Dr. Ayman Hawari has been named the new head of Texas A&M University’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, effective August 1.
A globally recognized leader in nuclear science and engineering, Hawari brings more than 30 years of experience in collaborative research, education and leadership to one of the nation’s top-ranked programs in the field.
Hawari joins Texas A&M from North Carolina State University (NCSU), where he served as a distinguished professor of nuclear engineering and director of the Nuclear Reactor Program. Under his leadership, NCSU’s PULSTAR reactor became a premier national facility for nuclear research and education, supporting a wide range of experimental capabilities and interdisciplinary collaborations.
"Nuclear engineering is a unique discipline that touches our everyday lives in many ways, and nuclear energy is currently a primary source of reliable, clean energy in the U.S. and worldwide,” Hawari said.
Hawari earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He is a fellow of the American Nuclear Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, reflecting his pioneering work in nuclear data science and reactor development.
We are poised to make major contributions in the development, utilization and implementation of nuclear science and engineering to the betterment of our lives. I am excited and look forward to helping position the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Texas A&M University at the forefront of it all.
His research focuses on the fundamental interactions of radiation with matter and their implications for nuclear systems. Hawari has made significant contributions to neutron thermalization, radiation measurements and the development of intense radiation sources — areas critical to advancing next-generation nuclear reactors. His research group has been a leading contributor to the U.S. Evaluated Nuclear Data File, producing thermal scattering law libraries used in reactor simulations internationally.
Hawari played an important role in shaping nuclear infrastructure policy. He chaired the organization of Test, Research, and Training Reactors and had a major role in a national effort to fund university nuclear infrastructure. He has also served as a scientific advisor to the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, where he helped establish the Jordan Research and Training Reactor and supported the development of nuclear education programs in the region.
“I firmly believe that we now, more than any other time during my career, are living a thriving period for nuclear engineering. We are poised to make major contributions in the development, utilization and implementation of nuclear science and engineering to the betterment of our lives. I am excited and look forward to helping position the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Texas A&M University at the forefront of it all,” Hawari said.
Hawari’s appointment signals a new era for the department — to further elevate, empower and expand opportunities for innovation and impact. He anticipates that nuclear power can help meet the nation’s energy needs and security, drive our future activities in space exploration and travel, and contribute as a key player in health care. He has high hopes and a strong vision for Texas A&M and the Department of Nuclear Engineering to be recognized as the global innovators and leaders in the 21st century.