AIKEN, S.C. - Tracy S. Rudisill, a chemical engineer at EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), has received the 2017 Glenn T. Seaborg Actinide Separations Award.
Given by the governing board of the Actinide Separations Conference, the award recognizes a U.S. scientist or engineer who has made outstanding and lasting contributions to the development and application of actinide separations processes and methodology. Rudisill is the fifth SRNL staff member to receive the award.
Rudisill was honored for his three decades of experience in research and development in uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium, and curium processing. His many contributions in the area of processing of nuclear materials include developing flowsheets for plutonium metal finishing, scrap recovery, the dissolution of plutonium materials, and the recovery of highly enriched uranium from research reactor fuels.
“I am very honored to receive this award and to be associated with the group of people who have won the Seaborg Award," said Rudisill. “Winning the Seaborg Award is a reflection of the quality of the separations and nuclear material process developments that take place at Savannah River National Lab."
Rudisill serves as an advisory engineer in the Separations and Actinide Science Program in the lab’s Environmental Stewardship Directorate, leading a team of engineers and scientists to develop flowsheets for the dissolution of used nuclear fuels and other materials.
He is actively involved in mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers, ensuring the laboratory will continue providing expertise to the DOE complex.
“My career has been one continuous learning experience," said Rudisill. “I encourage the younger employees that I work with, that are interested in actinide separations, to be inquisitive about things they do not know or understand."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
