Lauren Bailey has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Beacon Award, which is the highest master’s student honor conferred at the University of Tennessee.
Bailey, who is pursuing her master’s and PhD in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, is a graduate research assistant working on nuclear digital twins with a focus on online monitoring and anomaly detection for forced flow system using AI and the development of machine learning methodologies to improve time-series forecasting.
Recipients of the Beacon Award must demonstrate high academic achievement and outstanding commitment to others as demonstrated by the student’s various activities and significant contributions to the university or their discipline. They must embody the Volunteer Spirit, displaying initiative and excellence in service and leadership, and have demonstrated resilience during their life.
“I was very surprised that I was awarded the Beacon Award. It is quite an honor,” Bailey said. “I am lucky to be surrounded by faculty, staff, and peers who support and lift me up in the work I do.”
Bailey is a student intern at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division, and president of the UT Nuclear Engineering Graduate Student Assembly. She serves on the executive committees of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) Student Sections Committee, the ANS Oak Ridge/Knoxville local section, and the Decommissioning and Environmental Science ANS Division.
Bailey was nominated for the Beacon Award by her advisor, NE Assistant Professor Xingang Zhao. She was surprised with the announcement during an NE seminar class.
“Having an advisor who goes out of his way to recognize my work and gives continual guidance and support has been instrumental,” Bailey said. “I would not have been someone who had the potential to win this award without my advisor, Dr. Zhao, the great NE staff, and my peers in the department.”
Bailey will be celebrated alongside other award winners at the upcoming Chancellor’s Honors Banquet.
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (rpotkey@utk.edu)