Title: Senior Principal Safety Analysis Engineer
Company: ENERCON
Location: Cary, North Carolina, United States
Shih-Ping Kao, PhD, Senior Principal Safety Analysis Engineer at ENERCON, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements and leadership in Nuclear Engineering.
Dr. Kao has established himself as an expert in safety analysis of nuclear power plants and the novel design and application of advanced nuclear reactors. Throughout his four-decade career, he has become recognized for his contributions to innovative simulation technologies and advanced reactor systems, establishing himself as a leading expert in nuclear engineering. Since 2024, Dr. Kao has been serving as a principal safety analysis engineer at Enercon in Kennesaw, Georgia. In this role, he provides technical support to commercial nuclear facilities and small modular reactor projects in safety analysis, radiological assessment, thermal-hydraulics calculations and power uprate licensing topics.
Having begun his professional career as a senior engineer at Engineering Planning and Management in Framingham, Massachusetts, in 1984, Dr. Kao then joined Northeast Utilities in Waterford, Connecticut, as a senior project engineer from 1985 to 1997. There, he contributed to significant projects, including work at the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, where he upgraded a critical software model on the full-scope simulator, enabling reactor operators to pass Nuclear Regulatory Commission examinations and secure licensure for reactor startup in 1986. One year later, Dr. Kao was instrumental in developing the first PC-based pressurized water reactor simulator, which served as a teaching tool for the nuclear engineering department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for over two decades.
From 1985 to 2008, Dr. Kao held several concurrent roles at MIT, including visiting engineer, research affiliate and research scientist. He transitioned into the information technology sector between 1997 and 2004, serving as an international advocate for Asia and a senior software architect at Computer Associates Inc. Returning to the nuclear field after the dot-com era, Dr. Kao became an enterprise information technology consultant from 2005 to 2007 before joining DeNuke Services as a nuclear safety analysis engineer until 2008.
Dr. Kao excelled as an advisory engineer at AREVA in Charlotte, North Carolina, between 2008 and 2013, conducting safety analyses for the U.S. EPR plant. He then pivoted when he founded Nuclear Safety Analysis Corporation in Cary, North Carolina, in 2012, marking the beginning of his entrepreneurial ventures. In this capacity, Dr. Kao conducted safety analyses for the mPower and Xe-100 small modular reactors, as well as commercial light-water reactors, until 2024. He also simultaneously served as the principal consultant for Numerical Advisory Solutions from 2021 to 2024.
Born in Taiwan, Dr. Kao relocated with his family to Korea, following his father’s appointment as a military attaché to the Republic of Korea. He attended Seoul American High School until 1973 before transferring to Alexander Ramsey Senior High School in Minnesota. During his senior year, Dr. Kao developed an interest in nuclear energy after writing an essay on the U.S. energy crisis of the 1970s, which set the course for his future career.
Choosing to pursue higher education, Dr. Kao earned a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering, with highest honors, from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1979. He continued his academic journey at MAT, obtaining a Master of Science in nuclear engineering in 1981 and a Doctor of Philosophy in nuclear engineering in 1984, supported by a Charles Stark Draper Fellowship. Dr. Kao’s doctoral studies were guided by Professor John Meyer, who had designed the first nuclear-powered submarine and provided foundational mentorship that shaped Dr. Kao’s expertise in nuclear power and advanced technology applications. A little over a decade later, he earned an Executive Master of Business Administration at Columbia University in 1997, further broadening his professional capabilities.
Dr. Kao is a life member of the American Nuclear Society. Civically, he has served for more than 25 years as a board member for nonprofit organizations dedicated to civic engagement. Dr. Kao’s scholarly output includes authoring and co-authoring scholarly journal articles, one of which was presented at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Super-Critical CO2 Power Cycle Symposium in 2009.
Attributing his success to character, persistence, tenacity and an enduring desire for knowledge, Dr. Kao hopes to be remembered for his integrity and aims to serve as a mentor just as he benefited from guidance throughout his own journey. Moreover, he seeks to promote the construction of innovative small modular reactors worldwide, continuing his lifelong dedication to advancing safe and sustainable nuclear energy solutions on a global scale.
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