgensen. “I would like to express gratitude to my advisor, Dustin Gilbert, and ORNL collaborator, Lisa Debeer-Schmitt, for helping me earn this award.”
Since its inception in 2014, the SCGSR program has awarded more than 700 graduate students from 150 universities. SCGSR awards provide supplemental funding for students currently pursuing PhDs and supports collaborations between students and DOE national laboratories, where students will conduct research and develop skills and proficiencies that will prepare them for future careers. Awarded students are expected to engage in research relevant to both the strategic interests of the Office of Science, and the student’s overall doctoral research.
Graduate students interested in applying to the SCGSR program may do so at the Office of Science website or contact UT’s Graduate School.