Photo of Jon Schwantes

Jon Schwantes

Acting Department Head of Nuclear Engineering

Affiliation(s):

  • Nuclear Engineering

206 Hallowell Building

jon.schwantes@psu.edu

814-865-6351

Research Website

Research Areas:

Nuclear Fuel Cycle; Nuclear Materials; Nuclear Science and Applications; Nuclear Security, Safeguards, and Safety

Interest Areas:

Nuclear forensics signature discovery and validation through the development, application and interpretation of novel radioanalytical techniques for characterizing special nuclear materials, especially spatially resolved analyses capable of exploiting (isotopic, elemental, microstructural) heterogeneities in materials. Development of ultra-trace analytical techniques for detecting and modeling the fate and transport of actinides in the environment.

 
 

 

Bio

Dr. Schwantes is a Professor in the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at Penn State University working in areas related to aqueous environmental radiochemistry, super-heavy element chemistry and physics, astrophysical nucleosynthesis, science-based stockpile stewardship, nuclear material science and nuclear forensics. Before joining Penn State faculty in 2022, Dr. Schwantes worked as a Senior Research Scientist for the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He has authored or coauthored 122 publications (79 peer reviewed), was part of the confirmatory team for the discovery of element 111 (subsequently named Roentgenium) and lead a team of researchers in 2009 that identified the oldest known reactor-produced plutonium in the world. Dr. Schwantes currently serves as a Co-Chair of the Exercise Task Group for the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG) and is the Lead Subject Matter Expert for the development of an International Training Course on Nuclear Forensic Methodologies for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Commission’s Jointe Research Centre (JRC) and the US National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA). He is a past member of the Washington State Academy of Science (2021-2023), was part of two separate Department of Energy response teams during the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station and recently led the forensic examination following the radioactive contamination resulting from a breach of a 3,000 Ci sealed source during recovery operations on May 2nd, 2019, at the University of Washington Harborview Medical Facility. In 2014, Dr. Schwantes was appointed by the Secretary of Energy to serve as a member of the Technical Assessment Team (TAT), a five-person team charged with investigating a major contamination event at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) that occurred on February 14 of that year. The 40+ scientists he led at PNNL were responsible for bench-scale compatibility testing and ultra-trace analyses of reaction residues collected at the event site. Their efforts identified the underlying reactions responsible for the contamination event, for which nine of his team members and himself were awarded in 2015 the U.S. Department of Energy’s highest non-monetary honor, the Secretary’s Achievement Award.

Education

  • Bachelor of Science, Marine Sciences, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 1993
  • Master of Science, Chemical Oceanography, Texas A&M University, 1996
  • PhD, Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2002

Publications

Research Projects

Honors and Awards

  • US Department of Energy's Secretary's Achievement Award, US Department of Energy, 2016

Service

Service to Penn State:

Service to External Organizations:

 


 

About

The Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at Penn State is one of the top ranked nuclear engineering programs in the United States. The department distinguishes itself with a strong focus on experimental research. The actively growing department leads four educational programs for students pursuing a bachelor of science, a master of science, a master of engineering, or a doctoral degree. The Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC) facilities, including the Breazeale Reactor, are available to nuclear engineering faculty and students at Penn State for research and instruction. RSEC houses the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor, the country’s first and longest operating licensed nuclear research reactor. Having access to an operating research reactor is a key strength for the department and enables Penn State to harness research and educational opportunities that are unique in the United States. See how we’re inspiring change and impacting tomorrow at nuce.psu.edu.

Department of Nuclear Engineering

206 Hallowell Building

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802-4400

Phone: 814-863-6222