Allen, Todd

Glenn F. and Gladys H. Knoll Chair and Professor, Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences

Topics

» Energy Sustainability and Policy
» Nuclear Energy

Biography

Todd began his professional career as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy where he learned the practical applications of operating a nuclear power plant as well as how to take a submarine to periscope depth. Following active duty, he built on that practical Navy experience by earning a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering with specific focus on how radiation changes the physical properties of metals.

His first post-Ph.D. position was as a staff scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. While at Argonne, he joined the leadership team tasked with developing the Generation IV Roadmap, the document that framed the resurgence of the nuclear research programs early in the 21st Century.

Following Argonne, he joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin. While there, he split his time between establishing a premier material science program at the university and supporting the Idaho National Laboratory. At INL, he led the transition of the Advanced Test Reactor into a national user facility. He also ran a six-institution Energy Frontier Research Center focused on answering fundamental questions about heat transfer in nuclear fuel.

From 2013-2016, Todd helped lead the Idaho National Laboratory as the Deputy Laboratory Director for Science & Technology, including being an important contributor to the development of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative announced at the White House in November 2015.

Since 2016 he has been a Visiting Senior Fellow with Clean Energy Program at Third Way, a Washington, DC-based think tank.

Todd is the author of over 200 technical publications. He is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society. Todd has degrees in nuclear engineering and management information systems. He is a native of Michigan.