Spencer Fargusson

Photograph

Title Junior

Department Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering

Biography

Spencer Fargusson is currently an undergraduate student in the Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering (NPRE) Department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). In addition, he is also pursuing a degree in Global Studies, for which he will graduate in 2026. He received his Associate’s Degree in Science from Rock Valley College (RVC) in 2022. Spencer is also actively taking courses related to Probabilistic Risk Assessment, taking NPRE 461 (Probabilistic Risk Assessment) in Fall 2024 and NPRE 561 (Advanced Risk Analysis for Technological Systems) in Spring 2025.

Spencer joined the research lab in January of 2023 as a freshman, and his primary research focus has been in Digital Twin-Human interactions during maintenance actions in nuclear power plants. He has co-authored papers on the topic at ANS Student Conferences as well as the Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management 2023 Topical Conference.

Spencer has also been awarded the Rising Undergraduate Research award for the 2023-2024 academic year for his work at SoTeRiA. He also became a Nuclear Education, Skills, and Technology (NEST) Fellow in 2024, attending a workshop which culminated a competition for a deployment of a theoretical small modular reactor (SMR), of which his team was runner-up.

Email smf5@nospam678f3a9376758.illinois.edu

SoTeRiA lab is offering NPRE 561 (Advanced Risk Analysis for Technological Systems) in Spring 2025January 10, 2025
Professor Mohaghegh and the SoTeRiA Research Laboratory offer an advanced PRA course every spring semester for students from multiple departments with diverse backgrounds. This course encompasses the cutting-edge PRA methods developed through state-of-the-art research.
Congratulations to Dr. Sari Alkhatib for his successful Ph.D. Defense!October 1, 2024
Congratulations to SoTeRiA graduate student Dr. Sari Alkhatib on successfully completing his Ph.D. requirements in the Department of Nuclear Plasma and Radiological Engineering (NPRE) at the Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)! Sari’s research has focused on advancing methodologies for screening analysis to enhance the strategic use of modeling and simulation […]
SoTeRiA Lab to Co-Host International Conference on AI and Risk AnalysisSeptember 1, 2023
The Socio-Technical Risk Analysis (SoTeRiA) Laboratory is set to lead the upcoming International Association for Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management (IAPSAM) topical conference titled “Artificial Intelligent (AI) & Risk Analysis for Probabilistic Safety/Security Assessment & Management.” This conference will be held virtually on October 23-25, 2023, and will bring together international AI and risk assessment […]
SoTeRiA Laboratory Receives DOE Grant to Advance Dependency Treatment in Risk Assessment of Existing Plants, Advanced ReactorsJune 26, 2023
The SoTeRiA Laboratory, in collaboration with Constellation Energy, Idaho National Laboratory, Southern Company, Electric Power Research Institute, and X-Energy, has recently been awarded a $1,000,000 grant by the Department of Energy for the treatment of component dependencies in nuclear reactors. The project titled “Simulation-informed Dependency Treatment to Enhance Operational Flexibility, AvoidProduction Loss, and Maintain Safety […]
Mohaghegh Appointed to Another National Academies CommitteeFebruary 6, 2023
SoTeRiA Lab Director and NPRE Associate Professor Zahra Mohaghegh has been selected to serve as a member of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on “Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Coast Guard Certificate of Compliance Examination Program for Gas Carriers.” The focus of this committee is to provide solutions […]
Congratulations to Dr. Wen-Chi Cheng for his successful Ph.D. Defense!January 4, 2023
Congratulations to SoTeRiA graduate student, Dr. Wen-Chi Cheng, who recently passed his Ph.D. defense! He received his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering, with a specialization in Risk and Reliability analysis. Wen-Chi’s research has focused on Finite Element Based Probabilistic Physics-of-Failure Analysis to Estimate Piping System Failure Rates for Risk Assessment […]
Congratulations to Research Assistant Professor Tatsuya Sakurahara for receiving the George Apostolakis Fellowship from the International Association for Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management (IAPSAM)!July 21, 2022
https://soteria.npre.illinois.edu/files/2022/07/PSAM_Tatsuyas-Fellowship.png This fellowship (https://www.iapsam.org/PSAM16/apostolakis.html) is intended to honor an individual with demonstrated potential to be one of tomorrow’s leaders in the advancement of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA). The Apostolakis Fellowship honors Prof. George Apostolakis (on the right in the foreground in the above photo) for his contribution to the science of risk analysis as well […]
Interactions of Safety & Financial Performance in Nuclear Power Plants, DOE NEUP-funded Research @ PSAM 16!June 27, 2022
The authors of this paper are John Beal, Pegah Farshadmanesh, Tatsuya Sakurahara, Seyed Reihani, Ernie Kee, and Zahra Mohaghegh from the SoTeRiA Lab (https://soteria.npre.illinois.edu) SoTeRiA Lab will virtually present this paper, supported by the DOE Project (https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1817917), at the 16th Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM 16) conference (https://lnkd.in/gHfYZU4d), chaired by Curtis Smith. This will […]
National Academies’ Panel on Evaluation of the Transport Airplane Risk Assessment Methodology @ PSAM 16 conferenceJune 22, 2022
In 2021, the National Academies appointed an ad-hoc committee of 12 members to undertake a study to evaluate FAA’s Transport Airplane Risk Assessment Methodology. This panel will discuss the report created by this committee. Moderator: George Ligler (Professor and Dean’s Excellence Chair, Multidisciplinary Engineering, Texas A& M University; member of the National Academy of Engineering) […]
SoTeRiA Laboratory Presents Risk-Informed Analysis for Advanced Reactors, IAEA-Sponsored Project @ PSAM 16June 18, 2022
SoTeRiA Lab will present “Risk-informed Analysis for Advanced Nuclear Power Reactors” at the 16th Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM 16) conference. It is time-critical to conduct research on risk-informed analysis of advanced reactors, in parallel with technology developments, in order to establish scientifically-justifiable and technology-inclusive risk methodologies that support the nuclear industry and the […]

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