Profile

Brenda L. Garcia-Diaz is the manager of the Energy Materials Group at Savannah River National Laboratory
(SRNL), where she leads research and development efforts addressing clean energy challenges, including
fusion energy, nuclear fuel processing, and high-temperature corrosion in concentrating solar power
(CSP) systems. Her expertise spans electrochemical engineering, nuclear materials processing, corrosion
science, and fuel cell technologies, with extensive experience developing innovative methods for tritium
recovery, electrochemical fuel processing, and advanced energy materials. She has led and contributed
to projects supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Advanced Research Projects Agency-
Energy (ARPA-E), and industry partners, collaborating with national laboratories, universities, and
private-sector organizations. Garcia-Diaz holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of
South Carolina, and is widely recognized for her work in energy materials and process innovation,
including the ASM International Silver Award and designation as an ASM Fellow. She serves on the DOE
Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC), contributes to the development of the national
fusion energy strategy, and is the director of the Fuel Cycle FIRE Collaborative, advancing fuel cycle
technologies and workforce development for fusion commercialization.