Spring 2019, Tom Bork received the Infinite Mile Award for his role at the MIT Nuclear Reactor Lab. As the Reactor Utilization Manager, Tom is the first point of contact for internal and external users of the MIT Reactor. He is an exemplary staff member who is strongly committed to his work and goes above and beyond his responsibilities. Tom is exceptionally effective in facilitating user inquiries and integrating expertise from colleagues at NRL to address technical questions. Once an experiment has been approved, Tom is involved in all phases of the work from scheduling, safety review approval, sample preparation, radioactive sample shipment, and reporting.

Tom is always calm, patient, and devoted to meet the demands and deadlines of his assignments and collaborate seamlessly with other members of NRL. He is adept at balancing the needs of all the irradiation projects, from large, complex in-core irradiations to short, routine exposures.

Tom is also an integral part of many of the education and outreach activities at the laboratory. He helps coordinate reactor activities for professional courses, give tours of the reactor for outside groups, and coordinates visits for research sponsors and collaborators who come to meet or work at the Nuclear Reactor Lab. Tom’s knowledge of the NRL and his ability to bring the necessary resources together are invaluable.

A natural bridge builder and team player, Tom is always thoughtful and helpful when meeting the needs of the research community. His energy and contributions are intrinsic to the continued success of the NRL as a premier university reactor laboratory.

Click here to learn more about the MIT Infinite Mile Awards program, as well as read about other recipients.