Tabatha Burke
Tabatha Burke is a nuclear materials specialist at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). She is responsible for supporting procurement of most items used to operate and maintain the reactor. She is excited about the future of HFIR and its potential to contribute to scientific discoveries, especially in the field of medicine. Tabatha likes to hang out on the lake with her husband, play with her dog, run, and kayak.
I started my professional career as the bursar at Roane State Community College. I was the youngest bursar in the Tennessee Board of Regents network. I helped students every single day and took pride in helping them get through college. Now, instead of having students to support, I have engineers, researchers, and staff to help every day. I’m currently supporting beamline improvements at HFIR, the HFIR beryllium outage, and the replacement of several core reactor components.
My age seems to be a challenge that I face in my career. My goal is to show others that despite being a millennial, I have the drive, dedication, and knowledge that it takes to lead at ORNL."
–Tabatha Burke
