Dr. Wesolowski is a world-recognized leader in aqueous chemistry and geochemistry as well as in the structure, dynamics, and reactions at fluid–solid interfaces encountered in a broad range of energy applications including subsurface contamination migration, fossil/nuclear power plant safety, and electrical energy storage. He is widely credited with major contributions to the thermochemical databases used in nuclear waste repository design and performance assessment and in power plant steam generator design and operational safety.

Dr. Wesolowski pioneered the use of hydrothermal experiments and neutron and x-ray scattering methods to address complex problems in geosciences and electrical energy storage. His assembly of a multidisciplinary team in 2008 to integrate computational, analytical, and experimental approaches to understand chemical reaction and transport phenomena resulted in the establishment of the FIRST Center, a DOE Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Energy Frontier Research Center.

Dr. Wesolowski holds one patent, has published nearly 140 papers, and has given numerous invited lectures at national and international meetings. He has been active in the Geochemical Society, which produces the flagship geochemistry journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Dr. Wesolowski served as associate editor of the journal for 17 years and also served as the society’s secretary for 6 years, Board of Directors member for 3 years, and Joint Publications Committee member for 4 years. He also has served on the editorial boards of Chemical Geology and Geochemical Transactions and has received numerous honors from ORNL for his accomplishments in fundamental science and scientific leadership.