Nate Merrow

Nate Merrow is a senior mechanical engineering student at Virginia Tech. Nate has worked in the Nuclear Materials and Fuel Cycle Center since January of 2026 and plans to continue working towards a PhD in Nuclear Engineering through the lab under advisor Dr. Jinsuo Zhang after undergraduate graduation.

Nate's research currently focuses on fluorination studies of mixed oxides using a molten fluoride salt. His research includes analysis of concentration changes in the salt over time, impurity level changes before and after tests, and optimal variable selection for full fluoride conversion.