Professor Jason Hou has been appointed Interim Director of the Nuclear Reactor Program. He will work closely with outgoing Director Professor Ayman Hawari over the summer to ensure a smooth leadership transition and will officially assume the role on August 1.

As Interim Director, Professor Hou will oversee reactor operations and guide the development of a long-term science and engineering vision for the program.

Dr. Hou joined the Department of Nuclear Engineering in 2016. He holds a Ph.D. from Penn State, dual master’s degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Tennessee, and a Bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University. A dedicated advocate for nuclear energy, Dr. Hou’s research promotes innovation in light water reactors and advances the scientific foundations of next-generation nuclear technologies.

In the classroom, Dr. Hou has taught a range of courses including NE 403 (Nuclear Reactor Laboratory), NE 412/512 (Nuclear Fuel Cycle), and NE 491/591 (Advanced Reactor Theory & Concepts). He is the Director of the Advanced Reactor Design and Optimization Research (ARDOR) Lab and serves as the Coordinator of the Nuclear Simulation Laboratory. His research combines advanced modeling and simulation (M&S) with cutting-edge AI and machine learning (ML) tools to support robust reactor design, operation, and maintenance—enhancing the competitiveness and resilience of nuclear systems.

Dr. Hou succeeds Professor Ayman Hawari, who has led the Nuclear Reactor Program with distinction since 2002. Under Dr. Hawari’s leadership, the program has become one of the most productive academic reactor facilities in the country, known for both its research excellence and its service as a national resource for nuclear science and engineering. This fall, Dr. Hawari will begin a new chapter as the Department Head of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University.