Meet Our Instructors

Dr. Kirk D. Atkinson, PhD Physics (Radiation Physics), MRes Imaging and X-Ray Physics, MSc Astrophysics, BSc Theoretical Physics

Dr. Atkinson is Director of the Centre for Small Modular Reactors and recent UNENE-NSERC Associate Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Health Physics and Environmental Safety at Ontario Tech University. A radiation and reactor physicist, he has broad experience in criticality safety, reactor design, reactor physics, radiation transport and shielding, safeguards, health physics and radiation science, detector physics, radiation imaging, post-irradiation examination, environmental impact assessment and computational Multiphysics methods. For over a decade, until 2018, Dr. Atkinson worked in the UK Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) as the Technical Lead for both Radiation Physics and Criticality, and Reactor Physics and High-Performance Computing (HPC), and was a Senior Lecturer in the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom where he led a strategic project developing tools for high throughput spatially resolved assessment of burn up in spent nuclear fuel assemblies. He was the module leader for Nuclear Criticality Safety at the University of Manchester, working closely with colleagues from the UK National Nuclear Laboratory and Sellafield Limited. An expert on Small Modular Reactors in the marine context, he is currently the technical lead for the Ontario Tech subcritical assembly facility and the CUEB nanoreactor. A co-applicant on the NRCAN-funded SAFE-T project and the SMR Ontario ORF-RE team, his group works on several industry-focused projects including the development of the CARIBOU health physics and environmental impact code, the RIDGEBACK gamma emission tomography system, and instrumentation for reactor monitoring and dosimetry. In his former life he was a beamline postdoc at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron facility, and before that a researcher in low-dose radiation biophysics.

Dr. Kirubha Elangovan is a seasoned university educator with more than a decade of teaching experience. A former nanotechnology researcher, she made a strategic pivot to instructional design, drawing on her expertise in nuclear physics, science education, and digital technologies. Currently serving as Instructional Support Coordinator at Ontario Tech University, Dr. Elangovan specializes in nuclear professional development, collaborating with faculty to design, develop, and enhance course materials and training programs for the nuclear sector.

Brian Fehrenbach is Vice President of Growth & Strategy at the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI). He has twenty years of international sales and leadership experience as well as proven success leading sales organizations and commercializing new technology. Brian also has extensive experience working with dynamic teams to grow businesses, devise winning capture plans and establish partnerships for collaborative success.

John Froats brings over 50 years of nuclear industry experience, including executive roles such as Chief Nuclear Engineer, VP Engineering, and President & CEO of the CANDU Owners Group. He has led major plant modifications, developed industry-standard processes, and taught more than 2,000 students worldwide in areas such as nuclear design, safety culture, and leadership. Recognized with multiple awards for leadership and teaching, John continues to support the sector through Froats & Froats and Associates and as an Associate Professor at Ontario Tech University. He remains active in technical consulting, board advisory work, and nuclear education and leadership development.

Dr. Filippo Genco is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Energy & Nuclear Engineering at Ontario Tech University. He has held academic and leadership roles in Chile, the UAE, and the U.S., including at Purdue University and Adolfo Ibáñez University. He holds graduate degrees in Aeronautics, Nuclear Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. His expertise includes nuclear fusion energy, advanced simulation methods, and energy systems. Dr. Genco is a member of Alpha Nu Sigma and a recipient of the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation Fellowship.

Dr. Harvel is a professional engineer with a PhD in Nuclear Engineering. He has worked 11 years for AECL in the nuclear industry performing operational support and design activities for CANDU and MAPLE reactor technology. Since joining Ontario Tech University in 2006, he has concentrated on the nuclear design and decommissioning disciplines. His design work includes examining SMRs, upgrades to existing plants, and new design concepts including liquid metal and molten salt reactors. The work considers nuclear facilities in harsh environments and unique site requirements. The decommissioning work studies the capture of radionuclides for protection of workers and the environment and techniques for decontamination of materials. Dr. Harvel continues to remain active in support of the nuclear industry.

Jacquie Hoornweg is president of Querencia Partners Canada Ltd., and its subsidiary, Joule Communications. Working with energy sector clients and teaching in post-secondary education and industry professional development since 2014, her practice sits at the intersection of communications, management and energy policy.

A fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI), Jacquie is a former utility senior executive with more than two decades of energy sector public affairs and business management experience. Her expertise includes nuclear technology within energy systems and its relationship with society. In 2021, Jacquie received the Canadian Nuclear Society’s Howard A. Smith Outstanding Contribution Award.

Dr. Brian Ikeda, PhD. Associate professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Dr. Ikeda's research focuses on corrosion of materials, long term performance and radioactive waste management. His research includes corrosion of materials in molten fluoride salts, corrosion of nuclear waste container materials, localized corrosion of metals at elevated temperatures, stress-assisted corrosion cracking of metals and long-term performance assessment of materials.

Dr. Ali Karaca received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Ontario Tech University in 2023. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering at Ontario Tech University, where he focused on the life cycle assessment of energy production and storage technologies. His research interests include nuclear energy technologies, renewable energy technologies, hydrogen energy technologies, and energy storage technologies.

Phil Norman is a Mechanical Engineer with over 45 years of experience in Canada’s nuclear industry. He spent 15 years as a licensed Shift Manager at OPG’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, followed by nearly two decades in operations training roles at both OPG and Ontario Tech University. His recent work has focused on advanced operations overview training for nuclear managers and Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) staff, drawing on his deep expertise in plant operations and regulatory requirements.

PTAG’s team of experts brings decades of combined experience in delivering complex, large-scale projects across the nuclear, power generation, oil & gas, petrochemical, and heavy infrastructure sectors. Our professionals are recognized leaders in Project Management Advisory, Construction Management, Project Controls and Services, Supply Chain Management, Engineering Management, PMIS integration and optimization, Benchmarking & Performance Assessment, Quality Management, and HSSE Management.

For Ontario Tech University’s Nuclear Project Management Fundamentals course, PTAG’s subject matter experts draw on their extensive industry knowledge to provide learners with practical, real-world insights into the lifecycle of major nuclear projects, from concept development and planning, through execution, commissioning, and close-out. Each instructor has hands-on experience in both owner and contractor environments, giving them a unique ability to bridge technical excellence with strategic project leadership.

Our experts have been instrumental in advancing project delivery standards in Canada’s nuclear sector, contributing to the successful execution of refurbishment, new build, and decommissioning projects while adhering to rigorous safety, regulatory, and quality requirements. They bring not only technical depth but also a passion for developing the next generation of nuclear professionals, ensuring students gain the skills, judgment, and confidence to thrive in one of the most highly regulated and safety-critical industries in the world.

Through this course, PTAG’s instructors will connect proven project management principles with the realities of nuclear project execution, empowering participants to contribute effectively from day one in their nuclear careers.

Dr. Akira Tokuhiro became Dean and Professor, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science at University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Ontario in February 2017. He completed his Dean appointment in September 2021. He holds a large interest in climate change, energy, nuclear energy and complex issues and problems based on data science. He joined “Ontario Tech” from NuScale Power LLC (US), a startup that received Design Certification Application approval of its SMR design. Earlier he served as Director and Professor, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at the University of Idaho. He has also held appointments at Pacific Northwest, Idaho and Argonne National Laboratories in the U.S. He has a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering (Purdue), M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (U. Rochester), B.S.E. in Engineering-Physics (Purdue) and 10 years of international R&D experience at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland) and Japan Atomic Energy Agency. He has been fortunate to be awarded more than US$4M in R&D awards from the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy. To date, he has worked with 39 MSc, 21 M.Eng., and 10 PhD students at 5 universities, published approximately ~200 conference and journal papers. While on faculty at University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University, Science & Technology), he was Director of its nuclear reactor facility, as well as US NRC-licensed Senior Reactor Operator. During and post-“9.11”, he had to addressed security concerns at the facility. His research activities are across nuclear reactor and energy systems engineering and design, thermal-hydraulics, safety, experiments & measurement, modeling & simulation and energy analysis. Notably, he served on the American Nuclear Society President’s Committee on the Fukushima Accident and served as technical editor on a book on the accident, “On the Brink: The Inside Story of Fukushima Daiichi”. A movie on based on this book was released in March 2020.