Robert Hayes

I was raised in Salt Lake City by a single mother and adopted an atheist world-view. While growing up I was also exposed to Mormon religious beliefs through my father. After reading through the Bible twice, I became a Christian. What I had found was that good works and self righteousness would not save me, but rather trusting Jesus' finished work on the cross as the penalty for my sin coupled with giving and living my life unto God. By God's grace, my father did teach me the importance of both hard work and following the rules, which enabled me to succeed in school. I went into math, physics, and then nuclear engineering. After 15 years in the industry, I came to NC State and got integrated into the Christian networks available here. The fellowship and encouragement with other believers has been highly valuable to my continued growth and maturity as a Christian. For me, being a Christian means a life of humility, mercy, and service to all in the love of Christ, doing everything in whatever way He would have us do it.

My Life

Favorite Quote

I am the way, and the truth and the life... John 14:6

Friends describe me

Hard working, intellectual, playful

My hobbies

I have been making TikTok videos on nuclear science and technology

Fantasy dinner guests

Jesus, St. Paul

Best advice I ever received

Work hard, follow the rules and pay tithing, these help in ways you don't at first expect.

My undergrad alma mater

University of Utah

If I weren't a professor, I would

Work in industry improving peoples standard of living in a sustainable way

Favorite books

bible, church history

Favorite movies

Lord of the rings series, star wars series

Favorite city

Raleigh, NC

Favorite coffee

cream w/2 sweetners

Nobody knows I

Exercise daily and watch Bloomberg financial news regularly

My latest accomplishment

Published a pair of papers showing in the first that neutrino oscillation is a standard model effect if flavor can be entangled and another that big bang inflation is also a standard model effect if the initial singularity is Planck scale and that quantum transitions occur in a single Planck time.

Current Research

My research areas span nuclear nonproliferation including nuclear assay and retrospective dosimetry. I also find health physics, nuclear crtiticality safety, burnup, shielding, nuclear waste disposal and novel detection methods of interest, particularly when they relate back to nonproliferation and radiation safety. From industry, I came to academia as a Certified Health Physicist and a licensed Professional Engineer (nuclear) with field experience in radiological emergency response, nuclear waste management, nuclear safety, radiation dosimetry, nuclear criticality safety, air monitoring, ALARA and shielding design.