ACADEMIA
U.S. ITER Project Completes Management Team
A team of scientists and engineers has been chosen to manage the United States' role in a multinational project to harness the power of fusion, the project manager announced Monday. 
Completing a process that began October 1, 2005, the 12-member contractor team will manage the U.S. contribution to ITER. ITER is a global initiative to build the world's most advanced magnetic fusion experimental facility, said Ned Sauthoff, head of the U.S. ITER Project Office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "This team will help chart the nation's course for one of the largest energy-science projects in history," Sauthoff said. "Each member brings the outstanding technical abilities, strong management skills and experience, and the determination needed to make ITER a success. With these appointments, we are off to a great start." ITER, Latin for "the way," is an international experiment to hasten the demonstration of the feasibility of power from fusion -- the process which heats the sun and stars. The goal of fusion research, including ITER, is to develop the knowledge base needed for an economically attractive fusion energy source. The U.S. ITER project team members are: Dr. Ned Sauthoff, Project Manager, who has joined ORNL after completing
a distinguished career at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, where he
served as U.S. ITER's planning officer for 18 months before becoming US
ITER Project Manager in February. A leading coordinator of international
fusion research activities, he headed PPPL's Offsite Research
Department, which supports fusion research collaborations around the
world. He is a former president of the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers-USA. * Mr. Carl Strawbridge, Deputy Project Manager, of ORNL, who served as
Deputy Project Manager for the Department of Energy's $1.4 billion
Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL. His over 25 years of technical
project management and industrial engineering experience includes top
leadership positions in several US Navy nuclear-capable shipyards. * Mr. Brad Nelson, Engineering Manager, of ORNL, group leader in Fusion
Energy Division and principal developer for projects such as the
Quasi-Poloidal Stellarator at ORNL; the High Power Prototype antenna for
the Joint European Torus; and the National Compact Stellarator
Experiment at ORNL and PPPL. * Mr. Jeff Geouque, Project Procurement Director, of ORNL, currently the
manager for the SNS procurement group and worked on international
agreements in technology transfer at Argonne National Laboratory. * Dr. John Miller, Magnet Systems Team Leader, who has returned to ORNL
from Florida State University, where he directed the construction of
the $12 million 45-Tesla Hybrid Magnet System, the highest steady state
magnetic field in the world for research, at the National High Magnetic
Field Laboratory. He also was director of the lab's Magnet Science and
Technology Department. * Ms. Jan Berry, Cooling Water Systems Team Leader, of ORNL, a senior
engineer and program manager in the Engineering Science and Technology
Division, who has managed large industrial contracts, complex projects,
and multi-disciplinary teams in development of prototype thermal
energy recovery and electricity generation systems. * Mr. Charles Neumeyer, Electric Power Systems Team Leader, of Princeton
Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) who was project engineering manager of
the National Spherical Torus Experiment at PPPL, a $25M project for
fusion energy research . * Dr. Dave Johnson, Diagnostics Team Leader, of PPPL, who has served as
Division Head of Diagnostic Development for PPPL experimental activities
in fusion facilities around the world, and also managed diagnostic
development for the National Spherical Torus Experiment and led
diagnostics planning for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment,
also at PPPL. He is the coordinator for US participation in diagnostic
work in the International Tokamak Physics Activity. * Mr. Mike Hechler, Blanket Shielding and Port Limiter Systems Team
Leader, of ORNL, most recently senior engineer for the SNS Accelerator
Systems Division, responsible for the design integration and
installation of proton accelerator systems. He also designed the high
energy particle detector subsystem for the DOE's Superconducting Super
Collider. * Dr. Dave Rasmussen, Vacuum Pumping and Fueling, Ion and Electron
Cyclotron Systems Team Leader, of ORNL, group leader of the Plasma
Applications and Technology Group in the Fusion Energy Division.
Rasmussen is a leader in U.S. projects for plasma heating, including
experiments at Japan's National Institute for Fusion Science and
Germany's Max Plank Institute for Plasma Physics. * Mr. Don Green, Tritium Plant Exhaust Processing Manager, of Savannah
River National Laboratory (SRNL) currently Director of Engineered
Equipment and Systems at SRNL and has led development of equipment in
robotics, computer modeling, electrical instrumentation and other areas.
He was Chief Engineer for Tritium Facilities at Westinghouse Savannah
River Company, where he oversaw enrichment, processing and compression
of gaseous tritium. * Ms. Suzanne Herron, Project Controls Manager, of ORNL, who most
recently was Project Management Controls and Information Systems Manager
for the SNS, playing a vital role in keeping the SNS project -- a
collaboration of six national laboratories -- on schedule and on budget.
She also headed the SNS Records Management and Document Control Program,
overseeing computer software systems to support SNS business and
technical data. As US ITER Project Manager for UT-Battelle, Sauthoff will direct all non-governmental aspects of U.S. involvement with the international ITER project, include securing technical assistance from within U.S. fusion community labs, universities and industries; procuring and shipping U.S. hardware contributions; arranging for U.S. personnel to work abroad at
the ITER site; and representing the U.S. to the international ITER organization on construction and preparation for ITER operations. On February 1, 2006, the DOE announced the move from PPPL to ORNL to optimize the roles of the two DOE national labs and allow the project to take better advantage of project management experience gained by ORNL in construction of the SNS. Officially completed in May, SNS is the world's premier neutron scattering facility and reestablishes U.S. leadership in the next generation of materials research. Project management teams also are being named for the six other ITER partners: China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, and the Russian Federation. The project is to be located in the European Union site at Cadarache, France. Construction of the ITER facility is expected to begin in 2008 and be operational in 2016, enabling fusion research on burning plasma physics and technology for up to 20 years.
Completing a process that began October 1, 2005, the 12-member contractor team will manage the U.S. contribution to ITER. ITER is a global initiative to build the world's most advanced magnetic fusion experimental facility, said Ned Sauthoff, head of the U.S. ITER Project Office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "This team will help chart the nation's course for one of the largest energy-science projects in history," Sauthoff said. "Each member brings the outstanding technical abilities, strong management skills and experience, and the determination needed to make ITER a success. With these appointments, we are off to a great start." ITER, Latin for "the way," is an international experiment to hasten the demonstration of the feasibility of power from fusion -- the process which heats the sun and stars. The goal of fusion research, including ITER, is to develop the knowledge base needed for an economically attractive fusion energy source. The U.S. ITER project team members are: Dr. Ned Sauthoff, Project Manager, who has joined ORNL after completing
a distinguished career at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, where he
served as U.S. ITER's planning officer for 18 months before becoming US
ITER Project Manager in February. A leading coordinator of international
fusion research activities, he headed PPPL's Offsite Research
Department, which supports fusion research collaborations around the
world. He is a former president of the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers-USA. * Mr. Carl Strawbridge, Deputy Project Manager, of ORNL, who served as
Deputy Project Manager for the Department of Energy's $1.4 billion
Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL. His over 25 years of technical
project management and industrial engineering experience includes top
leadership positions in several US Navy nuclear-capable shipyards. * Mr. Brad Nelson, Engineering Manager, of ORNL, group leader in Fusion
Energy Division and principal developer for projects such as the
Quasi-Poloidal Stellarator at ORNL; the High Power Prototype antenna for
the Joint European Torus; and the National Compact Stellarator
Experiment at ORNL and PPPL. * Mr. Jeff Geouque, Project Procurement Director, of ORNL, currently the
manager for the SNS procurement group and worked on international
agreements in technology transfer at Argonne National Laboratory. * Dr. John Miller, Magnet Systems Team Leader, who has returned to ORNL
from Florida State University, where he directed the construction of
the $12 million 45-Tesla Hybrid Magnet System, the highest steady state
magnetic field in the world for research, at the National High Magnetic
Field Laboratory. He also was director of the lab's Magnet Science and
Technology Department. * Ms. Jan Berry, Cooling Water Systems Team Leader, of ORNL, a senior
engineer and program manager in the Engineering Science and Technology
Division, who has managed large industrial contracts, complex projects,
and multi-disciplinary teams in development of prototype thermal
energy recovery and electricity generation systems. * Mr. Charles Neumeyer, Electric Power Systems Team Leader, of Princeton
Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) who was project engineering manager of
the National Spherical Torus Experiment at PPPL, a $25M project for
fusion energy research . * Dr. Dave Johnson, Diagnostics Team Leader, of PPPL, who has served as
Division Head of Diagnostic Development for PPPL experimental activities
in fusion facilities around the world, and also managed diagnostic
development for the National Spherical Torus Experiment and led
diagnostics planning for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment,
also at PPPL. He is the coordinator for US participation in diagnostic
work in the International Tokamak Physics Activity. * Mr. Mike Hechler, Blanket Shielding and Port Limiter Systems Team
Leader, of ORNL, most recently senior engineer for the SNS Accelerator
Systems Division, responsible for the design integration and
installation of proton accelerator systems. He also designed the high
energy particle detector subsystem for the DOE's Superconducting Super
Collider. * Dr. Dave Rasmussen, Vacuum Pumping and Fueling, Ion and Electron
Cyclotron Systems Team Leader, of ORNL, group leader of the Plasma
Applications and Technology Group in the Fusion Energy Division.
Rasmussen is a leader in U.S. projects for plasma heating, including
experiments at Japan's National Institute for Fusion Science and
Germany's Max Plank Institute for Plasma Physics. * Mr. Don Green, Tritium Plant Exhaust Processing Manager, of Savannah
River National Laboratory (SRNL) currently Director of Engineered
Equipment and Systems at SRNL and has led development of equipment in
robotics, computer modeling, electrical instrumentation and other areas.
He was Chief Engineer for Tritium Facilities at Westinghouse Savannah
River Company, where he oversaw enrichment, processing and compression
of gaseous tritium. * Ms. Suzanne Herron, Project Controls Manager, of ORNL, who most
recently was Project Management Controls and Information Systems Manager
for the SNS, playing a vital role in keeping the SNS project -- a
collaboration of six national laboratories -- on schedule and on budget.
She also headed the SNS Records Management and Document Control Program,
overseeing computer software systems to support SNS business and
technical data. As US ITER Project Manager for UT-Battelle, Sauthoff will direct all non-governmental aspects of U.S. involvement with the international ITER project, include securing technical assistance from within U.S. fusion community labs, universities and industries; procuring and shipping U.S. hardware contributions; arranging for U.S. personnel to work abroad at
the ITER site; and representing the U.S. to the international ITER organization on construction and preparation for ITER operations. On February 1, 2006, the DOE announced the move from PPPL to ORNL to optimize the roles of the two DOE national labs and allow the project to take better advantage of project management experience gained by ORNL in construction of the SNS. Officially completed in May, SNS is the world's premier neutron scattering facility and reestablishes U.S. leadership in the next generation of materials research. Project management teams also are being named for the six other ITER partners: China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, and the Russian Federation. The project is to be located in the European Union site at Cadarache, France. Construction of the ITER facility is expected to begin in 2008 and be operational in 2016, enabling fusion research on burning plasma physics and technology for up to 20 years.