NRL Honors Former Director for Service to Lab

Dr. Thomas E. Blue has announced his retirement from The Ohio State University Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (NRL) Reactor Operations Committee (ROC), and the laboratory has presented him with an award for his distinguished service. The NRL features the only research reactor in the State of Ohio, and the ROC is a safety review committee composed of a spectrum of qualified professionals who provide independent review for the laboratory. 

The facility was initially built as a teaching facility for a low-power reactor, but it has transformed into a unique research and education resource. This transformation has required vision and leadership of many, including that of Dr. Blue, who served both as laboratory director and as a member of the safety committee. The NRL now attracts researchers from across the country who are looking to utilize the facility for specialized testing and experiments, such as in-situ investigation of advanced-reactor instrumentation in a high-temperature radiation environment utilizing The Ohio State University Research Reactor.

Dr. Blue is an expert in the use of optical fibers in reactor applications (especially for sensing) and has a distinguished career. He is a professor emeritus in Nuclear Engineering at The Ohio State University, with the distinction of being a member of the Emeritus Academy, and is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society. Dr. Blue served as the Director of the NRL from 2007-2016 and was a member of the Reactor Operations Committee beginning in the 1990s.

Current director Dr. Raymond Cao commented that, “As a former director, Tom identified opportunities for growth for our facility and continues to utilize it for unique research supporting Department of Energy missions. He also volunteered his service as a member of the ROC over many years to help ensure program safety, and we are grateful for his service.”