Gerald Kulcinski: 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award recipient

BSChE ’61, MSNE ’62, PhDNE ’65
Co-founder, president, CEO and CTO, Clandestine Materials Detection Inc.

A nuclear engineering professor emeritus and pioneer in fusion reactor design, advanced fuels and scientific understanding of radiation damage who has created a legacy of exceptional public service, mentorship and education.

After earning his degrees at UW-Madison, culminating in his PhD in 1965, Gerald Kulcinski returned to his alma mater in 1971 as a professor, retiring more than four decades later as the Grainger Professor of Nuclear Engineering. Over more than 43 years at the university, he built an exceptionally distinguished career as an educator and researcher. His pioneering work focused on developing fusion reactors as future sources of clean, safe and economical energy.

Kulcinski is an international leader in studying the economic and environmental issues of fusion power, and his research has included energy applications, materials research and detailed conceptual design of fusion power plants. In particular, he led groundbreaking research into using advanced fuels such as helium-3 (a light isotope of helium that’s rare on earth but abundant on the moon) or deuterium-helium-3 in fusion reactors to generate energy.

“Using helium-3 as fusion fuel could dramatically reduce the radioactivity involved in the nuclear system by orders of magnitude and generate significantly less dangerous radioactive waste, which is a really big deal,” he says. “At UW-Madison, we did pioneering research on helium-3 for fusion that I’m very proud of.”

In 1993, Kulcinski received the NASA Public Service Medal for his research on capturing lunar helium-3 as an energy resource. Among his many honors, he received the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal in 2010 to recognize his leadership on the NASA Advisory Council from 2005 to 2009, and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1993.

Now, through his spinoff company Clandestine Materials Detection, he has developed a highly accurate nuclear detection and analysis system that provides quick, inexpensive and safe detection of hidden explosives from far away.

What’s an experience at UW-Madison that made a big impact on you?

Being a student athlete on the Badger football team. I tried out for the team as a freshman walk-on and was lucky enough to earn a scholarship as a right guard and linebacker. I only had enough money to spend one year at UW-Madison, so the football scholarship allowed me to stay and complete my degree here. Without the scholarship, I would’ve gone back to my hometown in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and my career would have been completely different. I credit the athletic program with helping me get through the nuclear engineering program. I was proud to be a member of the 1960 Badger Rose Bowl team, when Wisconsin made only its second appearance ever at the Rose Bowl.

Which do you prefer?

Camp Randall Stadium, the Kohl Center, or the Wisconsin Field House?
Camp Randall, of course, since I played on the football team. But I also really enjoyed going to watch the UW boxing matches at the Field House, which were always packed with fans.

Do you have a favorite campus experience?
I was a member of a fraternity on campus, and that was great for meeting people and making friends that I remained close with long after graduation. I spent a lot of time on Langdon Street, which was fun.

What was your favorite campus lunch spot as a student?
Well, I didn’t have much money for lunch, but I did enjoy going to the Memorial Union. It was a big deal for us. Being from a small city, the union was a wonderful place to meet people from all over the country and the world, and it really helped broaden my perspective.