Victor Der

Dr. Der retired after more than 37 years of service with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA).

During his early career with the AEC and ERDA, he worked on nuclear fast-breeder reactor systems, components, materials, and nuclear codes and standards. He later served in DOE’s civilian radioactive waste management program, where his responsibilities included site characterization, underground geologic testing and monitoring, engineered repository design, waste package development, and performance assessment, including work related to the Yucca Mountain repository site. Dr. Der concluded his federal career as Acting Assistant Secretary in DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy. During his DOE service, he received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive twice.

Before joining the AEC, Dr. Der worked as an analyst on NASA’s Apollo 15 moon mission and conducted research for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on modeling the density of the Earth’s upper atmosphere. From 2015 to 2019, Dr. Der served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University, where he taught graduate-level courses in carbon management and advised student research.

Since 2017, he has served as Advisory Board Chair of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute at the University of Maryland, providing guidance on clean energy research strategy, innovation, and future direction. Dr. Der earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.