Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering at Illinois

Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering at Illinois The Department of Nuclear Engineering was established in 1958 as an inter-disciplinary program and was granted departmental status in 1986.

Its name was changed to the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering in 1999.

ICYMI: NPRE alum Aristidis Loumis (BS ’18) is headed to Capitol Hill! 🏛Loumis, who was recently named a 2027 Glenn T. Se...
08/29/2026

ICYMI: NPRE alum Aristidis Loumis (BS ’18) is headed to Capitol Hill! 🏛

Loumis, who was recently named a 2027 Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow, spoke with us about how their time at Illinois helped spark an interest in nuclear policy—and the experiences and mentors that helped shape the path they’re on today.

Their advice for current students? “Go where your curiosity and interests take you, not necessarily where you feel people are telling you to go.”

Read our Q&A with Aristidis: https://npre.illinois.edu/news/stories/loumis-fellow

International partnerships are taking Illinois NPRE research around the world. Professor Angela Di Fulvio and research s...
08/28/2026

International partnerships are taking Illinois NPRE research around the world.

Professor Angela Di Fulvio and research scientist Dr. Ming Fang recently traveled to South Korea, where they connected with academic and industry collaborators and participated in international symposia focused on radiation detection, nuclear measurement, safeguards and fuel management.

The trip follows a new global R&D award pairing Di Fulvio and Fang with Korean technology company NeosisKorea—creating new opportunities to turn international connections into collaborative research.

From Illinois to South Korea, NPRE researchers are building partnerships across universities, industries and borders. Full story: https://npre.illinois.edu/news/stories/difulvio-korea

Yesterday was pretty sweet. 🍦🧡NPRE joined our friends in Aerospace Engineering at The University of Illinois for a Welco...
08/25/2026

Yesterday was pretty sweet. 🍦🧡

NPRE joined our friends in Aerospace Engineering at The University of Illinois for a Welcome Back Ice Cream Social on the Talbot lawn, bringing students, faculty and staff together to kick off a new semester.

Between scoops from Main Street Creamery, it was a great afternoon to catch up after the summer, welcome new faces and spend some time with our neighbors in AE before the semester gets into full swing.

Thanks to everyone who joined us—and to AE for helping us start the year on such a sweet note!

Here’s to a great semester ahead. ⚛️🚀

Congratulations to NPRE alum Aristidis Loumis (BS ’18) on being named a 2027 Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and ...
08/24/2026

Congratulations to NPRE alum Aristidis Loumis (BS ’18) on being named a 2027 Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow by the American Nuclear Society!

Currently pursuing their PhD at Virginia Commonwealth University, Loumis will head to Capitol Hill in January for a year working with Congress and bringing their nuclear engineering expertise to the policymaking process.

Congratulations, Aristidis! We’re proud to see where your Illinois NPRE education has taken you—and excited to see what comes next.

To our students, faculty, and staff: Welcome back to NPRE. Let's get to work.
08/24/2026

To our students, faculty, and staff: Welcome back to NPRE. Let's get to work.

A hearty welcome to all of our new graduate students! We're beyond thrilled to have you join our vibrant academic commun...
08/21/2026

A hearty welcome to all of our new graduate students! We're beyond thrilled to have you join our vibrant academic community here at NPRE, where you'll have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge research, collaborate with esteemed faculty and peers, and develop the skills and knowledge needed to excel in your field. We're happy to have you learning and growing here, and we're excited to see the incredible things you'll accomplish during your time with us! 🎉🎓

This summer, NPRE faculty, students and alumni have been making an impact across nuclear regulation, advanced reactor te...
08/19/2026

This summer, NPRE faculty, students and alumni have been making an impact across nuclear regulation, advanced reactor technology, artificial intelligence, energy policy, national security—and even outer space.

In the latest edition of NPRE News, explore how:

⚛️ SoTeRiA researchers are contributing to the national conversation around risk-informed nuclear regulation
🏗️ Illinois’ first-of-its-kind on-campus microreactor project reached a major NRC licensing milestone
🛰️ Angela Di Fulvio is bringing nuclear engineering expertise to questions of arms control and space security
💬 Ph.D. student Jacob Fritchie is making the case for nuclear energy in the clean-energy conversation
💻 Syed Bahauddin Alam is joining national leaders to tackle the computing challenges facing AI
⚓ Distinguished alumnus Eric Rozek has risen to Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy

From Urbana-Champaign to the world’s stage, see where NPRE is making an impact.

Read the August edition of NPRE News: https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/95/304076695.html

What role could nuclear engineering play in keeping nuclear weapons out of space? NPRE associate professor Angela Di Ful...
08/12/2026

What role could nuclear engineering play in keeping nuclear weapons out of space?

NPRE associate professor Angela Di Fulvio explores that question in a recent "Nature" News & Views article examining a new approach to verifying compliance with the Outer Space Treaty.

The research, from MIT’s Areg Danagoulian, proposes using satellites equipped with neutron detectors to identify nuclear weapons in orbit through signals produced when cosmic radiation interacts with nuclear material. Di Fulvio also served as a peer reviewer of the original study.

It’s a fascinating example of nuclear engineering reaching beyond Earth—and contributing to the intersection of technology, arms control and space security.

Read Di Fulvio’s perspective in "Nature": https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01944-4

Congratulations to NPRE assistant professor Jianqi Xi on receiving a new collaborative research award from the National ...
08/07/2026

Congratulations to NPRE assistant professor Jianqi Xi on receiving a new collaborative research award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Foundation for the project “Collaborative Research: Decoding Grain Boundary Complexion Dynamics in Irradiated Compositionally Complex Carbides.”

As the lead investigator, Prof. Xi will direct the project in collaboration with researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The research team will investigate how radiation changes the chemistry and structure of grain boundaries - the internal interfaces where crystal grains meet - in an emerging class of ceramic materials known as compositionally complex carbides.

Although these materials have demonstrated promising resistance to radiation damage, scientists do not yet fully understand how their grain boundaries evolve in extreme environments. By combining materials synthesis, irradiation experiments, advanced microscopy, machine learning, and multiscale modeling, the team aims to determine how material composition can be tailored to improve performance under radiation.

The findings could support the development of more reliable materials for advanced small modular reactors, fusion energy systems, and aerospace. The project will also provide interdisciplinary training for graduate and undergraduate students at both institutions and introduce younger students to radiation effects and materials design through hands-on outreach activities.

Congratulations to Prof. Xi and the collaborative research team!

NPRE professor Mohan Sankaran served as Co-Vice Chair for the Gordon Research Conference on Plasma Processing Science, h...
08/07/2026

NPRE professor Mohan Sankaran served as Co-Vice Chair for the Gordon Research Conference on Plasma Processing Science, held in July at Proctor Academy in Andover, New Hampshire.

The Gordon Research Conferences are a special series of scientific meetings that bring together leading scientists from around the world for a week of presentations and, importantly, informal discussions about the current state and future of their fields. The Plasma Processing Science meeting, one of the longest-running conferences in the series, was no exception. A particular emphasis this year was the commercialization of plasma technologies.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and NPRE were well represented. Prof. Dren Qerimi attended alongside several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from his group, as well as members of Prof. Sankaran’s and Prof. David Ruzic’s groups.

Other Illinois-connected participants included Prof. Necip Uner, an adjunct professor and former postdoctoral researcher; Jasmine Dinari, a B.S. alum; and Prof. Amanda Lietz, a B.S. alum. Additional UIUC participants included Prof. Sung-Jin Park, research professor in ECE, and Prof. Yi-Cheng Wang, professor in Food Science.

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Suite 100 Talbot Lab, MC 234, 104 S Wright Street
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