Dr. John C. Wagner is the director of Idaho National Laboratory and president of Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC. He is responsible for management and integration of a large, multipurpose laboratory whose mission focuses on nuclear energy, national and homeland security, and energy and environment science and technology. He manages this U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory of approximately 5,400 scientists, engineers and support staff in multiple nuclear and nonnuclear experimental facilities, with an annual budget of nearly $1.6 billion.
Wagner began serving as INL director on Dec. 11, 2020. He has more than 20 years of experience performing research, and managing and leading research and development projects, programs and organizations.
Wagner’s experience is strongly aligned with INL’s programmatic portfolio. He has guided and helped implement INL’s nuclear energy strategy during an innovative and exciting time at the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development. As a recognized expert in reactor and fuel cycle technologies, he is called upon frequently to provide expert testimony to Congress and to advise in formulation of policies for nuclear fuel cycles and advanced reactors.
He has been at INL since 2016 and served as associate laboratory director for Nuclear Science and Technology (NS&T) since 2017. His previous roles included director of Domestic Programs in NS&T and director of the Technical Integration Office for the DOE-NE Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program at INL. Wagner initially joined INL as the chief scientist at the Materials and
Fuels Complex in 2016. Prior to joining INL, he 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 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. He received a B.S. in nuclear engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in 1992, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Pennsylvania State University in 1994 and 1997, respectively.
