In April 2019, Dr. Warren “Pete” Miller was appointed as a professor of practice with the department. From 2009-10, Miller served as the assistant secretary of energy for nuclear energy, where he oversaw the country’s research, development and advancement of nuclear energy. Miller’s primary responsibilities were to promote research and development and to help develop nuclear energy technologies before they were mature enough to be introduced to industry. He also oversaw and defended the budget before the United States Congress. Miller earned his Ph.D. in engineering sciences from Northwestern University in 1973. He then began a 27-year career with Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he served in various roles.
Miller later developed the idea of creating a program for nuclear security at Texas A&M where scientists could research problems related to safeguarding nuclear materials and the reduction of nuclear threats. Thus, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) was born. A multidisciplinary organization, NSSPI is the first U.S. academic institution focused on technical graduate education, research and service related to the safeguarding of nuclear materials and the reduction of nuclear threats. NSSPI works closely with the renowned policy experts from Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service to analyze the interrelationships between policy and technology in the field of nuclear security.