Carolyn Tomchik is a nuclear engineer in the Nuclear Science and Engineering division, where she examines the safety-related performance of fast reactor fuels. Her current work supports the fast reactor knowledge preservation effort; she develops and manages web-accessible databases describing legacy nuclear fuel and reactor experiments. Her previous work examined the irradiation-induced microstructural changes in nuclear structural materials and their effect on mechanical behavior. Her doctoral work utilized in-situ high-energy X-ray diffraction analysis to examine the microstructural response of irradiated HT-9 steel to tensile loading.

An active Education Outreach volunteer, Carolyn is passionate about engaging youth and families in the exploration of science. At Argonne, she serves on the Women in Science and Technology (WIST) Steering Committee, the leadership team for ABLED (disability advocacy employee resource group), and co-chairs the AET/NTNS Diversity & Inclusion Council. She is also a member of the NPRE Constituent Alumni and Industry Advisory Board at the University of Illinois.

She received her Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Aug. 2016. She also holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois.