people: T. G. Thundat

Dr. Thomas G. Thundat

Dr. Thomas George Thundat is a Corporate Fellow and the leader of the Nanoscale Science and Devices Group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is also a research professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a visiting professor at the University of Burgundy, France.

He received his Ph.D in physics from State University of New York at Albany in 1987. He is the author of over 215 publications in refereed journals, 45 book chapters, 24 patents and 7 pending patents.

Dr. Thundat is the recipient of many awards that include the U.S. Department of Energy's Young Scientist Award, R&D 100 Awards (1996&2004), Inventors Hall of Fame Award, AMSE Emerging Technology Award, Discover Magazine Award, FLC Awards (2000, 2003, 2005), ASME Pioneer Award, Scientific American 50 Award, Jesse Beams Award, and several UT-Battelle Awards for invention, publication, and Research and Development. Dr. Thundat was also named ORNL Inventor of the Year in 2000 and in 2003 and is also a Battelle Distinguished Inventor.

Dr. Thundat's research is currently focused on novel physical, chemical, and biological detection using micro and nano mechanical sensors. His expertise includes physics and chemistry of interfaces, solid-liquid interface, biophysics, scanning probes, nanoscale phenomena, and quantum confined atoms.