SRNL, Georgia Tech Appoint Margaret E. Kosal to Joint Faculty Position

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the Georgia Institute of Technology appointed Margaret E. Kosal to a joint faculty position, the first of such kind between SRNL and Georgia Tech.

Kosal will use her expertise and focus on reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction and understanding the role of emerging technologies for security to further the needs of SRNL and the Department of Energy. Specifically, in this position, Kosal will serve as the first senior fellow in SRNL’s new Nonproliferation Applied Science Center (NASC).

“Dr. Kosal will help establish the innovative mission details for the NASC,” said Associate Laboratory Director, Global Security, Tammy Taylor. “The NASC will advance nonproliferation research and development to reduce security concerns, modernize nonproliferation concepts and align emerging nonproliferation concepts with the growing reactor and fuel-cycle markets. Kosal’s work in understanding the underlying drivers of technological innovation and how technology affects national security will benefit the NASC and our global security mission.”

As an associate professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech, Kosal’s research explores the relationships among technology, strategy, and governance, focusing on reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction and understanding the role of emerging technologies for security. Her work aims to understand and explain the role of technology and technological diffusion for national security at strategic and operational levels. The long-term goals of her work are to understand the underlying drivers of technological innovation and how technology affects national security and modern warfare.

“I’m immensely honored to be the inaugural NASC fellow and the first faculty member from Georgia Tech to have this kind of relationship with SRNL,” Kosal said. “The history and continuing vital mission of SRNL for the nation, the vision that Drs. Clark and Taylor have for furthering the lab, the opportunities to enhance my own research, and the ability to create new innovative ways for other Georgia Tech faculty, researchers and students to engage more with SRNL are exciting. In an increasingly complex global world of shifting geopolitics punctuated by emerging and disruptive technologies that can be used to make the world a better and more secure place or, alternatively, be used for harmful purposes, partnerships and relationships like this are increasingly important.”

SRNL’s Joint Appointment Program provides university faculty opportunities to engage in the lab’s research and development that addresses the nation’s challenges in energy, science, national security, and environmental stewardship. Together, SRNL staff and joint appointees are helping to ensure America’s security and prosperity through transformative science and technology solutions. Joint appointees serve as a bridge between SRNL researchers, their university and students.

“Having our first joint appointment between SRNL and Georgia Tech is very exciting,” said SRNL Deputy Director, Science and Technology, Sue Clark. “One of our key objectives for the lab is to leverage the relationships we have with our university partners, primarily to provide a pipeline for new talent in the future, but also to advance current and future SRNL mission needs and university research and development. We’re thrilled to enhance our Georgia Tech university partnership through this joint appointment.”