INL division director receives prestigious fellowship from peers

Terry Todd

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers has named Terry Todd, director of the Idaho National Laboratory Fuel Cycle Science and Tech Division, as a fellow. Awarded to outstanding members of the profession who have been working for 25 years or more, it represents the highest degree of recognition by peers of outstanding professional achievements. Todd is the only current INL employee to be named a fellow of the AIChE, which has 45,000 members in 90 countries.

A chemical engineer for 33 years, Todd earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University. He has a Ph.D. in radiochemical engineering from the Khlopin Radium Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia.

At INL, where he has spent more than 30 years, Todd currently specializes in chemical separations methods to recycle nuclear fuel and reduce waste. He has held numerous leadership positions, and in 2008 earned the INL distinction of laboratory fellow.

In addition to authoring many peer-reviewed publications over his career, Todd has been awarded 29 patents. Some of these patents relate to the Nano-Composite Arsenic Sorbent, an affordable polymer particle that removes the toxic substance from drinking water. The technology received a prestigious R&D 100 Award in 2006.

"I really like what I do," says Todd, crediting his success to teams of collaborators from different disciplines which help foster innovation. "I've worked with some great people … you kind of play off each other."