An Oak Ridge National Laboratory division director was recently recognized by a prestigious engineering standards group.
ORNL Buildings Transportation Science Division Director Robert Wagner received SAE International's 2023 Medal of Honor, according to an April 21 ORNL news release. The award ceremony was held in Detroit, Mich.
“I am pleased to see that SAE has recognized Robert for his contributions to advancing transportation research, both nationally and internationally," Xin Sun, associate laboratory director ORNL's Energy Science and Technology Directorate, said in the news release. "His leadership at ORNL has been instrumental to maintaining the laboratory’s reputation as a leader in transportation and mobility research and development.”
Wagner received the award "for his dedication and support of the organization's mission of advancing mobility solutions," the release said, adding the award "is the most prestigious award that the automotive engineering society annually bestows upon one of its more than 128,000 members for individual achievement."
Wagner has been recognized for more than two decades in the industry as a leader in transportation research and initiatives at ORNL, the release said. He has been highly respected for scientific leadership, strategic planning, mentorship and collaborative efforts.
His work often includes partners from the U.S. Department of Energy, other national laboratories, academia and from throughout the industry, according to the release. Wagner oversees two DOE user facilities — the National Transportation Research Center and the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center.
Wagner, an SAE champion since the late 1990s, also founded, organized or chaired more than 20 SAE International symposiums, panels and conferences, the release reported. In 2011, a time of significant and rapid engineering technologies breakthroughs, Wager co-founded the High Efficiency Internal Combustion Engine Symposium "and helped develop it into a premier global transportation event."
More recently, he recognized the importance of having a neutral forum setting for a diverse group stakeholders to discuss ideas on net-zero carbon fuels in transportation research, according to the release. This led to a number of symposiums focused on net-zero initiatives and the interface with engines and fuel.
