Magette and Townsend Enter Nuclear Engineering’s Hall of Fame

Thomas Magette and Lawrence Townsend are the newest members of the Department of Nuclear Engineering Hall of Fame. Both were inducted during the department’s awards banquet earlier this month.

Magette’s Rise to Expert Status

Magette (BS/NE ’77, MS/NE ’79) has more than 40 years of experience in nuclear safety, licensing, siting, and environmental assessments in the power industry. After graduating from the University of Tennessee, he joined the Maryland Power Plant Siting Program to develop radiological emergency response and rad monitoring programs following the accident at Three Mile Island.

Magette then served as the director of the nuclear safety division within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of New Production Reactors. Following a move to the private sector, he managed various energy projects, serving as senior vice president of nuclear regulatory strategy at EnergySolutions and a managing director at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Magette eventually started his own consulting firm, Severn Nuclear Services, in 2017 and is a recognized expert in nuclear regulatory strategy, decommissioning, and radioactive waste, often serving as an expert witness.

Magette completed his graduate work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under James Robinson and sang in the UT Concert Choir for six years.

“It means a lot to be honored by UT, and especially to be recognized as worthy of this honor by my nuclear engineering colleagues at UT,” Magette said. “My time at UT contributed immensely to who I am to this day. What I learned at UT prepared me for a career that has taken many turns and led in directions I had no way to anticipate.”

From NASA to UT, Townsend Made an Impact

After retiring from NASA in 1995, Townsend joined UT as a nuclear engineering faculty member. He taught until 2017 and continued as a research professor until 2025. Townsend was among the first UT faculty to be named a Chancellor’s professor.

A leading expert in his field, Townsend received the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) RPSD Rockwell Lifetime Achievement award among other prestigious honors. He is a Fellow of multiple organizations, including ANS and the Health Physics Society, an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an elected member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

Townsend earned a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, a master’s from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and a PhD from the University of Idaho, all in physics. His career spanned five decades, including service as a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine engineering officer and research in space radiation protection.

“This award is the culmination of my life’s professional career as a teacher and researcher in physics and nuclear engineering,” Townsend said of entering the NE Hall of Fame. “My three decades at UT, among outstanding faculty and students, have been the most pleasant and rewarding in my long career.”

Winners of the 2025 Awards Banquet

Every year, the department honors award winners at the end-of-year banquet. Here are all the categories and winners:

Contact

Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, rpotkey@utk.edu)