Faculty Directory

Modarres, Mohammad

Modarres, Mohammad

Nicole J. Kim Eminent Professor
Mechanical Engineering
Maryland Energy Innovation Institute
Center for Risk and Reliability
0151C Glenn L. Martin Hall, Building 088
Website(s):

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1980

BACKGROUND

Dr. Mohammad Modarres is a prominent scientist and engineer specializing in risk and reliability engineering. He holds the Nicole J. Kim Eminent Professorship in Engineering and is a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher at the University of Maryland (UMD). He co-founded the world’s first degree-granting graduate program in reliability engineering, along with the Center for Risk and Reliability at the University of Maryland over four decades ago. These programs have made a significant global impact, awarding over 500 Ph.D. and master’s degrees, and establishing UMD as the leading institution for education and research in risk and reliability. Additionally, he co-established the Nuclear Engineering Minor Degree in the UMD’s Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2005.

Dr. Modarres' research encompasses probabilistic risk assessment, the physics of failure, nuclear power plant safety, and fracture mechanics. His contributions include both experimental and probabilistic model development. He has authored numerous textbooks, book chapters, and over 500 scholarly papers, advancing the fields of reliability science, engineering, and risk analysis.

Dr. Modarres received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Tehran Polytechnic, MS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and MS and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from MIT.

SELECTED HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Nicole J. Kim Eminent Professorship in Engineering
  • Minta Martin Professorship in A.J. Clark School of Engineering
  • University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher
  • 2019 Tommy Thompson Award for outstanding lifetime contributions to nuclear safety, American Nuclear Society 
  • Fellow, American Nuclear Society
  • Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
  • Honorary Doctorate Degree in Engineering, Da Vinci University, Guatemala
  • 1996 Maryland Inventor of the Year Award (in Information Sciences)
  • FDA Commissioner Special Citation for Contributions to Risk Assessment Methods, 2004
  • 2008 International Research Leadership Award conferred by the Society for Reliability Engineering, Quality and Operations Management

Probabilistic risk assessment, Nuclear power plant safety, Uncertainty analysis, Probabilistic physics of failure, Probabilistic fracture mechanics, Prognosis and Health Management (PHM), Applications of AI/ML to reliability engineering and risk assessment.


Recent Books and Journal Papers

For the complete list of Prof. Modarres' publications, please refer to his Website: 



https://modarres.umd.edu/

 

 

NRC Funds Development of New Grad-Level Corrosion Courses

Ankem, Christou, and Moderres to create new modules for nuclear, reliability, and sustainability engineering programs.

  • American Nuclear Society
  • Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA)