Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering at Illinois

10/09/2026

Big opportunities, bright futures, and some pretty impressive earning potential. 🧡⚛️

According to a new college earnings guide from The New York Times, **University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign nuclear engineering graduates top the list of programs shown, with reported earnings of $116,047!**

At NPRE, we're proud to prepare students for careers that tackle some of the world's biggest challenges, from clean energy and advanced reactors to nuclear security, medicine and beyond.

It's great to see the financial value of an Illinois nuclear engineering education highlighted alongside the exciting career opportunities available to our graduates.

A degree that can make a difference in the world AND open doors to a rewarding career? That's something worth celebrating.

🔗 Explore the data:

College is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make. We built a tool to compare the earnings of all available majors in a federal data set at nearly every school.

10/07/2026

NPRE students took their research beyond campus—and came home with a first-place finish!

This summer, NPRE undergraduates Aadit Bhatia and Spencer Fargusson, both members of the Socio-Technical Risk Analysis (SoTeRiA) Research Laboratory, participated in the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s NEST Workshop on Fast Reactors and Fuel Cycles at Argonne National Laboratory.

The international workshop brought together students, national laboratory researchers and academic experts to explore fast reactor technology, fuel cycles and the challenges surrounding future deployment.

Aadit and his student group earned first place for their presentation on fast reactor fuels, examining different fuel types and the safeguards considerations associated with them. Spencer and his group explored the challenges and opportunities of deploying fast reactors in the United States, including safety, regulation and waste management.

Congratulations to Aadit and Spencer for representing NPRE and SoTeRiA so well and for showing where undergraduate research at Illinois can take you.

Read the full story: https://npre.illinois.edu/news/stories/soteria-nest-26

The Grainger College of Engineering

09/30/2026

Yesterday’s SPEED-Interchange brought our students together with professionals from across the nuclear energy and national laboratory communities for a full day of conversations, career insights, résumé reviews and new connections.

A huge thank you to our guests from Argonne National Laboratory, Burns & McDonnell, Constellation, Idaho National Laboratory, Jensen Hughes, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TerraPower and Westinghouse for sharing their time and expertise with our students.

And, of course, thank you to all of our students who participated, asked great questions and took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about where an NPRE degree can take them.

Events like SPEED-Interchange are all about bringing our community together and helping students make connections that can shape what comes next. Thanks to everyone who made this year’s event such a success!

09/23/2026

Modernizing nuclear regulation starts with a strong foundation in evidence.

Illinois researchers led by NPRE professor Zahra Mohaghegh and College of Law professor Arden Rowell are bringing engineering, risk analysis, and legal expertise to proposed changes in federal nuclear regulation.

In a public comment to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the team calls for better-supported safety evaluations and a fuller accounting of costs and benefits to advance efficient reactor licensing while protecting public health and safety.

Read the story: https://npre.illinois.edu/news/stories/zm-nrc-comment

09/16/2026

NPRE is looking for an Office Administrator to join our team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

This is a key role in our department, working closely with the department head and supporting the faculty, staff and students who make NPRE such a vibrant community. From coordinating departmental operations and faculty searches to helping bring events, workshops, career fairs and other activities to life, no two days are quite the same.

Apply by 6 p.m. CST on Sept. 28. Know someone who would be a great addition to NPRE? Please share!

Apply at: https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/17984?c=illinois

09/16/2026

Powerful AI is one thing. Making it work reliably in the real world is another.

Congratulations to NPRE assistant professor Syed Bahauddin Alam, who has received a prestigious NSF CAREER Award for research aimed at closing the gap between what artificial intelligence can do in theory and what it can actually do inside advanced energy systems.

Alam's project will explore a new approach to AI that is smaller, more energy-efficient, physics-aware and designed from the start to operate under real-world constraints—including limited computing power, changing conditions and sparse or degraded sensor data.

The goal? Develop AI that doesn't just perform well in a data center, but can be deployed where the physics is actually happening—including in advanced nuclear reactors and other safety-critical energy systems.

The five-year project brings together foundation models, virtual sensing, brain-inspired AI, neuromorphic computing and hardware-aware design.

Congratulations to Professor Alam and the students and collaborators helping advance this exciting work!

Read the full story: https://npre.illinois.edu/news/stories/alam-nsf-career
The Grainger College of Engineering

09/04/2026

Meet the NPRE 100 freshman class!

More than 70 students are enrolled in NPRE 100 this fall, including more than 60 NPRE students. They’re part of what may be the largest undergraduate enrollment in the department’s history.

It’s exciting to see so many students beginning their journey in nuclear, plasma and radiological engineering—and to think about where that journey may take them.

Among this group are future researchers pushing the boundaries of what we know, engineers tackling some of society’s biggest challenges, and leaders who will shape the future of industry and academia.

We can’t wait to see what they accomplish. ☢️🧡💙

09/02/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Caleb Brooks, who has been named an Abel Bliss Professor in The Grainger College of Engineering!

The appointment recognizes Brooks’ contributions to nuclear engineering, from advancing research in thermal hydraulics and multiphase flows to building multidisciplinary teams that address the challenges of deploying new nuclear technologies.

“This achievement is not possible without an incredible group of research staff, students, and collaborators, and I see it as recognition of what we have been able to do together,” Brooks said.

The professorship will help Brooks and his group pursue ambitious research, expand collaborations and create new opportunities for students preparing to lead the next generation of nuclear engineering.

Read more about the appointment and what Brooks hopes to accomplish next: https://npre.illinois.edu/news/stories/brooks-bliss

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

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