Clair Julia Sullivan

Clair Julia Sullivan is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the Grainger College of Engineering. She holds additional affiliations with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), the Department of Informatics, and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Sullivan earned her PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2002, preceded by dual BS degrees in Physics and Astronomy (1997) and an MS in Nuclear Engineering (1998).

Her research focuses on radiation detection technologies, data science applications in nuclear security, isotope identification algorithms, and big data analytics for sensor networks. She has contributed to critical areas like nuclear nonproliferation, sensor network optimization, and novel neutron detector materials. Notable awards include the DARPA Young Faculty Award (2014) and the Mary Jane Oestmann Professional Women’s Achievement Award (2015).

Sullivan serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Sciences and holds teaching honors including Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2015, 2013). Her interdisciplinary work bridges nuclear engineering with computer science, contributing to advancements in automated radiation analysis systems.