Leonard Mostella Jr

Bio

As Nuclear Instrumentation and Controls Engineer for the Research Reactors Division in the Neutron Sciences Directorate at ORNL, Mr. Mostella is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR).  This 85MW reactor is the highest flux reactor-based source of neutrons for research in the United States, and it provides one of the highest steady-state neutron fluxes of any research reactor in the world, enabling world-class capabilities for neutron scattering, isotope production, materials irradiation, neutron activation analysis, and nuclear physics.

Mr. Mostella came to ORNL in 2014 as a HFIR Systems Engineer in the System Engineering Fabrication & Experiments, Research Reactors Division in the Neutron Sciences Directorate - contracting, then in 2019 accepted the position of Nuclear Instrumentation and Controls Engineer.

Prior to his work at ORNL, he worked for various engineering companies, notably TVA, United Engineers, ALCOA, The Boeing Company, and B&W Technical Services Clinch River where he worked on USEC’s American Centrifuge Nuclear Fuel Enrichment Project.

Along with his primary commission of addressing the various systems associated with operating the HFIR Reactor via maintenance, upgrades, and modifications, his diversity has permitted several collaborations with HFIR Beamline Operations in the Neutron Scattering Division, experiments with the Nuclear & Extreme Environment Measurement organization, and the Irradiation Engineering group, and various functions with HFIR’s Software Engineering organization.