Newswise — As nuclear power returns to the energy agenda in the United States and continues to grow in popularity around the world, the need for engineers and scientists in all sectors of the field grows as well. Educating the next generation of nuclear engineers is a key step toward filling this gap, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is leading the way. Rensselaer's 200th Commencement on May 20, 2006, will offer a glimpse at some of the future leaders in academia, government, and the nuclear industry.
In the past three years, Rensselaer has granted more undergraduate degrees in nuclear engineering than any other university in the country offering this program, according to a yearly survey by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.
"A glance at today's headlines tells us that the world needs individual scientists with the highest technological skills and diplomacy to confront nuclear opportunities and challenges," says Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson, former Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "Future energy advances, new nuclear power plants providing safe, clean, affordable power to people around the globe, and continued international safeguards must have the expertise they need to be effective."
President Jackson has suggested that a number of variables will influence the future of the nuclear industry, including economics, waste disposal, proliferation, and innovation in nuclear technology. But, she notes, a particularly important variable is the availability of an adequate number of engineers to design, build, and operate nuclear plants, and to deal with the weighty public policy issues surrounding the field.
Nuclear engineering is primarily focused on the safe operation of current nuclear power plants, as well as developing the next generation of energy technologies. Students in Rensselaer's Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics (NEEP) program are engaged in studying a wide range of other peaceful applications for nuclear technology, from using atomic particles for medical imaging and detecting defects in materials, to stemming the proliferation of nuclear weapons through both technology and policy. Below are four profiles from the class of 2006.
Jason Thompson of Coram, N.Y. became interested in nuclear engineering at Longwood High School in Long Island, where he was a leader of the school's FIRST Robotics team and also spent a summer as an intern at Brookhaven National Laboratory, which was just down the street from his high school. "I have always enjoyed the high level of physics needed for nuclear engineering," Thompson says. Indeed, this triple major in mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, and engineering physics will be staying at Rensselaer to pursue his Ph.D., where he no doubt will continue to engage in activities requiring a high level of physics and other scientific disciplines. As an undergraduate, Thompson was involved in several research projects, including the analysis of a "gamma flash" problem encountered during some experiments at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and improving the Nuclear Power Systems Engineering course at Rensselaer through development of a computer simulation to train students how to respond to accidents at nuclear power plants. For his graduate research, he plans to work with Yaron Danon, associate professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering, to make cross-section measurements of nuclear materials. When he is not doing research, Thompson enjoys fencing, swing dancing, and bowling.
Lisa Schachtschneider of Morganton, N.C., came to Rensselaer after several years in the Navy Nuclear Field as part of the Navy's "Seaman to Admiral" program, which provides the opportunity for enlisted personnel to maintain the pay, benefits, and privileges they enjoy as active duty sailors while receiving a scholarship to attend a top-notch university. Schachtschneider will continue her naval career after graduation as a commissioned officer based in San Diego, Calif. "I have always been fascinated with power generation, but we need to start using other means besides fossil fuels," Schachtschneider says. The Navy has been a pioneer in this area since 1955, when the first nuclear-powered submarine put to sea. Now all of the Navy's submarines and most of their aircraft carriers are powered by nuclear reactors, and they are actively exploring other options for alternative energy sources, Schachtschneider says. She is excited about applying the skills she learned as a dual major in mechanical and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer, where she worked on two senior design projects related to power generation: a mechanical engineering project dealing with photovoltaic solar cells, and a nuclear engineering project focusing on the new supercritical light water reactor, which is designed to operate at reduced cost and higher efficiency than current nuclear reactors.
Rian Bahran of Sana'a, Yemen, hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father — Chairman of the Yemen National Atomic Energy Commission and science adviser to the President of Yemen — by getting involved in the world of nuclear policy. "There are not enough people with technical backgrounds making policy decisions about nuclear energy, nonproliferation, and science in general," Rian says. He plans to help bridge this gap by pursuing a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering after graduation, initially doing research, and then engaging in the international dialogue about nuclear issues. His time at Rensselaer provided the ideal preparation for this career path, he says. As president of Rensselaer's American Nuclear Society (ANS) student chapter, Bahran led a team of about 30 engineering students to organize and host the 2006 ANS national student conference, raising more than $100,000 and recruiting speakers from some of the top positions in industry, academia, and government. More than 300 nuclear engineering students from across the country attended the event, which focused on the future of the nuclear power industry and bridging the gap between nuclear science and nuclear policy. And Bahran also found time to pursue several undergraduate research projects, including laying the groundwork for the development of a new system to detect illicit nuclear material in moving vehicles.
John Hannah of Hawthorne, N.J., is making the most of the great job market for nuclear engineers. He spent a summer in California as an intern at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which helped him land a coveted spot in GE's Edison Engineering Development Program (EEDP). A training ground for GE's future technical leadership, EEDP provides a combination of hands-on experience, formal classroom studies, and interaction with top management. Hannah will begin his first of three rotations in July with GE Nuclear in Wilmington, N.C., and he hopes to use the opportunity to get a master's degree while exploring prospects in the nuclear industry as either an engineer or a manager. "In the next 100 years, a major change toward nuclear power is inevitable," Hannah says. "In my lifetime, the work that needs to be done will be exciting and will require a lot of good people, and I want to be a part of that." In addition to his dual major in nuclear engineering and engineering physics, Hannah pursued a minor in management, was active in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and was a captain of the rugby team.
About Rensselaer Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is the nation's oldest technological university. The university offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in engineering, the sciences, information technology, architecture, management, and the humanities and social sciences. Institute programs serve undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals around the world. Rensselaer faculty are known for pre-eminence in research conducted in a wide range of fields, with particular emphasis in biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology, and the media arts and technology. The Institute is well known for its success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace so that new discoveries and inventions benefit human life, protect the environment, and strengthen economic development.
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