Kathryn McCarthy, an alumna from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, has been named director of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL).

Kathryn McCarthy

In an announcement made April 28, James Lake, Nuclear Energy associate laboratory director, said McCarthy's "expertise, leadership and background make her an excellent choice for this important position."

McCarthy now directs a team that focuses on research and development in nuclear systems analysis and design, fusion, reactor and radiation physics, thermal fluids, and nuclear fuels and materials.

McCarthy received her PhD in nuclear engineering at UCLA in 1989 after completing her thesis on Liquid Metal MHD in Fusion. Mohamed Abdou, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is McCarthy's former advisor and director of the Fusion Science and Technology Center at UCLA.

Last year, McCarthy was elected to the American Nuclear Society's (ANS) board of directors. She received the ANS Women's Achievement Award in 2000 for "outstanding personal dedication and technical achievement by a woman for work she performed in the fields of nuclear science, nuclear engineering, research and education." Last year she also served as chair of the Idaho section of ANS.

McCarthy joined the INEEL in 1991 after graduating from UCLA. Her work in the INEEL Fusion Safety Program focused on examining the behavior of materials in the plasma-facing components of proposed fusion reactors. She also led a number of important experimental projects that have contributed to an understanding of the consequences of fusion reactor accidents.

In 1994, she received the Fusion Power Associates Board of Directors' Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award for her "very important contributions to fusion safety engineering and in recognition of impressive leadership qualities."

In 1996, she received the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Program Certificate of Merit for outstanding technical excellence and leadership in ITER Safety Research and Development.