Dave Pointer

W. David “Dave” Pointer, Ph.D., is Interim Director of Nuclear Energy Programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he leads development and planning for the laboratory’s nuclear energy research portfolio.  ORNL is one of the world’s premier resources for advanced reactor development, nuclear fuel development and qualification, fuel cycle technology, and analysis capabilities supporting siting, licensing, construction, and operations of nuclear facilities.

A recognized expert in nuclear thermal hydraulics and reactor safety, Pointer’s research work blends deep experience in high-performance computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with experimental methods and engineering component development to deliver predictive modeling and validated solutions for conventional and advanced nuclear systems.

Across his career, Pointer has driven major national modeling and simulation efforts supporting nuclear energy facility design, development and licensing. He helped lead the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program, serving as Technical Area Lead for the Reactor Performance and Safety Analysis product line and later as Technical and Program Integrator for the NEAMS ToolKit. He served as the Deputy Lead for Thermal Hydraulics Methods in the DOE Energy Innovation Hub known as CASL, coordinating verification and validation of advanced thermal hydraulics tools, multiscale “hi2lo” integration methods, and boiling simulation capabilities within industry-relevant code frameworks. Earlier, at Argonne National Laboratory, he managed the Engineering Simulations Section and led development of the SHARP reactor simulation suite to provide high-fidelity, coupled neutronics–thermal fluids–structural mechanics analyses for advanced reactors.

Active in the professional community, Pointer has served the American Nuclear Society (ANS) as an elected member of the Board of Directors (2017–2020), as a chair of the Thermal Hydraulics Division, as the founding chair of the Young Members Group, and as Vice-Chair of the ANS Finance Committee and a member of the National Program Committee. He maintains academic ties as an Outside Graduate Advisor in the University of Tennessee’s Bredesen Center and as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University.

Pointer was recognized as a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society in 2025.  He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville..