Ke An

Bio

Dr. Ke An is a Distinguished R&D Staff Scientist and the Lead Scientist of the VULCAN instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). He also serves as the neutron scattering Materials and Engineering Initiative Lead and Industrial Liaison of the industry application program of SNS and HFIR (High Flux Isotope Reactor). Dr. An earned Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 2003, and since then he works at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Research interests and activities are in neutron scattering studies of material systems under temperature, magnet, current, and complex loading, etc.; electrochemical performance, durability, and reliability of energy storage/conversion materials; residual stress; fatigue life prediction of structural materials under complex loading; and scientific instrumentation and scientific software development.

Current research includes residual stress and deformation behavior of structural materials including high entropy alloys, additively manufactured alloys, high strength steel, and lightweight alloys; deformation and structural (phase/twinning) transition magnetic shape memory materials; thermal mechanical integrity of critical engineering materials by high spatial resolution neutron diffraction; synthesis, structure, stability and degradation of energy storage and energy conversion materials.

Professional Experience

2022-, Distinguished R&D Staff Scientist, Spallation Neutron Source, ORNL.
2017-2021, Senior R&D Staff Scientist, Spallation Neutron Source, ORNL.
2017-, Lead/Coordinator, M&E Science Initiative, NScD, ORNL.
2017-, New materials and engineering instrument POC, MENUS, Second Target Station, ORNL.
2016-, Industry Liaison, Industry Applications Program (IAP), NScD, ORNL.
2012-, Adjunct Faculty, Department of Materials Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
2011-, Lead Scientist/POC, VULCAN, Spallation Neutron Source, ORNL.
2011-2016, R&D Staff Scientist, Spallation Neutron Source, ORNL.
2008-2010, Associate R&D Staff Scientist/Instrument Scientist, VULCAN, Spallation Neutron Source, ORNL.
2005-2008, Research Associate, NRSF2/VULCAN, High Flux Isotope Reactor/Spallation Neutron Source, ORNL.
2004, Research Visitor, NRSF2, ORNL Advanced Short Term Research Opportunity.

Awards

Fellow, Neutron Scattering Society of America, 2024

RD 100 Award, 2023
Best Team Science, Additive Manufacturing and Cross-Cut Team, 2023 LDRD Annual Fair
Buildings and Transportation Science Division, Team Science Award, 2022

UT-Battelle Awards Night Distinguished Researcher Award for career, 2022
UT-Battelle Awards Night Outstanding Scholarly Output Team Award, 2021

Top 10 Neutron Scattering Achievements, 2018, 2019, 2020X2, 2021, 2022
Nature Communications Metallurgy Paper Collection with 2 papers, 2023
Best Paper Award, The 15th Summit of Damage Science and 40th Anniversary of Damage Science Society, 2023

NSD Best Paper Award, 2019
NSD Best Paper finalist, 2020, 2022, 2023
NSD Best Experiment finalist, 2020, 2022

Supplemental Performance Award, NSD, ORNL, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2020
Significant Event Award, ORNL, 2013

Outstanding Reviewer Award, Acta Materialia, 2018, 2019
Outstanding Reviewer Award, Journal of Power Source, 2018
Outstanding Reviewer Award, International Journal of Fatigue, 2018
Outstanding Reviewer Award, Solid State Ionics, 2017

Siemens Teachers as Researchers Mentor Performance Award, 2011

Excellence in Science and Technology Research and Development, Ministry of Education, China. "A Study on Low Cycle Fatigue of Metal Materials under Multiaxial Nonproportional Loading", 2003
Excellence in Science and Technology Research and Development, Government of Tianjin City, China. "Life Prediction of Multiaxial Low Cycle Fatigue for Metal Materials", 2002.

Education

Ph.D. Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 2003.
M.S. Department of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, 2000.
B.S. Department of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, 1998.
B.S. Department of Management, Tianjin University, 1998.

Professional Service

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Structural Materials Division, Mechanical Behaviors of Materials Committee 2013-.
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Young Professional Committee 2013-2016.

Committee Member of Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) for the Materials and Engineering Diffractometer Instrument at ESS, 2013-2016.

Editorial Board Member, Scientific Reports, 2015-

Associate Editor, Frontiers in Materials - Structure Materials, 2023-

Specialized Equipment

VULCAN, the engineering materials diffractometer.https://neutrons.ornl.gov/vulcan

Trademarks and Patents

E. Lara-Curzio, K. An, N. Dudney, F.S. Baker, B. Armstrong, C.I. Contescu, and J. Kiggans, “Lightweight, durable lead-acid batteries” (U.S. Patent No. US 8,017,273, Sept, 13, 2011).

M.L. Wissink, C.L. Wray, S.J. Curran, K. An, M.J. Frost, Y. Chen, “NEUTRONIC ENGINE”, (US Patent No. US 11,768,128 B2, Sep. 26, 2023).

Publications

Other Publications