Our 2021 Distinguished Early Career Alumni Award winner is Jacob DeWitte, Ph.D., a nuclear reactor developer commercializing next-generation fission power systems. Dr. DeWitte is a co-Founder and the CEO of Oklo, Inc., a Sunnyvale, California-based company developing and building small nuclear reactors.

Dr. DeWitte is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida in 2008, followed by his Ph.D. at MIT, both in nuclear engineering. While at MIT, his research included developing strategies for better economic management of nuclear power plants.

Dr. DeWitte has conducted nuclear reactor design and analysis for 15 years, including stints at Sandia National Labs, Urenco USA, the United States Naval Nuclear Laboratory, and at General Electric, where he led core design on the PRISM sodium fast reactor. He has experience with design and analysis spanning various reactor types, including molten salt and next-generation pressurized water reactors. In 2014 he was also recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 for the Energy Sector.

Dr. DeWitte raised the first modern institutional venture capital-led financing of a fission company and is currently working to bring the United States’ first commercial advanced reactor to market.

Congratulations to our 2021 Early Career Alumni Award winner, Dr. Jacob DeWitte!