Syreeta Vaughn

Bio

Syreeta Vaughn is a senior staff member serving as a Nuclear Facility Safety Advisor in the Special Projects role at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). With over 19 years of experience in nuclear safety, she specializes in nuclear safety engineering, environmental compliance, and conduct of operations. In her current role, Syreeta leads transformative initiatives, including revising the Nuclear Safety qualification process, developing a comprehensive nuclear facility safety training program, and driving continuous improvement projects such as updates to the Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) process.

Her responsibilities include identifying hazards, evaluating accident scenarios, and implementing documented safety analyses for Department of Energy hazard category 1, 2, and 3 nuclear facilities. Syreeta provides expert guidance to leadership and staff, ensuring operational excellence and regulatory compliance.

Syreeta earned her Bachelor of Science in geology from Florida State University in 2002 and became the first African American woman to earn a Master of Science in Geology from the University of Tennessee in 2005. She later added a second master’s in industrial & systems engineering in 2013 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Occupational Safety and Health at West Virginia University, focusing on nuclear safety in mobile facilities.

Previously, Syreeta participated in ORNL’s Mission Support Leadership Rotation Development Program, where she spearheaded lab-level initiatives and gained experience across six mission support divisions. Her career highlights include serving as the nuclear safety basis enterprise technical lead for the Y-12 National Nuclear Security Complex and Pantex Plant, coordinating the Y-12 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) program, and managing American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) waste management deactivation and decommissioning projects.

A dedicated community leader, Syreeta serves on the Tickle College of Engineering Board of Advisors and the Earth and Planetary Science Advisory Board. She was appointed to the UT Chancellor’s Advisory Board by Governor Bill Haslam, completing her term in 2022. As president of the Knoxville Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she actively supports civic service and philanthropy. Her leadership extends to the Knoxville Area Urban League and the Oak Ridge/Knoxville American Nuclear Society.

Named one of Knoxville’s “40 Under 40” in 2013, Syreeta was featured in the TEDx Knoxville talk “Without Limits” in 2016, received the UT Alumni Promise Award in 2019, and completed the prestigious Leadership Knoxville program in 2024. She continues to excel as a leader in nuclear safety, community service, and mentorship. 

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