UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Kenan Ünlü, professor of nuclear engineering and director of the Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC) at Penn State, has been named a fellow of the American Nuclear Society (ANS).
According to ANS, the rank of fellow is the highest membership grade to which only a small group of nuclear science and engineering professionals are elected. Ünlü was selected for the contributions he has made to the advancement of nuclear science and technology through outstanding leadership as a teacher in the nuclear field, according to the award notification letter.
“Penn State is a national leader in both research and education in the field of nuclear engineering, with the state-of-the-art facilities and pioneering work at RSEC playing a significant role in that,” said Tonya L. Peeples, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of the College of Engineering. “Kenan has been a driving force for advancing nuclear education, workforce development and research, not only for our University but for the broader nuclear engineering community. This recognition is well deserved.”
As director of RSEC, Ünlü led a comprehensive transformation of the Penn State Breazeale Reactor, the nation's oldest continuously operating research reactor. Securing more than $30 million in federal and University funding over the past decade, he directed the design and installation of a new core moderator assembly and multiple new beam ports, resolving long-standing design limitations and enabling advanced neutron beam capabilities. He further led the design, development and installation of an innovative third-generation cold neutron source.
Under his leadership, RSEC now operates five new beam ports with seven neutron beam lines. Most notably, through his international engagement and strategic vision, a $9.8 million Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) instrument from the former HZB-Berlin reactor was relocated and installed at Penn State, making it the only university research reactor facility in the United States with SANS capability.
Ünlü also founded and led a pioneering Nuclear Security Education Program in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Texas A&M, supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration, culminating in the first master's degree program in nuclear security in the United States. Additionally, he revitalized radiochemistry education and research, building laboratories, developing curricula and advancing medical isotope production research aligned with national priorities.
RSEC, now a world-class neutron science and service hub, supports more than 20 industrial and government partners annually; sustains collaborations with NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, national laboratories, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and major corporations; and welcomes more than 3,000 visitors each year.
Ünlü has been an active and influential member of ANS for over 35 years, with particularly distinguished leadership in the Isotope and Radiation Division (IRD). He has served as IRD chair, program committee chair for more than a decade, election committee chair, executive committee member for multiple terms, and currently as program co-committee chair. He also has served in leadership roles within the Materials Science and Technology Division, demonstrating broad engagement across ANS technical communities. His contributions to the field and to ANS were recognized with the 2020 ANS Radiation Science and Technology Award. He has made substantial professional contributions beyond ANS through national and international leadership in nuclear science and security and received numerous honors and awards, including the Penn State President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration in 2024.
“It is a great honor to be elected a fellow by the American Nuclear Society,” Ünlü said. “I am immensely thankful for the recognition. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved for the nomination and award selection.”
Ünlü will be recognized at the opening plenary of the 2026 ANS Annual Conference on June 1.