Sukesh Aghara is an Professor, Director - NEET, Director INSSL, Director - Nuclear Engineering in the Chemical Engineering Department at UMass Lowell.

Sukesh Aghara, Ph.D.

Professor

College
Francis College of Engineering
Department
Chemical (Nuclear) Engineering
Phone
978-934-3115
Office
Southwick Hall, Room 250J
Email
Sukesh_Aghara@uml.edu
Links

Expertise

Nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear security and safeguards, nuclear energy for decarbonization.

Research Interests

Sukesh Aghara's research group, INSSL uses experimental and computational tools to understand the mechanisms of radiation interactions and transport. The group focuses on characterization of radiation fields; evaluation of reactor fuel isotope inventory; cyber-physical nuclear systems modeling and simulations, nuclear security, safeguards, and non-proliferation. INSSL has funded research on assessment of cybersecurity vulnerability of nuclear plant systems, modeling and simulation of safeguards inspections effectiveness and assessment of nuclear reactor applications for decarbonization solutions.

Education

  • Ph D: Mechanical Engineering, (2003), University of Texas at Austin - Austin, TX
  • MS: Mechanical Engineering, (2001), University of Texas at Austin - Austin, TX
    Supporting Area: Nuclear and Radiation Engineering
  • MS: Environmental Engineering, (1999), Vanderbilt University - Nashville, TN
  • BA: Environmental Engineering, (1996), College of Engineering

Biosketch

Sukesh Aghara Ph.D. is an associate dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the Francis College of Engineering. He is a professor and director of the Nuclear and Chemical Engineering at University of Massachusetts Lowell. He directs the Integrated Nuclear Security and Safeguards Laboratory (INSSL) at UMass Lowell and he serves as a Nuclear Security Fellow with Center for Terrorism and Security Studies (CTSS). Prof. Aghara co-directs the Intercontinental Nuclear Institute (INI), an IAEA funded international training program in nuclear technology.

Selected Awards and Honors

  • Examples of recent projects:
    • PI - Application of Robotic Mobile Multi-modality Platforms for Security and Safety at Nuclear Facilities funded by NNSA/BNL (2020 – p)
    • PI - Operational Considerations for Advanced Reactors collaborative project with INL and UTK (2019 – 2023) 
    • PI - Aggregating Detection Probabilities for Evaluating State-Level Objectives via Monte Carlo Techniques Development and benchmarking of the stochastic model for safeguards inspection verification funded by NNSA/DOE (2018 – 2023)
    • PI - Enhancing Computer Security Incident Analysis and Response Planning at Nuclear Facilities funded by INL (2017 – 2021)
  • Past Chair and current Member of the Radiation Safety Committee and Reactor Safety Subcommittee, UMass Lowell
  • Serves as the Subject Matter Expert for IAEA and Department of State on nuclear security and safeguards related topics – insider threat, detection of radiological materials outside of regulatory control, nuclear forensics, nuclear materials and accountancy.
  • Serves on the Board of Directors of American Nuclear Society NE section and serves as a member of the Executive Committee on American Nuclear Society’s Education and Training and Workforce Development Division (ETWDD), Nuclear Nonproliferation Division (NNPD), and Radiation Shielding and Protection Division (RSPD).
  • Award recipient - Compliance, Commercialization and New Venture Award (2017, 2018); Frontier in Teaching and Research Recognition Award (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
  • Serves as the Subject Matter Expert for IAEA and Department of State on nuclear security and safeguards related topics – insider threat, detection of radiological materials outside of regulatory control, nuclear forensics, nuclear materials and accountancy.
  • Serves on the Board of Directors of American Nuclear Society NE section and serves as a member of the Executive Committee on American Nuclear Society’s Education and Training and Workforce Development Division (ETWDD), Nuclear Nonproliferation Division (NNPD), and Radiation Shielding and Protection Division (RSPD). 
  • Award recipient - Compliance, Commercialization and New Venture Award (2017, 2018); Frontier in Teaching and Research Recognition Award (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
  • Best Presentation and Paper Award, Scholarship/Research - American Nuclear Society and European Nuclear Society International Meeting
  • Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Award, Teaching - Center for Teaching Effectiveness, U. T. Austin.
  • Outstanding Research of the Year Award, Scholarship/Research - Roy G. Perry College of Engineering
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Student Paper, Leadership - HPS Texas Regional Conference
  • President Of American Nuclear Society (ANS) UT chapter, Leadership - American Nuclear Society
  • Radiation Damage research, San Diego, CA, Scholarship/Research - Nuclear News
  • Visiting scientist at NASA Langley Research Center, Service, Professional - Radiation Transport Group
  • Visiting scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Scholarship/Research - Nuclear Science and Technology Division (NSTD)
  • NASA Administrator's Fellow (Cohort 11) (2014), Leadership - NASA

Selected Publications

  • K Bogannam, SK Aghara, VF de Almeida, “Fractional Neutron Point Kinetic Modeling of the UMass Lowell Research Reactor,” AIChE Annual Meeting (2023)
  • C. Spirito, SK Aghara, “Cyber Security for Nuclear Facilities,” Book Chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Nuclear Security, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK (2023)
  • R.Peel, SK Aghara, “ Nuclear Security for Next-Generation Reactors,” Book Chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Nuclear Security, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK (2023)
  • R Peel, G Foster, S Aghara, “Nuclear Security and Safeguards Considerations for Novel Advanced Reactors: An overview of how the unique features of small and advanced modular reactors create opportunities to deliver optimised nuclear security and safeguards while reducing lifetime operating costs,” Final SMR-AMR Security and Safeguards Report, Kings College London, London, UK (2022)
  • Lohith Annadevula, S. K. Aghara, Kenneth Jarman and Logan Joyce, “Stochastic Approach to Inspection Evaluation: Methodology and Validation,” The International Journal of Nuclear Safeguards and Non-Proliferation, ESARDA Bulletin N.64 issue 1, ISSN 1977-5296, DOI: 10.3011/ESARDA.IJNSNP.2022.3, June (2022) 
  • J. Boffie, S.K. Aghara, O.U. Dim, J. Strandburg, “Estimation of the fuel temperature reactivity coefficient of the UMass-Lowell research reactor based on empirical and theoretical point reactor kinetics models. Nuclear Engineering and Design, Elsevier, June (2021) 
  • Lohith Annadevula, Odera Dim, Steven Glozek, Yonggang Cui, Warren Stern, S. K. Aghara, “Integration of the Kromek D3S detector and Spot robot for secondary inspection,” Proceedings of INMM 63rd Annual Meeting (2022)
  • Boffie, J., Aghara, S.K., "Application of an Adaptive Time Step Scheme for Solving the Time-Dependent Discrete Ordinates Transport Equation," Nucl. Engerg. and Design 363:110620 (2020)
  • Dim, O., Aghara, S. K., “Computation of the neutron multiplicity moments for research reactor fuels using MCNP6 and SOURCES4c”. Int J Energy Res.; 43: 8913– 8924 (2019)
  • Dim, O., Aghara, S. K., “Modeling and evaluation of fissile material utilization of the UMLRR using Monte Carlo MCNP6 code,” Ann Nucl. Energy, Vol. 130, (2019)
  • Ehlig-Economides, C., Yalvac, B., Binks-Cantrell, E., Pisupati, S., Gilman, D., Toossi, R., Aghara, S., Robinson, T., Smith, D., Ayar, M. (2014). Live energy: US faculty co-author an electronic textbook to deliver the most up-to-date and relevant content in energy and sustainability. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
  • Sriprisan, S., Aghara, S., Singleterry, R. (2013). Analysis of Monte Carlo transport code - PHITS for solar particle events source (109:PART 1 pp. 36-39). Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
  • Grice, J., Aghara, S., Wu, H. (2013). Transport modeling of high-energy neutron transversal through tissue equivalent medium (109:PART 2 pp. 1187-1189). Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
  • Atwell, W., Rojdev, K., Aghara, S., Sriprisan, S. (2013). Mitigating the effects of the space radiation environment: A novel approach of using Graded-Z materials. AIAA SPACE 2013 Conference and Exposition
  • Ehlig-Economides, C., Yalvac, B., Binks-Cantrell, E., Gilman, D., Ayar, M., Robinson, T., Kovscek, A., Toossi, R., Pisupati, S., Aghara, S. (2013). Live energy: An initiative for teaching energy and sustainability topics with the most up-to-date and relevant content. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
  • Aghara, S. (2012). Development of Undergraduate Research Infrastructure in the Energy Engineering at Prairie View A&M University.
  • Ehlig-Economides, C., Aghara, S. (2012). Live Energy: An Initiative for Teaching Energy and Sustainability Topics with the Most Up-to-Date and Relevant Content.
  • Amarasekara, A.S., Owereh, O.S., Aghara, S. (2009). Synthesis of 4-Acylpyrazolone Schiff Base Ligand Grafted Silica and Selectivity in Absorption of Lanthanides from Aqueous Solutions. Journal of Rare Earths,27(5) 870-874.
  • Aghara, S., Blattnig, S.R., Norbury, J.W., Singleterry Jr, R.C. (2008). Benchmark Analysis of Pion Contribution From Galactic Cosmic Rays.
  • Aghara, S., Charlton, W. (2006). Characterization and Quantification of an In-Core Neutron Irradiation Facility at a TRIGA II Research Reactor. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms,248(1) 181-190.
  • Spratt, J.P., Aghara, S., Fu, B., Lichtenhan, J.D., Leadon, R. (2005). A Conformal Coating for Shielding against Naturally Occurring Thermal Neutrons. Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on,52(6) 2340-2344.
  • Aghara, S., Beard, C.A. (2002). Feasibility Study of a Proliferation-Resistant Fuel form for Plutonium Recycling. Nuclear Technology,137(1).