Bio

Nuria Putnam earned her Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University in May 2026. A member of the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) since 2023, she conducted her thesis research under Dr. Craig Marianno, focusing on expanding the applications of portable radiation detectors for nuclear emergency response.

Putnam’s research investigated whether portable radioisotope identification devices, typically used to identify radioactive materials, could also estimate the mass of neutron-emitting sources. She characterized the neutron detection efficiencies of ORTEC Detective X instruments and used their neutron count measurements to estimate source mass when the isotope’s identity was known. Her results agreed within statistical uncertainty with comparison data, including measurements from a specialized neutron multiplicity detector. The work demonstrated the potential to extend existing portable instruments’ capabilities beyond their primary identification function.

Putnam also earned her bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M in 2024. Following her graduation in May 2026, she joined Los Alamos National Laboratory.