INL National University Consortium – Annual Report 22 INL’s Postdoctoral Research Associate Program supports the research at INL through the hiring of the next generation of independent researchers. Postdocs at INL perform work in a rich science and technology environment, presenting and publishing their work advancing knowledge in areas of basic and applied science. In FY-18, INL had five postdoctoral researchers, including two distinguished postdoctoral researchers. Name Postdoc Name University Mentor (Directorate) Konor Frick Hybrid Energy Systems Postdoctoral Researcher North Carolina State University Shannon Bragg-Sitton (Nuclear Science and Technology) Yipeng Gao Low Length Scale Material Science Postdoctoral Research Associate Ohio State University Yongfeng Zhang (Nuclear Science and Technology) Thomas Holschuh Deslonde de Boisblanc Distinguished Postdoctoral Research Appointee Oregon State University Dan Wachs (Nuclear Science and Technology) Paul Talbot Probabilistic Analysis Postdoctoral Researcher University of New Mexico Cristian Rabiti (Nuclear Science and Technology) Yi Xie Glenn T. Seaborg Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate Ohio State University Michael Benson (Nuclear Science and Technology) Ohio State Grad Named Inaugural Seaborg Distinguished Fellow Dr. Yi Xie, a nuclear engineering graduate from The Ohio State University, was named INL’s inaugural Glenn T. Seaborg Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate. She will conduct research at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Benson. Prior to joining INL, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. INL established the Glenn T. Seaborg Distinguished Postdoctoral Appointment to develop early-career researchers and support the advancement of actinide chemistry and physics – a fundamental part of the laboratory’s mission. Actinides are the periodic table elements with atomic numbers 89-103. Seaborg’s research on lanthanides and actinides (also known as f-block elements) has had a huge impact on modern society. He is known as the father of the modern Periodic Table of Elements for his recommendation to place elements 89-103 in a series below lanthanides. Seaborg discovered several new elements, including atomic number 106, Seaborgium, which bears his name. Postdoctoral Researchers