Faculty Updates
Faculty Highlights
Three NEEP faculty receive tenure
The University of Wisconsin Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics is proud to announce that three faculty members received tenure, recognizing their excellence in teaching, innovative research, and dedicated service to the University and the global scientific community.
Pioneering women in fusion: Adelle Wright co-authors a modern introduction to stellarator theory
Assistant Professor Adelle Wright published An Introduction to Stellarators: From Magnetic Fields to Symmetries and Optimization. The book, co-authored with her colleagues Lise-Marie Imbert-Gérard and Elizabeth J. Paul, provides the first modern introduction to stellarator theory.
Badger engineers selected for Nuclear News’ 40 Under 40 list
Nuclear News, the flagship publication of the American Nuclear Society, has named Ben Lindley, an assistant professor of nuclear engineering and engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and alumni Grace Stanke, Kathryn Huff, Erik Nygaard and Kevin Field to its inaugural 40 Under 40 list.
Couet leads material discovery panel during U.S. DOE roundtable
Professor Adrien Couet served as a panel lead in the “Foundational Science to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Innovation” roundtable hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences in July 2022. A report summarizing the roundtable discussions and their implications was published in December 2024.
Diem honored as an opportunity advancer
On March 13, 2025, Dean Ian Robertson held an event to recognize engineering faculty and staff for outstanding contributions. Stephanie Diem, an assistant professor of nuclear engineering and engineering physics, received the Inclusive Excellence in Engineering Award.
Focus on new faculty: Charles Hirst enables better materials for fission and fusion reactors
While studying materials science at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, Charles Hirst had an a-ha moment that led him on a path to investigating nuclear materials for both fission and fusion reactors.
Charles Hirst named Steven J. and Teresa M. Zinkle Nuclear Materials Assistant Professor
The College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has appointed Charles Hirst as the Steven J. and Teresa M. Zinkle Nuclear Materials Assistant Professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics.
Sridharan named to Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship
Professor Kumar Sridharan was named to a prestigious Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship, an award recognizing outstanding teaching and scholarship.
Diem and Duarte named 2025 Kavli Fellows
Associate Professor Juliana Pacheco Duarte and Assistant Professor Steffi Diem have been selected by the National Academy of Sciences to be 2025 Kavli Fellows, young scientists recognized for their exceptional research contributions.