Dr. Kemal Pasamehmetoglu has been with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) since 2004, currently serving as the executive director for the Versatile Test Reactor project. Internationally, Pasamehmetoglu chairs the Nuclear Science Committee under the Nuclear Energy Agency of OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development). Previously he served as the associate laboratory director for the Nuclear Science and Technology Directorate between 2012 and 2017. He was instrumental in the launch of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative and initially served as the director for GAIN after its inception. Kemal also served as the national technical director (NTD) for advanced fuels research and development in the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative while also serving as the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Division director at INL between 2005 and 2012.

During Pasamehmetoglu’s tenure as a fuels and materials division director and as a NTD, he has focused on transforming nuclear fuels research and development capabilities in the nation and at INL into world-leading endeavors. Prior to his time at INL, he held senior technical leadership positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory where he worked between 1986 and 2004. He started his career working on light-water reactor safety research.

Pasamehmetoglu holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Central Florida and has 35 years of research and engineering experience within the Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory system.