UF Nuclear Engineering Program

Welcome to the University of Florida Nuclear Engineering Program home page. Housed within the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering, the program offers students an opportunity to work on research teams related to backscatter radiation, extreme environments testing and nuclear fuel cycles. Students also conduct research alongside academics and in partnership with national labs and government agencies, including Idaho National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy.

At UF, we’re developing the next generation of nuclear engineering leaders by performing high-impact research and providing exceptional educational programs. We build on our unique strength as a department by combining the disciplines of both Nuclear Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering to benefit society locally, nationally and globally.

Faculty Research Areas

Nuclear technology and research contribute in multiple ways to our health, development and safety. You may not realize it, but it's utilized across nearly all aspects of our lives and community, from clean energy production to medicine to agriculture.

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Research Facilities

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering’s Research Service Centers support and enhance the research, education, and public service missions of the University of Florida by providing access to characterization and process instrumentation.

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Why Nuclear Engineering at UF?

At UF, we’re developing the next generation of nuclear engineering leaders by performing high-impact research and providing exceptional educational programs.

Find Out More Nuclear Engineering Program

Faculty Research Areas

Nuclear technology and research contribute in multiple ways to our health, development and safety. You may not realize it, but it's utilized across nearly all aspects of our lives and community, from clean energy production to medicine to agriculture.

Find Out MoreNuclear Engineering Program

Nuclear Engineering Faculty

Photo of Assel Aitkaliyeva Assel AitkaliyevaAssociate Professor

Work 176 Rhines Hall (352) 846-3778

Ph.D., 2012, Texas A&M University

Research Interests: Nuclear Fuels and Materials, with emphasis on characterization and property evaluation; Mechanical and Thermal properties of materials; Reactor Irradiation; Radiation damage in materials; Ion Implantation; Kinetics; Composites; Nanostructured materials; Multi-Scale simulation of nuclear fuel.

Lab Website: MAterials for Nuclear Advancement and Technology in Extreme Environments (MANATEE) Group

Photo of James Baciak James BaciakProfessor, Florida Power and Light Professor

Work Nuclear Annex 113 (352) 273-2131

Research Interests: Applied aspects of cargo monitoring, detector testing and characterization for gamma-ray spectroscopy, as well as development and analysis of techniques for environmental sampling and surveys related to on-site inspections.

Photo of Andreas Enqvist Andreas EnqvistNuclear Engineering Program Director, Florida Power and Light Professor, Associate Professor

Work 100A Rhines Hall (352) 294-2177

Ph. D. Chalmers, University of Technology, Sweden

Research Interests: Nuclear safeguards, detection statistics of radiation from fissile materials, and the physics behind particle-detector interactions. Neutron physics & detectors. Neutron noise signals. Radiation signal analysis

Lab Website: Enqvist Research Group

Photo of Ira Harkness Ira HarknessInstructional Assistant Professor, Director of IT and Facilities

Work 116 Rhines Hall 352-846-3329

Ph.D., 2018, University of Florida

Research Interests: Monte Carlo methods; neutron transport; nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation

Photo of Kyle C. Hartig Kyle C. HartigAssistant Professor

Work 210 MAE (202) 270-4721

Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Research Interests: Remote Sensing, Nuclear Nonproliferation/counterproliferation, Nuclear Security, and Nuclear Policy

Lab Website: Hartig Research Group

Photo of Chris McDevitt Chris McDevittAssociate Professor

Work 174 Rhines Hall (352) 846-3785

Ph.D., 2008, University of California San Diego
Research Interests: Computational and Theoretical Plasma Physics, Magnetic and Inertial Confinement Fusion, Plasma Turbulence, Momentum Transport, Runaway Electrons, Monte Carlo Methods

Lab Website: McDevitt Lab

Photo of Jyothier Nimmagadda Jyothier NimmagaddaResearch Assistant Scientist

Work UFTR 557 (352) 294-2102

Ph.D., 2015, Idaho State University
 
Research Interests: Reactor Physics Experiments, Non-destructive radiation imaging, Monte-Carlo Methods, Pre and Post Irradiation Analysis, Medical Imaging, Radiation Detection

Photo of DuWayne Schubring DuWayne SchubringInstructional Associate Professor, NE Undergraduate Coordinator

Work 317A MAE (352) 294-7870

Ph.D., 2009, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Interests: Two-phase flow, nuclear reactor thermal hydraulics, quantitative visualization, nuclear reactor safety, computational and numerical methods including coupled codes, advanced nuclear power systems

Photo of Michael Tonks Michael TonksProfessor and Associate Department Chair, Alumni Professor of Materials Science & Engineering

Work 100D Rhines Hall (352) 846-3779

Ph.D., 2008, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Research Interests: Computational materials science, Computational mechanics, Coevolution of microstructure and properties, Materials in Harsh Environments, Mesoscale modeling and simulation, Nuclear materials, Numerical methods

Lab Website: Tonks Research Group

Photo of Don Wall Don WallDirector, UF Training Reactor (UFTR), Professor of Practice

Work 311 MAE Building (352) 273-2662

Ph.D. 2001, Florida State University

Photo of Nathalie Wall Nathalie WallProfesssor

Work 323 MAE Building (352) 273-0279

Ph.D., 1993, University of Paris, XI

Research Interests: Radiochemistry, Nuclear Wastes, Nuclear Forensics, Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Environmental Behavior of Radionuclides

Lab Website: Wall Research

Photo of Justin Watson Justin WatsonAssociate Professor

Work Rhines 178 (352) 273-0241

Ph.D., 2010, Penn State University

Research Interests: Reactor Kinetics and Dynamics, Neutronics, Thermal Hydraulics, Multiphysics Simulation, Advanced Numerical Methods, Applied Mathematics, Advanced Code Coupling Techniques, Scientific Software Development, High Performance Computing

Lab Website: Florida Advanced Multiphysics Modeling and Simulation (FAMMoS) Lab

Photo of Yong Yang Yong YangAssociate Professor and NE Graduate Coordinator

Work 202A Rhines Hall (352) 846-3791

Ph. D., 2005, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Interests: structural and fuel materials for nuclear energy systems; LWRs sustainability and aging management; advanced fabrication and joining technologies; used fuel dry storage and disposition.

Lab Website: MAterials for Nuclear Advancement and Technology in Extreme Environments (MANATEE) Group

 

Other Nuclear Engineering Program News

  • MSE Alumnus Ricardo Perez Elected to PSEG, Inc. Board of Directors

    01/26/2024

    MSE Alumnus Ricardo Perez Elected to PSEG, Inc. Board of Directors

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  • UF-led group develops new tools to track illicit nuclear materials

    12/12/2023

    A visibly nervous man is stopped at a border crossing in eastern Europe. Authorities find a glass tube filled with black powder inside a heavy lead container in his trunk. Geiger counters go crazy. The powder is radioactive.
    North Korea conducts a nuclear test and within hours U.S. “sniffer” planes scramble to gather air samples off ...

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  • Next-Generation Nuclear Energy: Crafting the Future with Innovative Fuel Designs 

    12/07/2023

    As the world grapples with the need for carbon-free power generation, advanced reactor designs are crucial to the transition. A Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP)-funded investigation into the behavior of U-Zr annular fuel will not only address uncertainties in advanced reactor designs but also contribute to the broader goal of establishing ...

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  • Dr. Kyle Hartig Receives INMM Early Career Award, Joint Appointment with Savannah River National Lab

    08/14/2023

    Kyle C. Hartig, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Nuclear Engineering Program within the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, continues to set the standard in the field of nuclear materials security.  
    The Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) has recognized Dr. Hartig with its 2023 Early Career Award presented at its 53rd annual meeting in Vienna, ...

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  • 3D Printing the Next Generation of Nuclear Power Plant Components

    06/13/2023

    Light Water Reactors (LWRs) are the most widely used type of nuclear reactor in the world. However, as alternative designs continue to emerge and gain traction, they may represent the future of clean power generation.  
    One of those designs, the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR), uses a liquid mixture of salts as both a coolant and fuel ...

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  • Top-tier Excellence: UF MSE and NE Graduate Programs Continue to Shine Among the Best in the Nation

    04/28/2023

    The UF Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) and the UF Nuclear Engineering Program (NE), housed within the department, continue their stay among the best-ranked graduate school programs at public universities in the U.S. 
    The 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings among U.S. public universities place the MSE graduate program at ...

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  • Assel Aitkaliyeva Selected as UF Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentor Award Winner

    02/03/2023

    Congratulations to Assel Aitkaliyeva, Ph.D., recipient of the 2022-2023 Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Award from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Dr. Aitkaliyeva is an associate professor in the Nuclear Engineering Program housed within the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. 
    “Advising and mentoring graduate students, from recruiting and guiding them through the first challenging year of ...

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  • Nuclear Sleuths: University of Florida to Lead $25 million National Consortium on Nuclear Forensics

    02/03/2023

    For decades, the United States has been at the forefront of reducing the number of nuclear arms worldwide and curtailing the spread of illicit atomic-based technology. It has also led the way in developing the advanced nuclear forensics capabilities needed to bolster this effort. But to extend the U.S.’s ongoing nuclear nonproliferation and security capabilities, ...

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  • UF Engineering Collaboration Aims to Add Decades of Safe, Clean Energy Production to U.S. Nuclear Reactors

    07/27/2022

    Engineers from UF’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) are collaborating on research investigating neutron irradiation-induced embrittlement in nuclear reactor pressure vessels.
    Douglas Spearot, Ph.D., professor of MAE and principal investigator, and Assel Aitkaliyeva, Ph.D., associate professor of MSE, are part of the $800,000 study. Along ...

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  • Andrew, Aitkaliyeva Receive Promotions

    06/30/2022

    Jennifer Andrew, Ph.D., has been promoted to full professor, and Assel Aitkaliyeva, Ph.D., has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure.
     
    Dr. Andrew received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her B.S. from Northwestern University, both in Materials Science and Engineering. She joined the University of Florida in 2011 following a postdoctoral ...

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