Jamie Porter (BS ’08, MS ’09, PhD ’12) is the inaugural recipient of the Department of Nuclear Engineering’s Dr. Marcia Katz Distinguished Mid-Career Alumnus Award.
The award is named in honor of Marcia Katz, a University of Tennessee trailblazer. Katz was the first woman to earn a PhD in nuclear engineering at UT (1974), and the first woman to serve on the nuclear engineering faculty. During her career, Katz researched and instructed in nuclear reactor dynamics and control. She was acknowledged as a world leader with a breadth of expertise that spanned working on nuclear steam supply systems to space shuttle designs. Katz also served as a White House Fellow and Nuclear Regulatory Commission policy advisor.
Porter, a radiation effects engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physic Laboratory, was the ideal selection for the inaugural honor. She was recognized for her outstanding contributions in radiation effects in space environments, and her active engagement in the development of the next generation of nuclear scientists. Porter was the first Black woman to graduate from UT’s nuclear engineering department.
During her studies at UT, Porter received a Chancellor’s Citation for Extraordinary Professional Promise in Research and was an invited presenter and keynote speaker for several national conferences and ceremonies.
“I’m incredibly proud to be recognized for my technical accomplishments, but receiving an award for my character is priceless,” Porter said. “As a Knoxville native, I’m so proud of my time at the University of Tennessee that shaped who I am and what I’ve become. I will always bleed orange. Go Vols!”
Porter was presented with her award at the NE annual banquet, which took place May 6 at the Press Room.
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])