Zachary Fleetwood has been selected for the 2016 IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS) Paul Phelps Award. The IEEE NPSS is the premier professional association for the advancement of the nuclear and plasma sciences, sponsoring seven technical conferences and three peer-reviewed journals.

A Ph.D. student in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Fleetwood investigates radiation effects (total ionizing dose and single event effects) in silicon and silicon-germanium (SiGe) based microelectronic technologies. The focus of his Ph.D. dissertation work is on correlating fundamental damage mechanisms between heavy-ion induced single event transients (SETs) and laser-induced SETs in SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). His research leverages advanced models and simulations in order to identify the underlying physical phenomena involved with single event effects. The aim of his work is to help accelerate testing schedules for costly broad-beam experiments.

Advised by the Schlumberger Chair Professor of Electronics John Cressler, Fleetwood has authored or co-authored 16 publications, including the NSREC 2014 Outstanding Student Paper Award and the BCTM 2015 Best Student Paper Award. His research is supported by collaborations with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).