Description
Dr. Thomas Kroc is an Applications physicist for Technology Development with the Illinois Accelerator Research Center (IARC). This position draws on his accumulated experience in fundamental high-energy physics research, nuclear power, medical physics, and accelerator physics. Since 2016 he has been Fermilab’s lead investigator in understanding the application of electron and x-ray beams for medical device sterilization. He was the primary author of IARC’s report on medical device sterilization to the NNSA, was a subject-matter expert with a DHS Non-Isotopic Alternative Technologies Working Group, and is now a member of a National Academies committee on Radioactive Sources: Applications and Alternative Technologies.
As a member of, and finally head of, Fermilab’s Neutron Therapy Facility, he lead its successful 510(k) submission for its Neutron Therapy System, developed a new multi-leaf collimator, and adapted, installed, and commissioned a GE 8800 CT scanner to enable it to scan upright patients, in addition to clinical medical physics duties. Dr. Kroc managed the magnetic systems and designed the radiation shielding for the 5 MeV DC accelerator and its high current electron beam as part of Fermilab’s successful demonstration and subsequent operation of relativistic electron cooling. As an undergrad, Dr. Kroc studied physics and nuclear engineering including nuclear safeguards as an undergraduate researcher at Argonne National Laboratory. Dr. Kroc holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned his undergraduate degree in Engineering Physics from The Ohio State University.