Warren F. Miller Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Warren F. "Pete" Miller Jr.
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Former Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Dennis Spurgeon |
| Succeeded by | Peter B. Lyons |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 17, 1943 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy (BS) Northwestern University (MS, PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Bronze Star |
Warren Fletcher "Pete" Miller Jr. (born March 17, 1943) is an American nuclear engineer. He is famous for his work with nuclear reactors and managing nuclear research. He also helped manage radioactive waste.
Mr. Miller served as the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy from 2009 to 2010. He worked under President Barack Obama. In this role, he was in charge of all programs for the Office of Nuclear Energy.
Before 2009, Miller held important jobs at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He also taught at several universities. These included the UNM and Northwestern.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Warren F. Miller Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a milkman, and his mother was a secretary. He grew up on the city's South Side. He was a great student and did well in ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps).
A sad event happened when Miller was young. In 1955, his classmate, Emmett Till, was murdered. This event deeply affected Miller.
Miller later attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. Very few African-Americans were accepted there at that time. He graduated in 1964 with a degree in engineering.
After West Point, Miller joined the Army. He trained at Airborne School and Ranger School. He became an air defense artillery unit commander. As a captain, he served 13 months in the Vietnam War. He earned the Bronze Star for his brave service. After the war, he continued his military service in California.
In 1969, Miller left the Army. He went to Northwestern University. There, he earned his master's and doctoral degrees in engineering. He also worked as an assistant professor there for a short time.
Career in Nuclear Energy
Working at Los Alamos National Laboratory
In 1974, Miller joined the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This is a special national laboratory for the United States Department of Energy. He worked there for 27 years.
At LANL, Miller held many research and leadership roles. He helped lead nuclear programs and energy programs. He also worked to increase diversity at the lab. He encouraged the lab to hire more minority scientists. He also helped mentor other employees of color. Miller retired from LANL in 2001.
While at LANL, Miller also taught at universities. These included the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Michigan. He was also part of many national committees.
Serving as Assistant Secretary of Energy
In 2009, President Barack Obama chose Miller for a big job. He became the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy. He worked under Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. During his Senate hearing, Miller said that nuclear power was very important for the country's energy future.
As Assistant Secretary, Miller did many important things. He helped create the Nuclear Reactor Loan Guarantee program in 2010. This made it easier to get money for new nuclear reactors. He also worked on the Small Modular Reactor program. He helped start the Nuclear Energy University Program. He also guided research on how to safely get rid of high-level nuclear waste.
Current Work in Nuclear Policy
Since 2010, Miller has continued to work on nuclear energy. He focuses on policy, reactor design, and waste management. He has held many leadership positions. He worked at Texas A&M University and Stanford University. He also co-chaired the Bipartisan Policy Center Nuclear Initiative. He served on the Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee until 2016.
Today, Miller is a Professor of Practice at Texas A&M University. He works in the Department of Nuclear Engineering. He is also connected with Kairos Power, a company working on advanced nuclear technology.
Honors and Awards
Warren F. Miller has received many honors. He is an American Nuclear Society Fellow. His peers also elected him to the National Academy of Engineering.
He was named an Eminent Scholar in New Mexico in 1989. He received the Northwestern University Merit Award in 1993. In 2004, he won the Golden Torch Award for Distinguished Engineers. This award came from the National Society of Black Engineers. For his military service, he received the Bronze Star in 1968. He also got the US Army Commendation Medal in 1969.
Selected Publications
- Lewis, E., & Miller, W. (1993). Computational Methods of Neutron Transport. American Nuclear Society. ISBN: 0-89448-452-4.
See also
- United States Department of Energy
- Neutron transport theory
- Energy policy of the United States
