Robert Wagner is the associate laboratory director for the Energy Science and Technology Directorate (ESTD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he leads more than 500 researchers and operations staff advancing technologies in manufacturing, buildings, transportation, and grid infrastructure. He oversees four U.S. Department of Energy national user facilities—the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center, Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, and National Transportation Research Center—as well as ORNL’s Grid Research Innovation and Development Center (GRID-C).
A first-generation college graduate, Wagner joined ORNL as an undergraduate in 1992 and advanced through multiple leadership roles while building a distinguished career as a globally recognized transportation and combustion researcher. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. A fellow of AAAS, SAE International, and ASME, he has received the SAE International Medal of Honor and the ASME George Westinghouse Gold Medal.