A group of Argonne nuclear engineers recently received the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretarial Honor Award for their work supporting the Iran nuclear negotiations.
The group included the Nuclear Engineering Division’s John Stevens, Roger Blomquist, Richard Lell, Jay Liaw, Mohammad Kalimullah, Arne Olson and Laboratory Director Peter Littlewood. All were part of a larger group from across the DOE complex that was honored for supporting the negotiations for last year’s deal to prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon, a deal also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The award citation read, in part, “In recognition of exceptional technical support to the Secretary of Energy and the U.S. Government during the nuclear nonproliferation negotiations with Iran. The rapid evaluation of technical options, supported by extensive analytical work, provided timely and key support to the negotiations that led to the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action …”
Argonne’s role in the negotiations was focused on helping to redesign Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor to ensure it could not produce enough fissile material to create a weapon. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz singled out Argonne’s contribution for helping close the “plutonium pathway” that could lead to a weapon for Iran.
Littlewood singled out the group for its achievements in national security and in the reducing of the risk of international proliferation.
“Thank you for your professionalism and dedication to your work,” Littlewood said to the team. “Your achievements have strengthened our national security and established you among the world’s premier scientists while reinforcing Argonne’s reputation as an exceptional scientific institution.”
Photo caption: Several members of Argonne’s analysis team discuss the reactor modeling and simulation work that supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Clockwise around table: John Stevens at the keyboard, Roger Blomquist, Rich Lell, Arne Olson and Mohammad Kalimullah.