KNOXVILLE—Nuclear Engineering Professor Richard Wood of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Tickle College of Engineering has been selected as a 2017 fellow of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), one of the highest honors a nuclear engineer can achieve.

Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering Jamie Coble is also being honored with the society’s early career award for her work with nuclear safety.

Given in response for what the group called his “significant contributions to nuclear engineering,” Wood’s award will be presented during the ANS annual conference in San Francisco June 11-15.

“We are extremely happy for Richard and for this recognition of his years of innovative work,” said Wes Hines, head of the department. “His selection is validation of the contributions he has made to the field, to our department, and to our university.”

As part of his recognition, the ANS pointed out that Woods alone is responsible for having developed or revised one-third of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s codes and guides.

The society also noted Wood’s expertise in international reviews of nuclear safety as a major reason for his induction.

“Being inducted into the ANS as a fellow is very gratifying, both personally and professionally,” said Wood. “It’s a great reflection on the work we do here and with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and demonstrates a recognition by the nuclear power community of the significance of our research.”

Woods is the fifth faculty member in the department to be named an ANS Fellow, along with Hines, Chancellor’s Professor and Robert M. Condra Professor Lawrence Townsend, Professor Belle Upadhyaya, and UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Nuclear Materials Steven Zinkle. Several part-time and emeritus faculty members also hold the distinction.

For Coble, the ANS noted that her work with monitoring and diagnosing equipment related to nuclear energy made her a “perfect fit” for the HFICD Ted Quinn Early Career Award, named in honor of an expert in nuclear instrumentation. 

The ANS was founded in 1954 as a nonprofit entity with the goal of promoting nuclear science and technology. It now includes 11,000 members representing 1,600 universities, research centers and businesses.