Hassan Ghazi Harnesses Chemistry for Clean Energy

Hassan Ghazi was barely three years old when he and his family crossed the Iraqi border into southern Turkey.

"I only have faint memories from then," said Hassan, a Kurdish-born chemist who now works at Watts Bar Nuclear plant.

"Being Kurdish in the Middle East meant we didn't have our own country," Hassan explained. "We were divided between four countries and ultimately displaced as a result of the Gulf War."

Hassan's father gathered his entire family and all the belongings they could carry in a small pick-up truck and escaped into the mountains.

"When the truck couldn't make it any farther, we got out and walked."

Hassan and his family lived in temporary camps in Turkey for over two years until families from Chattanooga sponsored their resettlement in Tennessee.

"We were the only Kurdish family to land in Chattanooga," Hassan said, marveling at the odds. "We are still in touch with our sponsor families today."

Hassan studied biology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. That's around the time TVA piqued his interest.

"I'd always liked the organization," Hassan shared. "I really liked the direction they were moving, too, and I was especially drawn to nuclear. It can produce so much power, and it's a clean energy source."

Hassan worked in chemical manufacturing as a field operator before getting a job at TVA. It was a dream come true. Now, just shy of a year into his career at TVA, Hassan is learning the daily operations of the plant and working through qualifications that will allow him to carry out these routines independently.

"As chemistry technicians, our two biggest roles are maintaining proper chemistry parameters and monitoring plant systems with the purpose of sustaining the integrity of our primary and secondary systems," Hassan explained. "We oversee corrosion control, pull samples, run analysis and maintain optimal chemical concentrations for nuclear safety."

Hassan described the fission process in simpler terms, saying that "it's our bread and butter around here."

When he's not at work, Hassan dabbles in some pretty unique hobbies—each with a degree of aviation to them. He is a beekeeper, he has some flying hours under his belt toward a pilot's license, and he is licensed and trained in falconry, one of the oldest documented sports.

"To me, it's a sport and an art," Hassan said. "My first bird was a red-tailed hawk named Gutsy."

A permitted falconer traps, trains and cares for their hawk under local wildlife service guidelines, and then after a season, they are released back to their wild state.

"I love watching flight—just the ability to get off the ground and see something from another viewpoint," Hassan said. "Growing up and seeing military aircraft flying overhead has always stuck with me I guess.”

Looking up and moving forward—that’s how Hassan got here.