Idaho National Laboratory Director Receives Honorary Degree from Missouri S&T

By Velvet Hasner

Dr. John C. Wagner of Idaho Falls, Idaho, director of Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and a graduate of Missouri S&T, received the doctor of engineering, honoris causa, from Missouri S&T during the university’s morning commencement ceremony Saturday, Dec. 17.

As director of INL, Wagner is responsible for managing the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development. The U.S. Department of Energy lab focuses on nuclear energy, national and homeland security, and energy and environmental science and technology. Wagner oversees approximately 5,200 scientists, engineers and support staff in multiple nuclear and nonnuclear experimental facilities, with an annual budget of over $1.3 billion.

Prior to joining INL in 2016, Wagner worked for nearly 17 years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he held several research and leadership roles in reactor and fuel cycle technologies.

Wagner is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and a recipient of the 2013 E.O. Lawrence Award. He has authored or co-authored more than 170 refereed journal and conference articles, technical reports, and conference summaries.

Wagner earned a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Missouri S&T in 1992 and is a member of the S&T Board of Trustees. He earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Pennsylvania State University in 1994 and 1997, respectively.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. S&T also is home to the Kummer Institute, made possible by a $300 million gift from Fred and June Kummer. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.

About Idaho National Laboratory

Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development, and also performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.