Credentials
Ph.D. Materials Science — Yokohama University, 2005
M.S. Mechanical Eng. (Honors) — Univ. of Illinois, 1993
B.S. Mechanical Eng. (Honors) — Univ. of Illinois, 1988
ASME Fellow — elected 2011
NRC Representative — ASME Board of Nuclear Codes & Standards
Assoc. Editor, J. Pressure Vessel Technology (2012–2017)
David L. Rudland, Ph.D.
Owner & Principal Consultant
Dr. Rudland is the founder and sole consultant at Rudland Consulting Services, LLC. With over 35 years of technical experience in nuclear component integrity, he brings unmatched depth to every engagement.
His NRC career spanned 17 years across three senior roles: Senior Technical Advisor for Nuclear Power Plant Materials (2017–2025), Chief of the Vessel and Internals Integrity Branch (2016–2017), and Chief of the Component Integrity Branch (2013–2016) — where he led teams of up to 13 engineers with an annual external research budget of ~$7M.
Prior to the NRC, Dr. Rudland served as Research Leader and Company Principal at Engineering Mechanics Corporation of Columbus (1999–2008), conducting research for the NRC and international oil and gas companies, including development of the PRO-LOCA probabilistic fracture mechanics code.
Technical Expertise
Probabilistic fracture mechanics
ASME code development & compliance
Structural integrity analysis
Aging & degradation management
Welding simulation & integrity
Awards & Recognition
2024NRC Meritorious Service Award — authoritative leadership and superb technical expertise in developing regulatory policy and solving technical problems in a risk-informed manner
2023ASME PVP Best Technical Paper — "A Review of Current Best Practice for Validation of Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Codes for Assessment of Nuclear Structural Integrity"
2020ASME S.Y. Zamrik Pressure Vessel and Pipe Medal — outstanding contributions in pressure vessel and piping technology
2016ASME S.S. Chen Outstanding Service Award — Pressure Vessel and Piping Division
2010–11ASME PVP Jim Farr Outstanding Conference Session Award (two consecutive years)
