Bio
Dr. Molly Ross is currently a Thermofluidic System Engineer in the Energy Systems Development group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). She is a 2017 graduate of Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in mathematics. She also recently received her PhD degree in nuclear engineering from Purdue University.
Professional Experience
Her PhD research focused on the development of stochastic closures for turbulent flows and heat transfer models. These efforts are especially pertinent to thermal-hydraulic safety analysis. She has also worked on the development of a neutron radiography system to provide high-resolution void fraction measurements to investigate debris bed coolability. In addition, she explored machine learning algorithms to predict and classify material thermal properties.
Her research experience, interests and prior efforts include:
- Advancing non-optical imaging techniques for thermal hydraulics applications, particularly in void fraction estimation.
- The development and validation of machine learning approaches to solve inverse problems in heat transfer.
- Creating statistical learning-based reduced-order models for application in energy systems.
She aspires to leverage her expertise in stochastic methods and machine learning algorithms to address complex challenges in advanced reactors. Her goal is to enhance grid-scale planning and provide a robust framework that harnesses sensor data for more informed decision-making processes. In addition, she will be advancing the multiphysics modeling and simulation efforts for the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)’s low-enriched uranium conversion program.
Education
- PhD, Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University (2024)
- BS, Mechanical Engineering, Kansas State University (2017)