Relatives of Clifford Shull and Ernest Wollan recently gathered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the rededication of the Shull Wollan Center—A Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences.
Shull and Wollan were pioneering researchers of neutron diffraction in the 1940s, laying the groundwork for scientific breakthroughs that continue to this day in physics, energy science, materials science, and biological science.
Additionally, Wollan was a key member of the Manhattan Project research team in Chicago whose work led to the development of the atomic bomb, while Shull was on a team that received the 1994 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work with neutrons.
Since the institute receives state funding as a key showcase of the University of Tennessee–ORNL partnership, the renaming was first approved and announced in April at the spring UT Board of Trustees meeting as a way to honor the pair.
“The shared passion to collaborate and discover that Dr. Shull and Dr. Wollan embraced led to many wonderful advances in the new field of neutron science and to the recognition of this work by the Nobel Committee,” said Taylor Eighmy, UT vice chancellor of research and engagement. “To continue this focus on passion and collaboration to advance discovery is at the heart of the center and provides a path forward for new discoveries.”
A full story on the history of the center and the renaming can be seen at the ORNL website.