Outstanding Nuclear Engineers

2023

Han Gyu Joo

Han Gyu Joo

Ph.D 1996
President, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI)

Dr. Han Gyu Joo has been serving as the President of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) since December last year. He is on leave from his professorship at Seoul National University where he had served as a Professor of Nuclear Engineering for 18 years. He got his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue in 1996. Before being admitted to the School of Nuclear Engineering in 1993, he worked on the nuclear design of the YGN 3&4 nuclear power plants in Korea for 7 years as a KAERI engineer. For this work, he was trained at Combustion Engineering, Inc. for 2 years from 1986 during which he learned how to use various neutronics codes. During his 4 and half year stay at Purdue including the postdoc period, he studied the methods needed for developing codes and he wrote the initial version of the PARCS (Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator) code which is now being used worldwide through the NRC framework. After returning to KAERI, he led the development of a Numerical Nuclear Reactor based on the DeCART direct whole core calculation code. After moving to SNU in 2004, he broadened his expertise in computational reactor physics and developed many neutronics codes as well as a core thermal hydraulics code with his students. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society in 2015. He is also an inducted member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea.

2020

Robert Webster

PhD 1988
MS 1986
 
Dr. Robert (Bob) Webster is the (LANL), which is operated by Triad National Security for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Admiration (NNSA). 
 
As the deputy Laboratory director for Weapons, Webster has direct line management responsibility for planning, coordinating, and integrating the Weapons program, particularly for the directorates of Weapons Engineering, Weapons Design, Weapons Production, and Plutonium Infrastructure.
 
Webster is a 35-year veteran of the Weapons program at Los Alamos, and he is a recognized leader in stockpile stewardship. During Webster’s tenure, Weapons programs have consistently made significant contributions to LANL and NNSA missions. Webster is responsible for the strategic leadership, management, planning, and execution of the nuclear weapons program at Los Alamos to meet the primary mission of ensuring the safety, reliability, and performance of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.
 
Webster provides the Laboratory’s primary interface for the nuclear weapons program and plans and coordinates interactions with key customers in the NNSA, Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.
 
He is also responsible for the development and implementation of institutional plans and
programs that meet or exceed LANL’s contractual requirements and performance measures, as well as for ensuring compliance with all state and federal laws.
 
Until November 2018, Webster served as the Laboratory’s principal associate director for Weapons programs. In this role, he integrated and delivered key capabilities of three associate directorates—Plutonium Science and Manufacturing, Weapons Physics, and Weapons Experiments—as well as several offices and programs. 
 
From April 2012 through June 2015, Webster served as the associate director for Weapons Physics at the Laboratory. As such, he provided leadership for two divisions and was responsible for execution and integration of the Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program, the Science Campaigns, and the Inertial Confinement Fusion program.
 
In 2010, Webster served as deputy division leader for the Computational Physics division and as the ASC program director. In 2009, he served as LANL’s science advisor to NNSA’s deputy administrator for Defense Programs, participating in the Nuclear Posture Review.
 
Webster joined the Laboratory permanently in 1989 after coming to Los Alamos as a graduate student in 1984. He holds doctorate and master’s degrees in nuclear engineering from Purdue University. He earned a master’s in electrical engineering and applied physics from Case Western Reserve University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. 
 
 

2019

Timothy K. Hanley

Timothy K. Hanley

B.S. NE 1987
Senior Vice President, Operations Support Exelon Generation

Hanley is currently the Senior Vice President, Operations Support at Exelon Generation. He is responsible for the corporate functional areas that provide governance and oversight to the 23 reactors in the Exelon fleet. He is also the Chairman of the Executive Oversight Committee in BWR Owners Group and serves as a member of the Nuclear Engineering Advisory Board of Purdue University.

Prior to his current role, Hanley was Exelon Nuclear's operations lead on matters related to public policy issues associated with nuclear plant operations. He works closely with Exelon's Government & Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy group, providing his operational knowledge and expertise on various current and future public policy issues related to nuclear operations and the value of nuclear energy.

Previously, Hanley was Senior Vice President, West Operations. He was responsible for Exelon Generation's Dresden and Quad Cities stations and had executive oversight for the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, which Exelon operates but is owned by the Omaha Public Power District. Previously, he held the positions of Site Vice President at Quad Cities and Site Vice President and Plant Manager at Dresden. He also served as the director of engineering at Dresden and director of Midwest operations in Warrenville, Illinois. His career has mainly been spent in roles of increasing responsibility at Quad Cities.

Hanley received the BS degree in nuclear engineering from Purdue University in 1987. He also holds a master of business administration from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He obtained his senior reactor operator license at Quad Cities.

In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in nuclear industry, visionary leadership, and remarkable contributions to nuclear power engineering. The School of Nuclear Engineering is proud to present 2019 Outstanding Nuclear Engineers Award to Mr. Timothy Hanley.

2018

Paul L. Wattelet

PH.D. NE 1967
CEO, Emeritus, Sargent & Lundy, LLC

Dr. Wattelet is a CEO, Emeritus of Sargent & Lundy, a leading international power engineering consulting firm based in Chicago. After holding several executive management positions at Sargent & Lundy, Dr. Wattelet was appointed as CEO in 1996, where he served until retiring in 2005.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from The Illinois Institute of Technology in 1958 and a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University in 1967. Dr. Wattelet began his professional career as a Senior Engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation before joining Sargent & Lundy in 1972 as a supervisor. His impressive 30-year career at Sargent & Lundy demonstrates his technical expertise and visionary leadership. He has successfully led Sargent & Lundy into new business opportunities in nuclear, fossil fuel, and alternative energy plant projects. His inspiring perspective on business sustainability is captured in his book, Managing to Get it Done.

In 2002, Dr. Wattelet was awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award by Purdue College of Engineering for his outstanding technical and managerial accomplishments in nuclear power engineering. In 2009, Dr. Wattelet made a generous endowment gift to the School of Engineering and established Paul L. Wattelet Chair in Nuclear Engineering, the first named professorship in the School of Nuclear Engineering history endowed by an alumnus.

For his outstanding accomplishments, visionary leadership, and remarkable contributions to nuclear power engineering, The School of Nuclear Engineering is proud to present 2018 Outstanding Nuclear Engineers Award to Dr. Paul L. Wattelet.

2017

Terry L. Grimm

BSNE 1987
Founder, President, and Senior Scientist,
Niowave, Inc.

Dr. Terry L. Grimm received his Bachelor of Science degree with highest honors in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University in 1987. He then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his PhD in Nuclear Engineering and Plasma Physics. While working on his doctorate, he was a research assistant in the Coherent Electromagnetic Wave Generation Division of the Plasma Fusion Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), studying high-power, high-frequency microwave devices (gyrotrons) for electron cyclotron resonance heating of fusion plasmas.

Dr. Grimm was a senior physicist and adjunct professor at the Michigan State University (MSU) National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL). In early 2000, he established the Superconducting Radio Frequency group at NSCL and supervised construction of infrastructure to develop, fabricate, and test numerous superconducting cavities. Dr. Grimm’s research on superconducting particle accelerators for the Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) involved the supervision and guidance of 10 staff members and six PhD students. His work on RIA laid the foundation for the $500 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams project that was recently sited at MSU. Prior to his research with MSU, Dr. Grimm was a physicist at the Department of Energy’s Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory in Dallas, where he led a team that designed and tested the low-energy booster cavity and studied longitudinal beam dynamics.

In 2005, Dr. Grimm founded Niowave to commercialize superconducting electron linear accelerators in fields as diverse as health care and national security. It has grown to be a world industrial leader in superconducting accelerator research. In 2008, the firm qualified as the second U.S. vendor for accelerating cavities for the International Linear Collider. In 2009, Niowave became the first private company in the world to design, fabricate, and test a superconducting electron injector. Niowave has grown to 50 employees, and has received numerous awards, including being named among Michigan’s 50 Companies to Watch in 2008. In 2010, he received the IEEE Entrepreneurship Award in Applied Superconductivity.


Robert N. Hill

BSNE 1984
MSNE 1986
PhD 1987
Technical Director, Nuclear Energy R&D,
Argonne National Laboratory

Dr. Hill graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1984, a master’s degree in 1986, and a PhD in 1987, all in Nuclear Engineering.

Dr. Robert N. Hill is Technical Director of the Nuclear Engineering Division of Argonne National Laboratory. He has been Head of the Nuclear Systems Analysis Department with supervision of research groups working on reactor physics analysis, advanced modeling and simulation, fuel cycle and systems dynamics modeling, criticality safety, and nuclear data. He has worked at Argonne National Laboratory for the last 22 years with research focus on reactor physics, fast reactor core design, plutonium disposition, and waste management.

Dr. Hill is National Technical Director for multi-laboratory fast reactor R&D activities in current U.S. Department of Energy Programs; this work includes modeling and simulation, advanced structural materials, energy conversion technology, nuclear data, and system integration. He also serves as U.S. technical representative for the Generation-IV Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor. Previous Program contributions include extensive transmutation and fuel cycle analysis activities in the DOE Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative.


CAPT (USN Ret.) James F. McCarthy, Jr.

BSNE 1979
Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Integration of Capabilities and Resources,
Office of the Chief of Naval Operation

CAPT. McCarthy graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1979. He is also a distinguished graduate of the Air War College and has an MBA from Marymount College.

CAPT James F. McCarthy, Jr. is currently the Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, where he supervises Navy warfare requirements, allocates resources, plans programs, and ensures integration of planning, programming, budgeting, and assessments within OPNAV and the management echelons subordinate to CNO. He entered the Senior Executive Service after 28 years as a Navy nuclear trained surface warfare officer (SWO). He retired from active duty as a Captain. As an SES, CAPT McCarthy has served as the Deputy Director for Warfare Integration on the CNO’s staff, the U.S. Principal to the Maritime Theater Missile Defense Forum, and as the Chairman, NATO Naval Armaments Group.

His Naval service included command of Pre-Commissioning Unit DDG75 and then USS DONALD COOK (DDG 75). His major surface command was USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG 57) where he also served as the Air Warfare Commander for the STENNIS Battle Group.

His awards and honors include: Defense Superior Service Medal, Navy Superior Civilian Award, Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Legion of Merit, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, appointment into the Purdue University Old Master’s Program, and member of the Purdue University Tri-Service ROTC Hall of Fame. He also received the highest decoration in France, the National Order of the Legion of Honour at the rank of Chevalier (Knight) for the flawless performance of one's trade and exceeding ordinary expectations.