iFAN Lab

Education

  • Ph.D., Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2019
  • M.S., Statistics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2019
  • M.S., Nuclear Engineering, North China Electric Power University,2016
  • B.S., Nuclear Engineering, North China Electric Power University, 2013 

Background

Fan Zhang obtained a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 2019. Her research focuses on securing and optimizing industrial processes and nuclear power plants through digital twins, predictive maintenance, autonomous controls, AI/ML, and robotics. She actively contributes to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear cybersecurity research and training. Dr. Zhang is a Jim Pope Fellow, and a College of Engineering Cybersecurity Fellow. She received the Ted Quinn Early Career Award in 2021 and the Landis Young Member Engineering Achievement Award in 2025 from the American Nuclear Society. In 2022, she received the Distinguished Early Career Award from the U.S. DOE. Dr. Zhang is an alum of the NAE’s Frontiers of Engineering Program.

Research Areas and Descriptors

Nuclear Robotics, Cybersecurity, Instrumentation & Control, Autonomous control, Process monitoring, fault detection, risk assessment, AI/ML, Digital Twin, Sensor Fusion, Robot Task Planning and Navigation, Teleoperation, VR/AR

Awards

  • Georgia Tech College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Achievement in Research Award, 2025
  • George W. Woodruff School Outstanding Junior Faculty Award, 2025
  • American Nuclear Society (ANS) 40 Under 40, 2025
  • Landis Young Member Engineering Achievement Award, ANS, 2025
  • Best Poster Award, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) Workshop on Grand Challenges in Robotics for Nuclear Environments, 2025
  • Invited participant, National Academy of Engineering (NAE) EU-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, 2023
  • Class of 2023 Volunteer 40 Under 40, University of Tennessee, 2023
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) Distinguished Early Career Award, 2022
  • Ted Quinn Early Career Award, ANS, 2021

Selected Publications

M. Doran, M. Zebrowitz and F. Zhang, “Development of a Vulnerability Management Tool for Advanced Reactors,” Nuclear Technology (2026)

S. Yoo, and F. Zhang, “Cybersecurity Initial Events of Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems using Physical Accident Scenarios,” Annals of Nuclear Engineering (2026)

H. Son, Y.Do, M. Zebrowitz, and F. Zhang, "Physics-Informed Radiation Multi-Source Localization with Robotic Platform," International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications, (2025)

S. Kim, and F. Zhang, “A Robust Anomaly Detection System for Nuclear Power Plants under Varying Environmental Conditions and Malfunction Levels,” Nuclear Technology (2025)