Filmed on 10 February 2018 as part of TEDxUTK 2018 Submerged at the Clarence Brown Lab Theatre in Knoxville, TN.

Jim Roberto is Associate Laboratory Director, Emeritus, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He joined ORNL in 1974 after receiving a bachelor's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and doctorate in applied physics from Cornell University. Most recently, he served as ORNL's Associate Laboratory Director for Science & Technology Partnerships, where he oversaw technology transfer and strategic engagement with industry and universities. He previously served as ORNL's Deputy for Science & Technology, Associate Laboratory Director for Physical Sciences, and Director of the Solid State Division.

A former president of the Materials Research Society, Jim has authored or coauthored more than 100 publications, co-chaired numerous national and international conferences, and presented more than 200 invited talks and seminars. His research interests include condensed matter and materials physics, ion-surface interactions, materials for energy-related systems, and the synthesis and properties of super-heavy nuclei. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, fellow of the Materials Research Society, and recipient of the 2004 National Materials Advancement Award from the Federation of Materials Societies. In 2017, he shared in the Flerov Prize from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia for contributions to the discovery of elements 115 (moscovium) and 117 (tennessine).