Nuclear Engineering

The Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University is conducting research in a number of areas related to Homeland Security. These areas include nuclear and radiological countermeasures and emergency preparedness and response to incidents of radiological terrorism. Rapid triage methods with portable radiation survey instruments for use by first responders to a radiological emergency and the computational comparison of available techniques for detecting nuclear devices and/or radioactive materials at borders and other checkpoints have been studied. Our unique Microbeam Facility allows us to study radiation effects at the level of individual cells – this information could provide a scientific basis for determining the degree and nature of cleanup and remediation warranted following a radiological incident. Finally, researchers in the Department are developing operational radiation detectors that can be used to identify and characterize the extent of the radiological incident to assist first responders to effectively manage the response to such incidents.

Department Head

Raymond Juzaitis

HS Faculty

John W. Poston, Sr.