ORNL’s John Wagner receives E.O. Lawrence Award

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher John Wagner has been named a 2013 recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for his work in advancing computer, information, and knowledge sciences.

Wagner, a nuclear engineer who serves as national technical director for DOE’s Nuclear Fuels Storage and Transportation Planning Project, was recognized for his leadership in the field of computational radiation transport.

“The Lawrence Award recipients announced today have made significant contributions to the national, economic and energy security of the United States—strengthening U.S. leadership in discovery and innovation,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “I congratulate the winners and thank them for their work on behalf of the Department of Energy and the nation.”

A new computational approach developed by Wagner to analyze radiation transport has contributed to advancements in DOE’s nuclear energy and national security missions, including efforts in criticality safety, radiation shielding, and nuclear reactor analysis.

“John’s recognition by the Department of Energy is extremely well deserved,” said ORNL Director Thom Mason. “His achievements in the field of computational radiation transport analysis represent the depth of expertise and knowledge the national laboratories apply to critical research areas.”

Wagner’s award cites his efforts in the “groundbreaking theory and development of consistent, accurate, and efficient Monte Carlo computational solutions of the Boltzmann transport equation over the complete domain, and for its broad application to complex real world radiation transport problems.”

He is a fellow of the American Nuclear Society and has authored or co-authored more than 140 publications. He earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in nuclear engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor’s from Missouri University of Science and Technology.

He lives in Knoxville with his wife Stephanie and six children: Victoria, Jack, Luke, Elizabeth, Johnny, and Eric.

The Lawrence Award honors the memory of Nobel Laureate Ernest Orlando Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron. The six recipients will receive a medal and $20,000 honorarium at a Washington, D.C. ceremony later this year. For more information, visit http://science.energy.gov/lawrence/.