Alan M. Barker Receives Tennessee Tech’s 2024 Young Alumnus Achievement Award
Cookeville, TN – Tennessee Tech University’s College of Engineering is proud to announce
that Alan M. Barker, a distinguished alumnus and senior nuclear instrumentation and
controls engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has been awarded the 2024
Young Alumnus Achievement Award. This award recognizes Barker’s outstanding professional
accomplishments, leadership in engineering and commitment to innovation.
Barker graduated from Tennessee Tech in 2006 with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering before earning a master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University with a concentration in communications, networking and signal and image processing. His career at ORNL began in 2008 in the Electrical & Electronics Systems Research Division, where he quickly became a leader, rising to senior research and development staff by 2020. Later that year, he was appointed group leader of the Electrical Instrumentation and Controls Engineering Group within the Enrichment Science and Engineering Division. In 2023, Barker advanced to his current role in the Research Reactor Division, where he applies his expertise in controls, data acquisition, signal processing, and systems engineering for the High Flux Isotope Reactor, the United States’ premier reactor-based neutron source.
Throughout his career, Barker has contributed significantly to advancing engineering solutions and is recognized as a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), underscoring his influence in the field.
The Young Alumnus Achievement Award, presented annually by Tennessee Tech’s College of Engineering, honors graduates under 40 who have demonstrated excellence in their professional careers, impacting both their fields and their communities. Barker’s achievements and continued commitment to advancing science and technology exemplify the core values of the College of Engineering.
