Dr. Robert Wagner, associate laboratory director at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will discuss his journey from Missouri S&T to leading national energy research programs during the Kummer Keynote Speaker Series at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in Room G5 of the Humanities and Social Sciences Building. He will reflect on the choices that shaped his path from an S&T undergraduate to a leader of national teams and facilities. He will also discuss today’s U.S. energy landscape and ORNL’s role in advancing manufacturing, mobility, buildings and the grid. All students, faculty and staff are invited, and students can register on MinerLink.

Wagner leads ORNL’s Energy Science and Technology Directorate, where his team of more than 550 researchers advance innovations in manufacturing, buildings, transportation and the electric grid. His directorate also stewards several Department of Energy national user facilities, including the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center, the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, the National Transportation Research Center, and the Grid Research Integration and Deployment Center. These platforms connect students, faculty, industry representatives and lab researchers to accelerate innovation from idea to deployment. Wagner previously directed the National Transportation Research Center and helped launch a DOE initiative uniting nine labs, more than 20 universities and multiple program offices to optimize fuels and engines.

A first-generation college graduate, Wagner earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from S&T. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS), SAE International and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and a recipient of major honors including the SAE International Medal of Honor and the ASME George Westinghouse Gold Medal.

The Kummer Keynote Speaker Series brings leaders and innovators to Missouri S&T to share lessons in technology, entrepreneurship and leadership. Designed for students, the series offers practical takeaways, Q&A and networking to explore career and research opportunities. Presented by the Kummer Vanguard Scholars Student Steering Committee, it is open to all students, faculty and staff.