Savannah River National Lab Scientists Showcase Big Ideas at Research SLAM

Savannah River National Laboratory Director Johney Green, center, presents awards to Raden Gustinvil, Research SLAM winner, left, and Bronson Lynn, second place winner.

AIKEN, S.C. — Eight early-career scientists recently took to the stage at Aiken Community Theatre to provide three-minute summaries about their research at Savannah River National Laboratory’s (SRNL) 2026 Research SLAM.

In what are called “lightening talks,” the participants displayed fierce competition and expert presentation in front of a panel of judges. Local TV and radio personality Cliff Bennett served as the event master of ceremonies and host for the night.

At the end of the night, Raden Gustinvil, a staff scientist in the Advanced Engineering Division, took first place for his presentation on laser-based additive manufacturing of metals and other nonconventional materials.

Bronson Lynn, a scientist from the Tritium Technology Division, earned second place for his presentation on hydrogen isotope separation for the nuclear fusion fuel cycle and tritium interactions with fusion-relevant materials. SRNL Director Johney Green presented the awards.

Gustinvil also won the People’s Choice Award for the audience’s favorite presentation. He appeared alongside Green on a local TV news show to discuss his win.

As the overall winner, Gustinvil will represent SRNL at next year’s National Lab Research SLAM, which brings together the individual winners of the 17 national laboratories to present their cutting-edge research in effective, easy-to-understand science communication to the public while providing visibility into scientific disciplines and research.

The other SRNL scientists who participated in the SLAM were:

• Arthur Gibson, a postdoctoral research associate in the Advanced Materials and Process Technology Group, specializes in catalyst materials and electrochemistry.
• Ben Foust, a Dwight D. Eisenhower Postdoctoral Fellow in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Division, focuses on fundamental particle physics experimentation and national security through next-generation radiation detection technologies and methods.
• Christopher (CJ) Koch, a scientist in the Weapons Production Technology Directorate, focuses on catalyst development for ammonia decomposition to enable lower temperature conversion to nitrogen and hydrogen.
• Claudia Ann Landrum, a postdoctoral research associate in the Biological and Analytical Sciences Group, focuses on sustainable biomanufacturing using bioinformatics processes.
• Jeanette Pina, a postdoctoral research associate in the Chemical Flowsheet Development Group, researches nuclear waste processing and metal–organic framework development.
• Nathan Wilson, a postdoctoral research associate in the Chemical Flowsheet Development Group, studies legacy radioactive waste simulants, materials testing for 3D printed solutions, and electrochemistry.

-Contributor: Sara Shoemaker