Savannah River National Laboratory and University of South Carolina appoint joint faculty member for advanced manufacturing

UofSC Chemical Engineering Professor John W. Weidner joins Savannah River National Lab to build regional smart manufacturing partnerships, provide electromechanical research expertise 

AIKEN, S.C. (February 20, 2018) – Savannah River National Laboratory and the University of South Carolina’s College of Engineering and Computing have appointed Dr. John W. Weidner to the first joint faculty position to serve both institutions. In the position, Dr. Weidner will work to build regional advanced manufacturing partnerships while providing research expertise in the areas of corrosion, batteries, fuel cells, electrolysis, and sensors. 

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Weidner as our first SRNL-UofSC joint faculty appointment. His spirit of collaboration and expertise in advanced manufacturing will help strengthen our long-standing partnership and accelerate both our institutions’ impact on South Carolina’s growing manufacturing economy,” said Dr. Terry A. Michalske, Director of Savannah River National Laboratory. 

“This joint appointment is an important milestone as we increase our partnership with Savannah River National Laboratory,” said Dean Hossein Haj-Hariri at the university’s College of Engineering and Computing. “Dr. Weidner’s expertise serves as an excellent initial condition to our joint efforts to build relationships between academia and industry.” 

In his new role, Dr. Weidner will be engaged in building partnerships among regional companies, universities and other U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories to support Savannah River’s secure energy manufacturing and advanced manufacturing initiatives. The role will also serve to increase the lab’s involvement with the Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment (RAPID) Manufacturing Institute and the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII). Dr. Weidner will be involved with Savannah River’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development program to establish new projects in advanced manufacturing, nuclear materials treatment and processing, secure energy and environmental management. In addition, he will provide expertise in material development, modeling and theory validation for lab projects of an electromechanical nature. 

“I’m excited about this role and the college’s continuing relationship with Savannah River National Laboratory,” said Dr. Weidner. “The work is extremely important, and I look forward to helping accelerate our advanced manufacturing and energy research.” 

Dr. Weidner is a professor and department chair in Chemical Engineering at UofSC. He leads the university’s Hydrogen and Fuel-Cell Center, which helps industry advance the technology and commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cells. The center trains graduate students and conducts research within the areas of fuel cell and electrolyzer design and performance; mathematical modeling of electrochemical systems and components; and electrocatalyst development. 

Dr. Weidner holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a doctorate in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University. He has published over 100 refereed journal articles and is internationally recognized in the field of electrochemical engineering. He is a fellow of both the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the Electrochemical Society (ECS). 

Savannah River National Laboratory is a multi-program national laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management. Savannah River National Laboratory puts science to work providing practical, cost-effective solutions for the nation’s environmental, nuclear security, energy and manufacturing challenges.

The University of South Carolina is a globally recognized, high-impact research university committed to a superior student experience and dedicated to innovation in learning, research and community engagement. Founded in 1801, the university offers more than 350 degree programs and is a designated top-tier Carnegie Foundation research institution. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of 14 locations throughout the state, including the research campus in Columbia. With 47 nationally ranked academic programs including top-ranked programs in international business, the nation’s best honors college and distinguished programs in engineering, law, medicine, public health and the arts, the university is helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and around the world. 

Dr. John W. Weidner has been appointed to the first joint faculty position serving Savannah River National Laboratory and the University of South Carolina’s College of Engineering and Computing.