Dr. Dale E. Klein, designated by President Bush as chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), was sworn in Saturday (July 1) in a private ceremony at the NRC headquarters here. Klein is a professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at Austin.
As a commissioner, Klein will serve a five-year term on the NRC.
"As the NRC faces the challenges of the coming years, I intend to do all I can to ensure the safety and security of the American public as the NRC does the critical job of overseeing the operations of nuclear reactors, the use of nuclear materials and effectively reviewing expected applications for new reactors in a timely manner," Klein said.
"I consider regulatory stability a crucial element in ensuring that our work is done in a timely manner," added Klein, who holds a doctor's degree in nuclear engineering.
Klein, 58, previously served as assistant to the secretary of defense for nuclear and chemical and biological defense programs, a position he assumed in 2001.
Prior to his appointment by President Bush, Klein was the vice-chancellor for special
engineering programs at The University of Texas System while also serving as a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Nuclear Program) at The University of Texas at Austin. Klein was the chairman and executive director of the Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium, where he oversaw more than $45 million of funding concerning plutonium research and nuclear weapon dismantlement issues.
Klein, holder of the Bob R. Dorsey Endowed Professorship and former director of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin, was also deputy director of the Center for Energy Studies and associate dean for research and administration in the university's College of Engineering. In addition to his duties at The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas System, Klein was a member of several Department of Energy national committees, including the Nuclear Energy Research Advisory Committee.
He has been honored with the distinction of Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Nuclear Society. Klein has also received many awards, including the Joe J. King Professional Engineering Achievement Award from The University of Texas at Austin and Engineer of the Year for the State of Texas by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Having received his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Klein has been honored with the University of Missouri Faculty-Alumni Award and the University of Missouri Honor Award for
Distinguished Service in Engineering.
While at the University of Texas Austin, Klein received more than $50 million in research funding, equipment and educational support. He has published more than 100 technical papers and reports, and has co-edited one book. He has made more than 300 presentations on energy and has written numerous technical editorials on energy issues that have been published in major newspapers throughout the United States.
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