Biography
Ira Harkness is an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He has two decades experience in higher education, including managing information technology and facilities efforts at UF, and working with non-profits and community organizations to address K-12 education. His expertise is in computational nuclear engineering and nuclear engineering education.
Ira Harkness earned his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida in 2007. He then completed his M.S. in Digital Forensics from the University of Central Florida in 2011. During this time, he developed forensic tools, performed verification and validation of tools, and learned how to properly handle digital evidence.
He received his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Florida in 2018 under the mentorship of Dr. Andreas Enqvist. He developed safeguards approaches for spent nuclear fuel in dry cask storage. His Ph.D. was only possible with significant support from the University of Florida Employee Education Program.
Education
- Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering (University of Florida, 2018)
- M.S. in Digital Forensics (University of Central Florida, 2011)
- B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering (University of Florida, 2007)
Professional Society Activities
- American Nuclear Society (ANS), Member
- Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), Member
- American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), Member
- Energy Conversion, Conservation, and Nuclear Engineering Division (ECCNED), Webmaster (2021) and Newsletter Editor (2022)
Honors and Awards
- Staff Excellence Award (2019-2020), Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida
- Technology to Improve Instructor Presence Badge (2022), Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT), University of Florida
- Technology to Captivate Students Badge (2022), Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT), University of Florida