Erik Walker, PhD

As a Postdoctoral Research Scholar working for the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL), I assisted in developing the VERA Core Simulator. My main focus was working to understand and resolve key reactivity biases observed when comparing to measured data. I also actively worked with users to enhance code features and assist in developing models. Through the development of user features, verification, and validation, my work helped generate high quality production software.

As a PhD Candidate at the University of Tennessee, I worked within the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. During my work on my dissertation, "Low-Order Multiphysics Coupling Techniques for Nuclear Reactor Applications," I developed and designed software for the reactor physics code MPACT. I graduated with an Energy Science and Engineering concentration from the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education.

During my summer internship at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL), I worked within the Advanced Reactor Program to accompany the design process for the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. I used the MC21 Monte Carlo transport code to perform research and maintained security clearance.

Expected graduation: December, 2017 Dissertation title: "Low-Order Multiphysics Coupling Techniques for Nuclear Reactor Applications"

Obtained Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering in December, 2014 Thesis Title: "Modeling Integral Fuel Burnable Absorbers Using the Method of Characteristics"