PNNL

Josef "Pepa" Matyas, a PNNL materials scientist, has been elected a fellow of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS). He will be recognized at the ACerS annual meeting on September 30, 2019, in Portland, held in conjunction with the Materials Science & Technology Conference.

ACerS fellows come from an international cross-section of leaders in academia, research labs, industry and government and have distinguished themselves through their contributions to the ceramic arts field, scholarship to ceramic science and technology, achievements in the ceramic industry, and outstanding service to the society.

Matyas is an international expert in glass science, radioactive waste processing, and nuclear waste management. He has made significant contributions to the nuclear waste immobilization community with his research and development of novel materials and concepts, and by providing solutions to glass vitrification technology. His current research is in the development of advanced waste forms for safe sequestration of various nuclear waste streams with a goal to maximize loading of waste and minimize disposal volumes. Matyas is also leading an effort to develop advanced materials to capture and immobilize radioiodine released to the off-gas system during spent nuclear fuel processing.

In addition to the American Ceramic Society, Matyas is a member of the Materials Research Society. He has previously been recognized with a DOE Nuclear Energy Fuel Cycle R&D Excellence Award (2016) and a DOE Outstanding Mentor Award (2010). He has authored or co-authored more than 100 journal articles, proceedings articles, and reports, and holds one patent.

Matyas earned his Ph.D. in chemistry and technology of inorganic materials at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, the Czech Republic. He joined PNNL in 2002 and is based in the Radiological Materials technical group in the Energy and Environment Directorate.

More than 11,000 professionals from around the globe make up the membership of ACerS. The society’s mission is to advance the understanding, study, and use of ceramics and related materials.