About the author
Prof. R. A. Borrelli (Bob) is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Industrial Management at the University of Idaho – Idaho Falls Center for Higher Education.
Educational background
Ph.D – University of California-Berkeley (2006)
Coupled modeling of radionuclide transport with bentonite extrusion of a nuclear waste repository
MS – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Civil/Environmental Engineering (1999)
Characterization of background radiation in the environment
BS – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Mechanical Engineering (1996)
Real time PLC-based reactivity modeling by inverse point kinetics
Sketch
Bob received a BS in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering and then an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he was also an NRC licensed Senior Reactor Operator at the Leslie C. Wilbur Nuclear Reacotr Facility. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering at UC-Berkeley, working with Prof. Joonhong Ahn in high level nuclear waste management. He continued study in this field at The University of Tokyo, and then returned to UC-Berkeley for a second postdoctorate position in the field of safeguards, safety, and security with Profs. Joonhong Ahn and Per Peterson. When this position ended, Bob taught engineering at Diablo Valley Community College in the SF Bay area. He then joined the faculty at the University of Idaho in his current position.
His broad research interests include advanced fuel cycle analysis and risk assessment. This includes developing methodologies to optimize proliferation resistance and physical protection with the safety and security for the advanced nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear hybrid energy systems modeling and transportation of advanced nuclear reactor components, nuclear cybersecurity and plant modernization, RTG satellite design for deep space missions, and risk assessment of disruptions to the grid.
He restarted the Student Section of the American Nuclear Society at the University of Idaho in 2015. The Section won second place for the Samuel Glasstone Award for service in 2019. He is an active member of the Idaho Section of the American Nuclear Society, donating time for various community service projects, as well as serving in various Professional Divisions of the American Nuclear Society on the national level, including the Fuel Cycle and Waste Management and Nuclear Nonproliferation Divisions and the Student Sections Committee.
