Dale E. Klein

Dale E. Klein is the Cockrell Family Dean's Chair in Engineering Excellence and Professor of Nuclear and Radiation Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He rejoined the university in 2022 after serving as a Presidential Appointee and as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Texas System (2011–2022). Previously, he was Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (2006–2009), Commissioner of the NRC (2009–2010), and Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs under President George W. Bush. His academic roles include Director of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory and Deputy Director of the Center for Energy Studies.

Dr. Klein holds a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His research focuses on thermal hydraulics, nuclear waste management, and radiation safety, with over 100 technical publications and presentations. He serves on corporate boards including Southern Company and Pinnacle West/Arizona Public Service, and chairs the Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee for Tokyo Electric Power Company post-Fukushima.

His awards include Fellowships from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Nuclear Society, Engineer of the Year for Texas, and the University of Missouri Honor Award for Distinguished Service. His recent publications analyze natural convection in spent fuel storage, magnetohydrodynamic flow, and thermal property measurement techniques.