Ben Lindley

Ben Lindley is an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2020. He leads research in advanced reactor design, reactor physics, and integrated energy systems with a focus on cost reduction, nuclear-solar co-generation, and multiphysics modeling. His work spans computational methods development, safety analysis, and fuel cycle optimization, supported by DOE grants and collaborations with Argonne National Laboratory.

• Education: PhD in Nuclear Engineering (Cambridge, 2014), MEng & BA in Mechanical Engineering (Cambridge, 2011)
• Affiliations: Joint faculty appointment at Argonne National Laboratory

His research explores nuclear reactor design, flexible operation (load-following, thermal storage), and economic viability of advanced reactors. Recent publications highlight innovations in microreactors, molten salt systems, and fusion-fission hybrids, with methodological advances in reinforcement learning for reactor control and open architecture design.

Key article trends include:

• Advanced reactor cost reduction
• Nuclear-solar synergy
• Accident-tolerant fuel analysis
• Fusion energy commercialization
• Uncertainty quantification
• High-fidelity computational modeling

Scientific Awards:

• 2021 ICONE21 Best Paper Award
• 2011 Babcock Award Runner-Up
• IET Bill Kerss Scholarship
• ANS 40 Under 40
• Cambridge Rex Moir Prize

Ben leads the RETI Lab (reti.ep.wisc.edu), mentoring graduate students through courses like Nuclear Reactor Theory (NE405) and advising on advanced reactor projects with national laboratories.