PNNL

Dr. John Wacker, PhD, is a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Laboratory Fellow and performs research and development in trace nuclear materials analysis, nuclear signatures exploitation, nuclear forensics, and related fields. He leads and supports projects funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and other U.S. government sponsors and has various leadership roles at PNNL. He is a member of sponsor expert and advisory panels. Since 2021, Dr. Walker has contributed to efforts directed at space nuclear power and propulsion. During his time as chair of the Technical Nuclear Forensics Subcommittee (2009–2018), he provided expertise on nuclear forensics, oversaw the development of assessment capabilities, and developed processes to respond to nuclear events of concern. He was detailed to the DOE Headquarters (2007–2010) as the chief scientist on the Nuclear Materials Information Program, he managed an operational analytical laboratory at PNNL that performs trace nuclear material analyses (1993–2004), and he was a principal investigator on NASA’s Office of Space Science Cosmochemistry Program (1988–2000). Dr. Wacker is an author on numerous peer-reviewed publications and has authored several classified reports, including the seminal report Chemical and Radiological Signatures of Nuclear Weapons Production.

Dr. Wacker began his career in planetary science, for which he characterized and determined the origin and history of meteorites.

• Astrophysics
• Cosmochemistry
• Mass spectrometry
• Material analysis
• Materials science
• Nuclear fuel cycle
• Nuclear nonproliferation
• Planetary science

• PhD in planetary science, University of Arizona 
• BS in physics, BS in astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (Fellow since 2011)
• American Astronomical Society
• American Chemical Society
• American Geophysical Union
• American Nuclear Society
• Association of Old Crows
• Meteoritical Society

• Laboratory Fellow PNNL (2006)
• PNNL Scientific and Technical Achievement Award (2010)
• AAAS Fellow (2011)
• PNNL Lifetime Achievement Award (2013)