Magdi Ragheb

Magdi Ragheb is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), part of The Grainger College of Engineering. He has held this position since 1986, following roles as Assistant Professor (1979–1986) and a visiting faculty member at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). His research focuses on Monte Carlo methods, fusion reactor design, and knowledge engineering systems.

Education:

• Ph.D., Nuclear Engineering/Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison (1978)
• M.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison (1974)
• M.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, University of Alexandria (1973)
• B.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, University of Alexandria (1970)

Research interests include advanced reactor designs, reactor physics, and risk analysis. He pioneered the HAL-1985 knowledge engineering system on Cray supercomputers, integrating artificial intelligence for nuclear safety analysis. His consulting spans fusion reactor blanket design, neutron transport for industrial tomography, and AI-driven technical specifications for power plants.

He has contributed to interdisciplinary collaborations, including work at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Imagineering Ltd. Courses taught include nuclear power engineering, reactor safety analysis, and energy storage systems.

Professional memberships include the American Nuclear Society and Sigma Xi. His work bridges computational methods, nuclear engineering, and fusion energy applications.