PNNL

David Meier began work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 2008 as a research scientist in the National Security Directorate. Meier has a PhD in radiochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is the group leader for the Nuclear Material Processing Group in the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory.

Meier has more than 15 years of combined experience in nuclear materials management, material control and accountability, safeguards, project management, nuclear production, pre-detonation nuclear forensics, and plutonium reprocessing chemistries at PNNL. He currently supports the Global Nuclear Science and Technology Group as a plutonium processing and nuclear forensics subject matter expert and performs research in the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory facility. He also supports the National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center and the Nonproliferation Research and Development Office, focusing on pre-detonation plutonium processing nuclear forensics. 

Meier leads the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Multi-Laboratory Plutonium Processing Signatures Project at PNNL. These processing, analytical, and modeling capabilities, expand our knowledge of nuclear forensics and morphological signatures associated with plutonium processing chemistries. He also engages with the training and mentoring the next generation of radiochemists and nuclear scientists and collaborates with staff from other national laboratories in the United States and the United Kingdom.

• Plutonium processing chemistry
• Nuclear forensics
• Nuclear non-proliferation
• Plutonium finishing
• Historical plutonium processing operation

• PhD in chemistry, University of Missouri–Columbia, 2008

• BS in chemistry, Lincoln University, 2001

• PNNL National Security Directorate “Collaboration” Core Value Award, 2020
• PNNL Excellent Contribution Award, 2016
• PNNL Outstanding Performance Award for the Plutonium Oxide Lab Scale Platform and Statistical Design Project, 2016
• PNNL Outstanding Performance Award for contributing to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Technical Assessment Team evaluation, 2014
• Certificate of Appreciation from the Director of the Office of Proliferation Detection and the National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development, 2012
• PNNL Outstanding Performance Award to the Mazzini project team for the success of the Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development, 2012
• PNNL Outstanding Performance Award for supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency Nuclear Forensic Training, 2012
• Certificate of Appreciation from the Director of the Office of Proliferation Detection and the National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development, 2012
• PNNL Outstanding Performance Award to the Garibaldi project team for the success of the Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development, 2010

2022

• Liu L., K. Kruska, G.B. Hall, R.A. Clark, D.E. Meier, and E.C. Buck. 2022. "Formation and growth of cerium (III) oxalate nanocrystals by liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy." Scripta Materialia 219. PNNL-SA-172359. doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2022.114856
• Emerson H.P., S.I. Sinkov, C.I. Pearce, K.J. Cantrell, C.H. Delegard, M. Snyder, D.E Meier, and M. Thomas, et al. 2022. "Solubility controls on plutonium and americium release in subsurface environments exposed to acidic processing wastes." Applied Geochemistry. PNNL-SA-163211. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2022.105241

2019

• Coble J.B., and D.E. Meier. 2019. "Monitoring Aqueous Reprocessing Systems for Detection of Facility Misuse." IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 66, no. 4:729 -736. 

2017

• Drescher A., M. Yoho, S. Landsberger, M. Durbin, S. Biegalski, D.E. Meier, and J.M. Schwantes. 2017. "Gamma-Gamma Coincidence Performance of LaBr₃:Ce Scintillation Detectors vs HPGe Detectors in High Count-Rate Scenarios." Applied Radiation and Isotopes 122

2015

• Johnson T.J., L.E. Sweet, D.E. Meier, E.J. Mausolf, E. Kim, P.F. Weck, and E.C. Buck, et al. 2015. "Time-Resolved Infrared Reflectance Studies of the Dehydration-Induced Transformation of Uranyl Nitrate Hexahydrate to the Trihydrate Form." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 119, no. 39:9996-10006

2013

• Sweet L.E., T.A. Blake, C.H. Henager, S.Y. Hu, T.J. Johnson, D.E. Meier, and S.M. Peper, et al. 2013. "Investigation of the Polymorphs and Hydrolysis of Uranium Trioxide." Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 296, no. 1:105-110

2009

• Schwantes J.M., R.S. Addleman, J.D. Davidson, M. Douglas, D.E. Meier, O. Mullen, and M.J. Myjak, et al. 2009. "Medium-resolution Autonomous in situ Gamma Detection System for Marine and Coastal Waters." Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 282
• Meier D.E., A.Y. Garnov, J.D. Robertson, J.W. Kwon, and T. Wacharasindhu. 2009. "Production of ³⁵S for a Liquid Semiconductor Betavoltaic." Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 282