Mohamad Al-Sheikhly received a Ph.D. degree from the Radiation and Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Newcastle in Tyne, U.K. Following his appointments at the Max-Planck Institute for Radiation Chemistry (Germany) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland in 1997. He is currently in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and also serves as the Director of the University's Radiation Facilities (including the nuclear reactor, electron linear accelerator, and multi-kilocurie cobalt-60 laboratory). He has published more than 60 papers in the fields of radiation chemistry of DNA, fatty acids, dosimetry, and the attachment of DNA on semiconductor surfaces. His research interests include polymers, biomaterials, radiation engineering, nuclear engineering, and environmental effects.