A group led by Brent Heuser is nearing the end of its first year of research to develop improved cladding for nuclear fuel rods. Computer simulation led by Tomasz Kozlowski, an assistant professor in NPRE, is supporting research on the experimental side. Kozlowski is one of a growing number of researchers taking advantage of high-performance computers such as the Illinois Campus Cluster to predict optimal outcomes prior to experiments and in some cases to explain the outcomes afterward.