Undergraduate Fellows

Kara Krogh

As an undergraduate in the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium at North Carolina State University, I had the opportunity to participate in an internship at ORNL during the summer of 2024. I worked in the Radiation Effects and Microstructure Analysis Group with Dr. TS Byun on analyzing mechanical property data for additively manufactured stainless steel. This research allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of structural nuclear materials and the methods being used to improve them for use in advanced reactor systems. Throughout this internship I was also able to meet scientists both inside and outside of the group I worked in, which provided me with valuable insights into the range of research happening at ORNL. Without this internship, I would not have known about the variety of research and positions at ORNL or determined that pursuing research following graduation is the path I would like to take.

Markus Tam

My name is Markus Tam. I am a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Physics, B.S.) and an incoming graduate student at North Carolina State University (Physics, Ph.D.).

Over the summer of 2024, I interned in the ORNL Nuclear Nonproliferation Division in the Verification Technologies Group under Alex Enders. My research involved the investigation of a potential portable hybrid neutron-gamma radiation detector comprised of some combination of a sodium iodide scintillating detector with sheets of Gadolinium and polyethylene. While at ORNL, I was able to tour the SNS, HFIR, and MDF facilities to learn about the areas of cutting-edge research being advanced here, such as additive manufacturing, grid energy storage, and neutron-scattering-based materials testing. I was also able to hear from more senior staff members about their career paths and day-to-day work experiences.

Bernadette Brezinski - University of Tennessee (NSSC Fellow)

During the summer 2022, Bernadette interned in the ORNL Nuclear Nonproliferation Division working in the Signals Collection and Analysis Group under Dr. Heath Huckaby. During her internship, Bernadette was able to perform signal processing for nuclear non-proliferation applications. Her work included the development of python code and the development of interactive plotting programs to be able to plot different frequencies on a spectrogram. She was also able to attend a conference to network with vendors to learn more about emerging technologies within the nuclear community.