Anna Erickson

Background

Anna Erickson earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Nuclear Science and Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2008 and 2011, respectively. Her research is focused on bridging a critical gap between the reactor engineering and nuclear nonproliferation communities by integrating theoretical reactor analysis and design and experimental detection. Erickson is the Director of the Consortium for Enabling Technologies and Innovation, a $25M Consortium sponsored by DOE National Nuclear Security Administration and composed of twelve institutions of higher education and twelve national laboratories with an objective to create a research and education environment to support cross-cutting technologies across three core disciplines: the umbrella of (1) computer and engineering science research specifically in a form of machine learning and high performance computing will support and enhance (2) advanced manufacturing and (3) nuclear detection technologies. She is a co-author of Active Interrogation in Nuclear Security: Science, Technology, and Systems, published by Nature Springer in 2018, and over a hundred of journal publications, conference proceedings and presentations.

Research

Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, Medical Physics: Advanced radiation detection, nuclear security and safeguards, advanced nuclear systems design and analysis with emphasis on safety and performance.

Nuclear and radiological branches of engineering have traditionally been divided into nearly self-contained disciplines. Nuclear nonproliferation has recently brought a new and unique class of research problems that demand a balance of understanding of nuclear reactor design and radiation detection. While classical problems of nuclear security and safeguards may focus on plant protection or identification of materials of interest, the contemporary nonproliferation requires a wider approach, including deep understanding of policy in addition to fundamental and applied aspects of both, nuclear and radiological engineering. Laboratory for Advanced Nuclear Nonproliferation and Safety is a multidisciplinary team with a novel approach to solving most current nuclear nonproliferation issues by integrating theoretical reactor analysis and design and experimental detection, involving faculty and students from Aerospace Engineering, the School of Chemistry, the Sam Nunn School of International Studies, and Mechanical Engineering. This approach enables in-depth understanding of nonproliferation-by-design, a new direction in nuclear engineering spanning seemingly unrelated areas summarized as two thrust areas below:

Thrust 1: Advanced reactor analysis and design was created in response to the needs for expansion of safe, reliable and proliferation-resistant nuclear energy of as outlined in the roadmap by the Department of Energy. Nuclear reactor analysis is also a critical part of many basic science and safeguards-related projects, especially related to antineutrino physics and spent fuel isotopic signature analysis.
Thrust 2: Radiation detection is the “sixth” sense of nuclear engineers, allowing in-depth understanding of the physics of nuclear processes. It is also an integral part of the security and safety strategy of the Department of Homeland Security to protect the borders and National Nuclear Security Administration and Defense Threat Reduction Agency to find and identify weapons of mass destruction.

Distinctions & Awards

Named Associate Chair for Research, 2022
Named Woodruff Professor, 2019
2016 Lockheed Dean's Excellence in Teaching Award
Participant in 2015 US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, National Academy of Engineering, September 2015
American Nuclear Society Graduate Scholarship Award, 2006 and 2009
Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship, 2008-2011