Distinguished nuclear engineering professor appointed Dean of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology announces the appointment of Dr. Akira Tokuhiro, PhD, as Dean of the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, effective Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

Akira Tokuhiro is a noted international expert in all aspects of nuclear reactor engineering, design and safety. He served on the American Nuclear Society's President's Committee on the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in Japan, and was technical co-author of a book on the accident.

Dr. Tokuhiro joins the university from NuScale Power LLC, a nuclear energy startup company in Corvallis, Oregon, where he was senior Principal Engineer finalizing the design certification application of a Small Modular Reactor.

From 2007 to 2014, he served as Professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering and Director of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Idaho in Idaho Falls and Moscow, Idaho. Prior to 2007 he was a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas; as well as the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Missouri in Rolla, Missouri (now the Missouri University of Science and Technology). At Missouri he was also Director and Senior Reactor Operator of the university’s research reactor.

Dr. Tokuhiro received his PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University

in West Lafayette, Indiana. He earned his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester in New York State. His Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Engineering Physics) was awarded at Purdue.

His diverse nuclear and energy engineering research interests include data and analytics, thermal hydraulics, experiments and measurement, and modelling of complex systems. Dr. Tokuhiro possesses more than a decade of international nuclear energy research and development experience with Switzerland’s Paul Scherrer Institute and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. He has published more than 60 journal and 90 conference papers, and has worked with dozens of graduate students around the world.

Quotes
“I look forward to joining the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, especially working with faculty, staff and senior leadership, and engaging with all students. I intend to champion a cross-disciplinary approach within the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science by building new innovative links with other faculties, particularly in the area of big data analytics.”
-Akira Tokuhiro, PhD, Incoming Dean, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science

“Akira Tokuhiro’s outstanding experience in academia and his track record as an international expert in nuclear safety and nuclear issues makes him an ideal leader of the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science. He will bring new perspective that will inspire student success as well as innovative research and discovery. The university also extends sincere thanks to Dr. Ed Waller and Dr. Robert Bailey for serving in an interim capacity over the past year and a half.”
-Deborah Saucier, PhD, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

About the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science

The Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science (FESNS) focuses on the safe, efficient generation of energy, as well as the innovative and environmentally conscious use of fossil, hydro, geothermal, nuclear, solar, wind and emerging technologies. FESNS programs are designed in consultation with key industry representatives. Among the faculty’s five degree programs is a unique Bachelor of Science in Health Physics and Radiation Science, as well as the only honours degree dedicated to nuclear engineering in Canada.

The robust and expansive FESNS research portfolio is housed within some of the most modern laboratories in Canada. Key research areas include nuclear engineering, power plant operation and simulation, environmental safety, radiation physics and health physics.  

About the University of Ontario Institute of Technology

As one of Canada’s newest research universities, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology advances the discovery and application of knowledge through a technology-enriched learning environment and the delivery of innovative market-driven programs responsive to the needs of students and industry. With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in more than 75 programs, the university promotes social engagement, fosters critical thinking and integrates outcomes-based learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. The university’s commitment to accelerating economic growth and social innovation is realized through faculty research collaborations with leading organizations such as Ontario Power Generation, IBM, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Durham Regional Police Service. To find out more, please visit uoit.ca or follow UOIT on Twitter.

Media contact

Bryan Oliver
Communications and Marketing
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
905.721.8668 ext. 6709
bryan.oliver@uoit.ca