Valerio MascolinoReactor Physics · Colorado School of Mines

Students

Join the group

I'm very passionate about education, and nothing makes me feel more fulfilled than advising the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers. The group has PhD, master's and undergraduate researchers working side by side on the projects below.

Positions: To find out whether funded or volunteer research positions are currently available, email me with your CV and the topics that interest you. valerio.mascolino@mines.edu

Graduate students

PhD and master's students lead a project, publish at venues such as the ANS meetings, and work with partners at Argonne National Laboratory, the Jožef Stefan Institute and the University of Missouri Research Reactor. Master's students from Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino and the Jožef Stefan Institute also do their research with the group.

Meet the PhD students

Mines undergraduates

9 undergraduates currently do research in the group. In 2026 they first-authored papers at the ANS Annual and Winter Meetings, won a best speaker award, and worked at Argonne National Laboratory as a Research Aide.

Meet the undergraduate researchers

How to get in touch

  1. Skim the topics below (or the Fall 2026 research projects list (PDF, 1.7 MB), which breaks each topic into tasks).
  2. Email me with your CV, the topic numbers that interest you, and a few lines on why. I'll let you know whether funded or volunteer positions are currently available.
  3. If you'd rather talk first, book a short meeting.
Email Dr. Mascolino Book a meeting

Research topics

Updated Fall 2026
  1. 01
    A transient fission matrix (TFM) kinetics module for OpenMCRelated project: Real-time 3-D time-dependent neutron kinetics
  2. 02
    Machine learning and AI to accelerate and optimize the fission matrix methodRelated project: ML/AI-enabled simulators and digital twins
  3. 03
    Validating and extending in-core flux reconstruction from ex-core detectorsRelated project: Validating GRACE: in-core flux from ex-core detectors
  4. 04
    An open-source library of advanced and small modular reactor models in OpenMC
  5. 05
    Neutronics and thermal-hydraulics for re-licensing the USGS TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) in Denver
  6. 06
    An open-source fuel management and depletion framework with ADDERRelated project: Open-source research reactor design for proliferation resistance
  7. 07
    Coupling the fission matrix with NekRS and OpenMC for molten salt reactors
  8. 08
    Design and neutronics optimization of the Virginia Research and Education Reactor (POLARIS)
  9. 09
    Variance reduction for Monte Carlo dose calculations of a lunar fission surface power reactorRelated project: Lunar fission surface power: radiation shielding
  10. 10
    An agentic AI digital twin and autonomous control for lunar fission surface power microreactorsRelated project: Lunar fission surface power: radiation shielding
  11. 11
    Reconstructing fuel isotopic signatures with machine learning for safeguards
  12. 12
    Optimizing research reactor experiment loading with machine learning
  13. 13
    Adaptive multiphysics coupling algorithms for advanced reactors
  14. 14
    Generalized matrix-based eigenvalue methods for neutron transport
  15. 15
    Geometry-adaptive fission matrix methods for techno-economic microreactor optimization (MOUSE)
  16. 16
    Neutronic and structural analysis of radiation damage in TRIGA aluminum cladding
  17. 17
    Open-source tools for mechanistic source term analysis of molten salt reactors