Dr. Timothy Ashenfelter guides interdisciplinary research & development (R&D) as Deputy Division Director at Argonne, building on 19+ years of expertise in nuclear non-proliferation, counter-proliferation, sensor design, nuclear forensics, modeling & simulation, and machine learning for nuclear threat detection. He combines experience in industry, national laboratory research, emergency response, and federal government centered on the intersection of discovery science and national security. As a federal Program Manager, he spearheaded and facilitated the major expansion of Nuclear Forensics with DOE/NNSA’s Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research & Development to include of transfer of mission capabilities from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Countering of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD).

Before this role, Tim simultaneously managed two portfolios within the DHS’ Transformational and Applied Research Directorate within CWMD. He successfully oversaw and significantly expanded DHS’ Advanced Analytics Portfolio and the Nuclear Forensics Portfolio. These efforts included groundbreaking and multi-disciplinary research in emerging technologies that included multi-physics modeling, operational/behavioral modeling, training & human-machine interface technology, novel sensor designs, quantum sensors, artificial intelligence, material signatures and characterization methodologies, image/video processing techniques, and threat detection algorithms.

Throughout his career, Tim has taken the lead, initiated, and contributed to numerous interagency coordination bodies focused on nuclear data, nuclear forensics, modeling & simulation, bio-nuclear, interagency R&D, emergency response, international engagements, and technology transitions.  This involvement has culminated in co-authoring several high-impact interagency strategic plans and roadmaps.

Additionally, Tim brings industry experience in technology development for the CWMD mission space as a scientist and program manager at Huntington Ingalls Industries and Noblis by supporting Dept. of Homeland Security, Dept. of Defense, and Department of Justice. He served as a deployed scientist and leader on multiple NNSA Nuclear Emergency Support Teams (NEST) at DOE’s Remote Sensing Laboratory-Andrews, where he also successfully transitioned advanced detection technology and algorithms into operational capability 

Tim earned his Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in physics (nuclear astrophysics) from University of Notre Dame, focusing on the formation of the elements and isotopes in the Universe’s first stars.