Professor Dolan has worked on nuclear technology and international relations issues for three universities, five national laboratories and in nine countries, including in his position as Physics Section Head for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Dolan’s primary research interests are concerned with molten salt fission reactors and nuclear fusion technology.

He developed three courses at the University of Missouri-Rolla on fusion research principles, fusion experiments, and fusion technology. As well as the numerous academic positions he has held, he also has experience working in industry (Phillips Petroleum Company) on fusion research and other nuclear topics. As Head of the Physics Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) he helped facilitate international cooperation in fusion research, including organization of the semi-annual IAEA Fusion Energy Conferences. Since then he has taught courses on fusion research at the University of Illinois, in China, and in India.