August 3, 2023
By Chloe Arrington

George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering alumnus Mickey Wade, M.S. NE 1987, Ph.D. NE 1991, has been named a 2023 Leadership Award recipient by the Fusion Power Associates (FPA).

Wade served as Division Director for Fusion Energy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) before being named the Associate Laboratory Director for the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate in April.

The FPA presents awards annually that highlight excellence in leadership, distinguished careers, and excellence in fusion engineering. The Leadership Award is presented to those who have shown outstanding leadership qualities in accelerating the development of fusion.

According to the FPA, selecting Wade recognizes his long history of positive and significant impact on the development of fusion energy at General Atomic. The FPA board noted Wade’s record of accomplishment, highlighting that since his arrival at ORNL, he has strengthened their role in the national fusion program and positioned ORNL to become a leading center for fusion energy development and deployment in the future.

Wade previously served as the DIII-D national fusion program director and DIII-D experimental science division director at before joining ORNL as a senior scientist. He was also a leader in developing support and advocacy for and served as co-chair of the U.S. Magnetic Research Strategic Directions Community Workshops.

Wade has written or co-written more than 300 publications and been involved in numerous fusion energy community activities. He was named a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2010 for his outstanding contributions to burning plasma physics, impurity transport, and the development of advanced tokamak scenarios.

Wade previously reflected on his time at Georgia Tech calling his graduate school experience “the underpinning” for all that he has accomplished in his career. After completing his undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech, Wade realized that being a nuclear engineer wasn't the vocation for him. After exploring his interest in fusion energy development more thoroughly while working as a computer programmer at the University of North Carolina, he came across a book written by Professor Emeritus Weston M. Stacey, Jr., which inspired him to apply to the Woodruff School and join the fusion engineering and plasma physics program.

Wade will be presented with the Leadership Award at the Fusion Power Associates 44th Annual Meeting and Symposium, December 19-20, in Washington, D.C.

About FPA

Fusion Power Associates is a non-profit research and educational foundation focused on expanding information on the status of fusion development and other applications of plasma science and fusion research.