Deep learning underlies geographic dataset used in hurricane response

As Hurricane Fiona made landfall as a Category 1 storm in Puerto Rico on Sept. 18, 2022, some areas of the island were inundated with nearly 30 inches of rain, and power to hundreds of thousands of homes was knocked out. Only 10 days later, Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm and one of the strongest and most damaging storms on record, landed in Lee County, Florida, leveling homes and flooding cities before moving up the coast and making landfall again as a Category 1 storm in South Carolina.


Denise Antunes da Silva: Unraveling concrete’s secrets to decarbonize building materials

Growing up in Brazil, Oak Ridge National Laboratory materials scientist Denise Antunes da Silva remembers ceramic tiles being as common as the coffee beans the country is famous for growing and exporting. The colorful tiles dotted walkways and served as the building blocks for residential and commercial construction. She didn’t think much about how the tiles were produced, however, until years later while pursuing a degree in materials science and engineering.


ORNL’s Sheng Dai named Office of Science Distinguished Scientist Fellow

Sheng Dai, a Corporate Fellow and section head at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been selected by the DOE Office of Science as a 2023 Distinguished Scientist Fellow. The competitive award recognizes exceptional scientists from the national laboratories with strong records of academic and university collaborations. The opportunity provides each fellow with $1 million over three years to support activities that develop, sustain and promote scientific and academic excellence in Office of Science research.


Energy Secretary breaks ground on new isotope facility at ORNL

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the U.S. Stable Isotope Production and Research Center. The facility is slated to receive $75 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.


Racing company licenses innovative ORNL fast-charging battery technologies

Marc-Antoni Racing has licensed a collection of patented energy storage technologies developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The technologies focus on components that enable fast-charging, energy-dense batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles and grid storage.

The New England-based company is exploring ways to move the racing industry away from fossil fuels while maintaining the dynamic driving experience loved by motor sports enthusiasts.