Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering for thesis entitled "Development and Experimental Demonstration of Digital Closed-Loop Control Strategies for Nuclear Reactors," June 1984. (Minor in Urban Studies)

Degrees of Nuclear Engineer and Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering for thesis entitled, "MITR-II Fuel Management, Core Depletion and Analysis: Codes Developed for the Diffusion Theory Program CITATION," June 1979.

United States Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program

Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit, Schenectady (West Milton), New York, August 1971. Qualified for supervision, operation, and maintenance of a Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plant. Qualified as Engineering Officer of the Watch on the U.S. Navy's DIG pressurized water reactor. This was the senior watch station.

Naval Nuclear Power School, Bainbridge, Maryland. Courses completed Jan. 1971.

Yale University

Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Applied Science, June 1970.

Commissioned as an Ensign, USNR, June 1970.

Research Interests

Closed-Loop Digital Control of Nuclear Reactors; Use of Nuclear Energy for the Exploration of Space; Artificial Intelligence Applications to Nuclear Reactors; Nuclear Medicine, particularly Neutron Capture Therapy; Health Physics; Radiation Biology; Operator Training; Reactor Operations; Energy Planning; and the Interaction of Technology and Law.

Teaching Interests

Reactor control; reactor operations; health physics; and nuclear reactor safety.

Other Professional Activities

• Director of the MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, Director of Reactor Operations of the 5-MWt MIT Research Reactor, and Principal Research Engineer responsible for theoretical and experimental research as well as management of MIT program on the closed-loop, digital operation of nuclear reactors.

Honors and Awards

• U.S. and Vietnam Defense Medals
• Meritorious and Presidential Unit Citations
• Navy Achievement Medal
• "Best Paper Award for Reactor Safety" at 1986 ANS Topical Meeting on Reactor Physics and Safety
• "Best Presentation Award" at 1987 American Control Conference
• 1989 American Nuclear Society Young Member Engineering Achievement Award
• Elected Fellow of the American Nuclear Society, for "the theoretical development and experimental demonstration of generic methods for the closed-loop digital control of both terrestrial and spacecraft nuclear reactors, including the reactivity constraint approach and period-generated control, as well as promotion of the understanding and use of expert systems technology within the nuclear industry," Oct. 1992.
• Alpha Nu Sigma 1998-1999 Outstanding Teacher Award (Massachusetts Beta Chapter (MIT) of National Honor Society for Nuclear Science and Engineering)

Selected Recent Publications

1. Bernard, J.A. and L.W. Hu, Safety Analysis Report for the MIT Research Reactor (MITR-III), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, July 1999.
2. Bernard, J.A. and L.W. Hu, Technical Specifications for the MIT Research Reactor (MITR-III), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, July 1999.
3. Bernard, J.A., "Light Water Reactor Control Systems," in Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, J. Webster, Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, Vol. 11, pp 357-376, March 1999.
4. Bernard, J.A. and L.W. Hu, "Dynamic Period Equation: Derivation, Relation to Inhour Equation, and Precursor Estimation," IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 46, No. 3, Part I, June 1999, pp 433-437.
5. Hu, L.-W. and J. A. Bernard, "Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis for the Upgraded MIT Nuclear Research Reactor," IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 45, No. 3, Part I, June 1998, pp 1040-1044.
6. Kim, K.K. and J.A. Bernard, "Considerations in the Control of Multimodular Reactor Plants," IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. T-NS-41, No. 6, Part II, Dec. 1994, pp 2686-2697.
7. Bernard, J.A., "Issues Regarding the Design and Acceptance of Intelligent Support Systems for Reactor Operators," IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. NS-39, No. 5, Oct. 1992, pp 1549-1558.
8. Bernard, J.A., "Non-Linear Control of Neutronic Power in Reactors Described by Space-Independent Kinetics," International Journal Control - Theory and Advanced Technology (C-TAT), Vol. 8, No. 3, Sept. 1992, pp 495-511.
9. Bernard, J.A. and D.D. Lanning, "Considerations in the Design and Implementation of Control Laws for the Digital Operation of Research Reactors," Nuclear Science and Engineering, Vol. 110, No. 4, Apr. 1992, pp 425-444.
10. Bernard, J.A. and T. Washio, Expert Systems Applications Within the Nuclear Industry, American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL, Oct. 1989.