NPRE alumnus Nolan Hertel has been selected for the 2018 Rockwell Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Nuclear Society Radiation Protection and Shielding Division.
Hertel, PhD 79, is a professor of Nuclear & Radiological Engineering at Georgia Tech. He serves as President of the Health Physics Society, of which he is a Fellow. The award cites him for achievements in radiation detection and shielding, computational dosimetry, neutron spectrometry and dosimetry, and radiological assessment, as well as his dedication to the education of students and his lifelong service to the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division of the ANS.
Hertel performs research that integrates computational radiation transport with radiation measurements. He has made contributions in computational dosimetry, radiation detection, neutron spectroscopy, radiation dosimetry, radiological assessment, radiation shielding and radiation instrument modeling.
He recently accepted a joint faculty appointment in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is currently the Acting Director of the Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge. The center was established by a memorandum of understanding between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and five federal agencies. The center is to serve as a common resource to assist the participating agencies in the development and application of radiation dosimetry and risk assessment methodologies based on the best available scientific information and to maintain and preserve U.S. expertise in radiation dosimetry.
Previously as the coordinator of the Georgia Tech Focused Research Program on Pioneer Research in Nuclear Detection, Hertel assembled a multidisciplinary group of researchers on the Georgia Tech campus which continues to address the nuclear detection needs for homeland security, nuclear nonproliferation verification and other related activities. His interests have included the improvement of existing instruments, the fabrication of new detector materials and their testing, and the use of both passive and active interrogation to determine the presence of illicit special nuclear materials or radioactive materials.
In addition, Hertel’s research group has performed neutron spectral and dosimetry measurements in support of different nuclear facilities ranging from PET cyclotrons to used nuclear fuel storage facilities to both research and power reactor facilities.
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