Curriculum Vitae

PDF Version.
LaTeX Version.

William C. Dawn

william.dawn@studsvik.com

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy, Nuclear Engineering. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
  • May 2022.
  • Research on unstructured mesh neutron transport methods and multiphysics modeling using GPUs.
  • Developed MEZCAL computer program using scalable finite element methods and exascale computing.
  • Dissertation: “Multiphysics Modeling of Microreactors with Unstructured Mesh Neutron Transport and Exascale Computing Architectures.”
• Master of Science, Nuclear Engineering. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
  • May 2019.
  • Nuclear Engineering University Program (NEUP) Fellow.
  • Developed LUPINE simulation suite to simulate Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs).
  • Thesis: “Simulation of Fast Reactors with the Finite Element Method and Multiphysics Models.”
• Bachelor of Science, Nuclear Engineering. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
  • May 2017.
  • Graduated as Valedictorian and Summa Cum Laude.
  • Led senior design team. Responsible for project management and interfacing with corporate sponsor.
  • Senior design project: “A Thermal Test Location in a Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor.”

Professional Experience

• Senior Nuclear Engineer. Studsvik Scandpower, Inc. Idaho Falls, ID.
  • June 2022 - Present.
  • Peacock Lead Developer.
    • New, continuous energy Monte Carlo code developed entirely from scratch.
    • Developed in C++23 with modern software best-practices (e.g., GitLab version control, unit tests, continuous integeration, etc.).
    • Responsible for implementing all neutron physics including thermal scattering, resolved and unresolved resonances, and depletion.
    • Coordinating team of developers for nuclear data processing and development of input/output processing tools.
  • SIMULATE5/SIMULATE5-K developer.
    • Added capabilities for modeling Pellet-Cladding Mechanical Interaction (PCMI) during transients to support NRC Regulatory Guide 1.236.
    • Implemented and benchmarked SIMULATE5-K-VVER for modeling transients in VVER-1000s and VVER-440s.
    • Developed internal tools for software testing and project management.
• NEUP Intern. Idaho National Laboratory. Idaho Falls, ID.
  • May 2019 - August 2019.
  • Added fast neutron cross section library capabilities to Rattlesnake neutron transport code based on MC² and ISOTXS file format.
  • Used Rattlesnake to investigate effects of higher-order neutron scattering in fast reactor systems.
  • Implemented isotopic fission spectrum mixture into Rattlesnake.
  • Authored two technical reports related to work:
    • “Comparison of Higher-Order Neutron Scattering Cross Sections” (INL/EXT-19-54899)
    • “An Analytic Benchmark for the Solution to the Isotopic Fission Spectrum Mixture Problem” (INL/EXT-19-54998)
• CASL Graduate Assistant. Consortium for Advanced Simulation of LWRs (CASL). Raleigh, NC.
  • May 2018 - August 2019.
  • Developed lesson and lectured on CTF-MPACT coupling and use for practical reactor designs.
  • Provided technical experience and IT support for student reactor design simulations.
  • Contributed to logistical planning for CASL Institute.
• NESLS Engineering Intern. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Oak Ridge, TN.
  • May 2017 - August 2017.
  • Added fast neutron cross section library capabilities to MPACT neutron transport code via ISOTXS file reader.
  • Simulated fast neutron chloride molten salt reactor in steady-state and depletion simulations.
  • Developed molten salt reactor models in MPACT, MCNP, and Serpent.
  • Proficient in large project coding and source control with git.
• CASL Undergraduate Research Scholar. Consortium for Advanced Simulation of LWRs (CASL). Raleigh, NC.
  • August 2015 - May 2017.
  • Reduced computing time by 30% by improving steam tables in CTF.
  • Performed code comparisons with MCNP to verify energy group structgure in MPACT.
• Edison Engineering Intern – PRISM. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy LLC. Wilmington, NC.
  • May 2016 - August 2016.
  • Drafted and submitted journal article “PRISM Reference Fuel Design.”
  • Awarded two patents relating to ESBWR and one patent related to PRISM.
  • Developed PRISM General Description Book and prepared public-facing documents for a general audience.
• Edison Engineering Intern – LOCA & Containment. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy LLC. Wilmington, NC.
  • May 2015 - August 2015.
  • Analyzed reactor transients using TRACG to support 10% power uprate.
  • Created automated data visualization and animation packages using MATLAB.
• Licensed Reactor Operator. NCSU PULSTAR Research Reactor. Raleigh, NC.
  • Licensed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to operate all controls at NCSU reactor facility.
  • Experienced in startup, operation, and troubleshooting on 1 MW research reactor.

Publications

• Dawn, William C. “A Benchmark for Neutron Kinetics Methods in Hexagonal Geometry.” Nuclear Science and Engineering (199), 2024. DOI: 10.1080/00295639.2024.2396173
• Dawn, William C., Gerardo Grandi, and Tamer Bahadir. “Development and Benchmarking of SIMULATE5-K-VVER.” Annals of Nuclear Energy (195), 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2023.110146
• Dawn, William C. and Scott Palmtag. “Solving the Neutron Transport Equation for Microreactor Modeling Using Unstructured Meshes and Exascale Computing Architectures.” Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2023. DOI: 10.1080/00295639.2023.2189510
• Dawn, William C. and Scott Palmtag. “A Multiphysics Simulation Suite for Liquid Metal-Cooled Fast Reactors.” Annals of Nuclear Energy (159), 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108213

Conference Papers

• Dawn, William C. “Peacock: A Monte Carlo Transport Code with Depletion for Reactor Modeling.” Proceedings of Advances in Nuclear Fuel Management (ANFM) 2025, 2025. Clearwater Beach, FL. Text.
• Wemple, C. A., R. M. Ferrer, T. T. Simeonov, J. M. Hykes, W. C. Dawn, and J. D. Rhodes. “Nuclear Data Usage At Studsvik Scandpower and Future Needs from ENDF/B-IX.” Proeedings of Advances in Nculear Fuel Management (ANFM) 2025, 2025. Clearwater Beach, FL. Text.
• Ferrer, Rodolfo, William C. Dawn, and Tamer Bahadir. “Verification of CMS5 for Higher Enrichment and High Burnup PWR Core Design.” Proceedings of Advances in Nuclear Fuel Management (ANFM) 2025, 2025. Clearwater Beach, FL. Text.
• Dawn, William C. “Peacock: A Monte Carlo Code with Shared Memory Parallelism for Consumer-Grade Computing Architectures.” Proceedings of M&C 2025, 2025. Denver, CO. Text.
• Dawn, William C., Charles Wemple, Joshua Hykes, Rodolfo M. Ferrer, and Joel Rhodes III. “Peacock: Development of a New Continuous Energy Monte Carlo Transport Code.” Transactions of the American Nuclear Society. Volume 131. Nov. 2024. Text.
• Dawn, William C., Gerardo Grandi, and Tamer Bahadir. “Initial Validation of SIMULATE5-K and the CMS5 Reactor Modeling Suite with the SPERT-III Experiments” Proceedings of PHYSOR 2024, 2024. San Francisco, CA. DOI: 10.13182/PHYSOR24-43302
• Dawn, William C. and Tamer Bahadir. “Development and Benchmarking of Transient Nodal Code SIMULATE5-K Neutron Kinetics Solver for VVERs and Hexagonal Geometries.” Proceedings of M&C 2023, 2023. Niagara Falls, Ontario. Text.
• Kiefer, Timothy M., William C. Dawn, Khaldoon Al-Dawood, and Scott Palmtag. “Control Rod Modeling in Liquid Metal-Cooled Fast Reactors.” Proceedings of PHYSOR 2022, 2022. Pittsburgh, PA. DOI: 10.13182/PHYSOR22-37649
• Dawn, William C. and Scott Palmtag. “Simplified Thermal Expansion Modeling for Liquid Metal-Cooled Fast Reactors.” Proceedings of M&C 2021, 2021. Raleigh, NC. DOI: 10.13182/M&C21-33702
• Al-Dawood, Khaldoon A., William C. Dawn, and Scott Palmtag. “Multiphysics Simulation of Uranium-Nitride Fueled Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor” Proceedings of M&C 2021, 2021. Raleigh, NC. DOI: 10.13182/M&C21-33708
• Palmtag, Scott, William C. Dawn, and Chase Lawing. “Fast Reactor Depletion Methods in LUPINE” Proceedings of M&C 2021, 2021. Raleigh, NC. DOI: 10.13182/M&C21-33880
• Dawn, William C. and Scott Palmtag. “A Multiphysics Simulation Suite for Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors.” Proceedings of PHYSOR, 2020. Cambridge, UK. EPJ Web Conf, 2021. DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/202124706019

Technical Reports

• Dawn, William C., Javier Ortensi, Mark D. Dehart, and Scott P. Palmtag. “Comparison of Generation of Higher-Order Neutron Scattering Cross Sections.” Idaho National Laboratory, 2020. INL/EXT-19-54899. Tech. Report. DOI: 10.2172/1593864
• Dawn, William C. “An Analytic Benchmark for the Solution to the Isotopic Fission Spectrum Mixture Problem.” Idaho National Laboratory, 2020. INL/EXT-19-54998. Tech. Report. DOI: 10.2172/1593873

Patents

• “Intermixing Feedwater Sparger Nozzles and Methods for using the Same in Nuclear Reactors.” US10566097B2.
• “Acoustic Flowmeters and Methods of Using Same.” US10650931B2.
• “Systems and Methods for Airflow Control in Reactor Passive Decay Heat Removal.” US10937557B2.

Poster Presentations

• Dawn, William C. and Scott Palmtag. “Multiphysics Modeling of Microreactors with Unstructured Mesh Neutron Transport and Exascale Computing Architectures.” NEDAC Poster Session (2022). Raleigh, NC. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.29283.22567
• Dawn, William C. “MC² for High Energy Neutron Cross Sections in MPACT for Molten Salt Fueled Reactors.” ORNL NESLS Intern Poster Session (2017). Oak Ridge, TN.
• Dawn, William C. and Scott P. Palmtag. “Increasing Computational Efficiency of Fluid Property Calculations in CTF.” Office of Undergraduate Research Symposium (2017). Raleigh, NC.
• Dawn, William C., Rebeka S. Gottfried, Matthew T. Ingram, Zachary D. Morey, and Charles W. Tait. “A Thermal Test Location in a Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor.” Office of Undergraduate Research Symposium (2017). Raleigh, NC.
  • Awarded Sigma Xi Best Undergraduate Engineering Poster.

Technical Skills

• Coding Languages: Fortran, C++, C, Python, MATLAB, LaTeX.
• Simulation Packages: CASMO, SIMULATE, MFEM, DIF3D, MC², REBUS, MCNP, Serpent, MPACT, CTF.

Achievements

• Alan F. Henry/Paul A. Greebler – American Nuclear Society Scholarship (2021).
• College of Engineering Master’s Scholar of the Year (2019).
• Nuclear Engineering University Program (NEUP) Fellowship (2017–2020).
  • Fully funded for three years of graduate school.
  • Nationally recognized Department of Energy (DOE) fellowship.
• Nuclear Engineering University Program (NEUP) Undergraduate Scholarship (2014–2017).
• College of Engineering Outstanding Senior Award for Scholarly Achievement Nominee (2017).
• Awarded Sigma Xi Best Undergraduate Engineering Poster for “A Thermal Test Location in a Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor” (2017).
• American Nuclear Society Scholarship (2014–2018).
• Eagle Scout (2012).