Rebecca “Bekki” Mills
High-Temperature Sample Environment Team Lead
Spallation Neutron Source, High Flux Isotope Reactor
Rebecca “Bekki” Mills is the High-Temperature Sample Environment Team Lead at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She enjoys riding motorcycles with her husband, mountain biking with her sons, and fishing. Bekki has worked at Oak Ridge since 2007.
We support user experiments for high-temperature environments. We plan, set up, and maintain all of the high temperature equipment at SNS and HFIR. From the moment someone puts a proposal in, we work with them to make sure they get what they need to perform their research. For example, our electrostatic levitator can bring material to over 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit, which is good for looking at things like phase transitions and metallic liquids.”
“Once we finish an experiment, and our researcher goes away happy with the data, that’s when I feel most satisfied with my work. I also enjoy helping junior members of my team grow as professionals. When they reach their goals, I feel accomplished because it means that I’ve effectively taught them how to do our work well.”
–Bekki Mills
