UOIT announces new Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Dean

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) is pleased to announce Dr. Brent Lewis as the new Dean of the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science (FESNS) effective May 1, 2013.

Dr. Lewis comes to UOIT from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario, where he has been a Professor of Nuclear Engineering in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering since 1988, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)/University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE)/CANDU Owners Group (COG) Industrial Research Chair in Nuclear Fuel since 2007.

"This faculty has forged an impressive reputation for research excellence and outstanding teaching, and I am looking forward to building upon that legacy," said Dr. Lewis. "Thanks to its incredible depth in expertise, the faculty continues to generate graduates who are prepared to lead and excel in the workplace. UOIT’s market-oriented experience is unique: it is providing the necessary knowledge to advance the frontiers of energy systems and nuclear science by developing future applications of technology for the benefit of society and the environment. Through its industry partnerships, FESNS is well-positioned to ensure the Durham Region remains a leader in finding innovative solutions to energy-related questions.”

Dr. Lewis brings to UOIT a long and distinguished record of international contributions in the field of nuclear engineering. He has consulted extensively for the domestic and international nuclear fuel community, and participated in the severe accident research program of France’s Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique in 1994-1995. He has also served on various committees and working groups, including several Standards Committees, the Executive Committee of the Material Science and Technology Division for the American Nuclear Society (ANS), the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the International Organization for Standardization, the International Space Station Multilateral Radiation Health Working Group for the Canadian Space Agency, UNENE and COG. He has also been involved in several field missions on nuclear fuel and verification for the International Atomic Energy Agency. As a result of his research work, he has received several awards from the ANS. Dr. Lewis was appointed a Fellow of the CNS in 2002.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Lewis to UOIT and we know that his extensive experience as an engineer, researcher and administrator will help drive FESNS forward," said Dr. Richard Marceau, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UOIT. "He is extremely well-respected by his peers and has a stellar reputation of leadership and achievement over the past quarter-century at RMC. His career path has touched many areas of nuclear and energy systems engineering and all along he’s been at the forefront of an exciting period of change and growth. With Dr. Lewis at the faculty helm, FESNS will continue to lead the way in cutting-edge research and scholarship, and educating Canada’s best nuclear engineers."

Dr. Lewis earned his Bachelor of Science (Physics) in 1978, his Master of Engineering (Aerospace Science and Engineering) in 1980, and PhD (Nuclear Engineering) in 1984, all from the University of Toronto. Before joining RMC, Dr. Lewis worked at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (1980 to 1988), where he was responsible for an in-reactor research program on nuclear fuel and was section head of fuel performance modelling at the Chalk River Laboratories. For more than 32 years, his research has focused on nuclear fuel behaviour in all reactor conditions as well as aircrew/spacecrew radiation exposure. He has published more than 300 papers and reports.

Dr. Lewis will succeed Dr. George Bereznai, the founding FESNS Dean.

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Ontario Tech University
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