Eric W. Papaioannou is the director of the Materials and Fuels Complex
(MFC) Maintenance, Infrastructure & Fabrication Division. He holds a
bachelor’s degree in physics with an emphasis in radiological engineering from
Idaho State University.
He has 36 years of nuclear experience, beginning in 1986 with his career in the United States Naval Nuclear Program where he spent just over nine years. He served aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and at the A1W Prototype as a staff instructor. Following his naval service, he attended Idaho State University and obtained his degree. In 1998, he began working for Argonne National Laboratory-West as an operator in the Fuel Conditioning Facility. In 2000, he became the Fuel Conditioning Facility (FCF) plant criticality safety engineer and eventually was responsible for the criticality safety program in multiple MFC facilities. Following the Idaho National Lab merger in 2005, he served on the Hot Cell Services (HCS) Department Manager's staff and has since held multiple positions throughout MFC Operations including assistant nuclear facility manager (NFM) for Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), NFM for the Fuel Conditioning Facility, NFM for HFEF, Operations Department Manager, MFC Maintenance Department Manager, and MFC Operations, Maintenance, Infrastructure & Fabrication Division Director.
In these roles Eric was responsible to ensure that these facilities were appropriately staffed, maintained, and operated to meet INL's mission in an effective, safe, and compliant manner. Eric has served as the chair of the MFC Operational Safety Board, the vice-chair of the INL Operations Council, chair of the INL ALARA Committee, and is a current member of the Battelle Operations Committee for LANL Operations.
