Mehdi Sarram

Mehdi Sarram, born in Kerman, Iran, works in the global nuclear energy industry, particularly recognized for his contributions to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Immigrating to the United States at the age of 18, Sarram became deeply ingrained in the American nuclear community. His legacy spans from Iran to the United States and other countries, significantly impacting the nuclear field.

Early life and education

Sarram pursued his education in nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan, receiving his postgraduate degree in 1967. As an undergraduate, he joined the American Nuclear Society (ANS) in 1963. While studying, he gained practical experience, serving as a reactor operator and shift supervisor at the university's 2-MW Ford Nuclear Reactor. Upon completing his degree, Sarram returned to Iran, becoming the country's first nuclear engineer with a reactor license.

Later career and achievements

After briefly serving at the International Atomic Energy Agency's Department of Safeguards in Vienna, Austria, Sarram returned to the United States in 1982. He took on various roles in the nuclear energy sector, from being the manager of nuclear analysis at United Engineers in Philadelphia to roles at Duke Energy and Areva Nuclear Power.

While his primary focus was on nuclear matters, Sarram also turned his attention to environmental initiatives. In his adopted hometown, Carlsbad, California, he championed traffic signal synchronization as a means to reduce carbon emissions, believing that this strategy reduced CO2 emissions by about 60% in the city.

Publications

In 2015, Sarram published a book titled Nuclear Lies, Deceptions, and Hypocrisies, a culmination of five years of extensive research, which discusses the international nuclear developments and includes detailed commentary on the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 nations (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus Germany) that resulted in the Iran nuclear deal on July 14, 2015.