Christopher Perfetti, an assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, has been recognized as a recipient of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) Reactor Physics Division Early Career Reactor Physicist Award. This prestigious award acknowledges early career members of the Reactor Physics Division who have made significant contributions to the field of reactor physics. Perfetti is one of two individuals to receive this honor in 2024.
Before joining UNM, Perfetti served as a research and development scientist in the Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. There, he developed the CE TSUNAMI-3D code for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis and led the Sensitivity/Uncertainty Analysis Method Team for the SCALE Code Package.
Perfetti's academic journey began at the University of Florida where he earned both his bachelor of science and master of science degrees in nuclear and radiological engineering in 2007 and 2008 respectively. He then proceeded to obtain his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan in 2012 under Professor Bill Martin's mentorship. His dissertation work focused on developing algorithms for adjoint-weighted sensitivity analysis using continuous-energy Monte Carlo methods with improved computational efficiency and reduced memory requirements.
The ANS is considered a leading organization for those engaged with nuclear sciences and technologies due to their crucial role in improving people’s lives and preserving our planet.
The Early Career Reactor Physicist Award was first established by ANS in 2013. For more information about this award, please visit the ANS website.
