Shannon Bragg-Sitton serves as the Idaho National Laboratory associate laboratory director for the Energy and Environment Science and Technology (EES&T) directorate. She has been in this role since 2024 after serving as director of the Integrated Energy and Storage Systems Division for the directorate.

In this role, Shannon oversees EES&T’s 350-plus member team dedicated to a diverse energy agenda. She steers INL’s research efforts in delivering viable advanced energy solutions, focusing on microgrid systems, water treatment, critical materials, and chemical production while harnessing cutting-edge technology to integrate nuclear and intermittent energy sources
into the grid and the industrial sector more efficiently.

Shannon is an internationally esteemed leader in coupling nuclear energy with other energy sources for optimal energy use and has been instrumental in advancing energy systems integration, ensuring generator profitability, and enhancing grid reliability and resilience.

Shannon previously directed the Integrated Energy and Storage Systems Division within EES&T, overseeing critical departments like Power and Energy Systems, Energy Storage and Electric Transportation, and Hydrogen and Electrochemistry. Before this, she honed her expertise as the System Integration Department manager in the Nuclear Science and Technology directorate.

Since joining INL in 2010, Shannon has taken on several pivotal roles in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy projects, from spearheading integrated energy systems and microreactor development to advancing nuclear fuels development. She is chair of the Gen-IV International Forum’s Task Force on Non-electric Applications of Nuclear Heat and previously served as the inaugural national technical director for DOE’s Integrated Energy Systems and Microreactor programs.

Her academic journey began at Texas A&M University, where she earned a bachelor’s in nuclear engineering, followed by a master’s in medical physics from the University of Texas at Houston, and culminating in a master’s and doctorate in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan. Her career also includes a tenure as an assistant professor of nuclear engineering at Texas A&M and a role at Los Alamos National Laboratory in space power and propulsion systems.

Shannon’s contributions have earned her the distinction of Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and the honor of winning the DOE Secretary of Energy Achievement Award twice.