Michael J. Driscoll, MIT professor emeritus of nuclear science and engineering (NSE), recognized for his leadership in research and devotion to mentorship and education, died peacefully on Dec. 31, 2020, in Boston. He was 86.
Born in Peekskill, New York, in 1934, Driscoll received his BS in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Soon after graduating he joined the nuclear U.S. Navy and served as a commissioned officer on the USS Nautilus, the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. His four years “working for Admiral Rickover as a nuclear propulsion engineer” sparked a lifelong passion for nuclear technology and engineering and inspired his career in research and teaching.
Driscoll first came to the MIT Department of Nuclear Engineering (as it was known at that time) as a graduate student in 1962. He earned his doctorate under the supervision of Professor Irving Kaplan and was invited to join the department’s faculty in 1966 by then-department...
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