Speaker Bio

Rory Kennedy is the director of the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) and director of the INL Glenn T. Seaborg Institute providing strategic direction and leadership of the program’s priorities, policies, and initiatives. He previously served as the National Technical Lead for Metallic Fuels Technologies Development within the Advanced Fuels Campaign of the Department of Energy’s Fuel Cycle Research and Development program. In this role, he performed strategic planning and business collaborations with commercial and international partners resulting in several international collaborations such as with the Republic of Korea, the European Union, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – Nuclear Energy Agency. Kennedy also served as the department manager of the Fundamental Fuel Properties Department overseeing up to 25 employees and developing and implementing department goals, objectives, and investments. Prior to this, Kennedy led the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Properties and Characterization Group, directing and coordinating programmatic activities and leading several International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (INERI) projects. Kennedy began working for INL, then Argonne National Laboratory West, in 1996 as a staff chemist after receiving his doctorate in inorganic chemistry and master of science in chemistry from Northwestern University and a bachelor of science in chemistry from Colorado State University and seven years at the Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State Research in Germany. Kennedy has extensive experience in inorganic chemistry, materials science, properties of materials, and program management, authoring 42peer-reviewed publications, 33 conference proceedings, and 59 internal and external documents and technical reports. He has received several awards, including an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship, an Argonne National Laboratory Director’s Award, two Argonne National Laboratory Pacesetter Awards, an INL Exceptional Contribution Award, and a fellow of the American Nuclear Society.​