The Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory will host 12 college students from across the United States to spend an all-expenses-paid month at The University of Texas at Austin and gain background in the nuclear industry.
The Summer Nuclear Engineering Institute uses the J.J. Pickle Research Campus nuclear reactor to give students hands-on experience in the growing nuclear power industry while earning six hours of college credit. The reactor is the newest among only 25 university reactors nationwide.
After last year’s successful program, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission funded this second year of summer classes taught by the faculty in the university’s Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Program.
“With proposals for 31 new U.S. nuclear reactors under consideration, the nuclear industry is entering a period of enormous growth and thousands of new scientists and engineers will be needed to support it,” says Erich Schneider, assistant professor of nuclear engineering and director of the summer program.
“While these young professionals will come from all scientific disciplines, they will be expected to be familiar with nuclear technologies. Our summer students can excel with both the nuclear engineering background and awareness of the opportunities in this dynamic field."
To qualify, students were required to be sophomores or juniors majoring in technical fields outside of nuclear engineering, but interested in pursuing a career or graduate school in the field. They had to show a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 grading scale and submit a faculty letter of reference. Those completing the program earned six transferrable college credits as well as housing, meals, a travel and textbook allowance and a $1,100 stipend.
“The strong practical and experimental component of the Institute curriculum is complemented by classroom lectures providing a sound grounding in the fundamentals of health physics, nuclear reactor physics, nuclear systems engineering,” says Steve Biegalski, associate professor and director of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory. “Last year’s students completing the program expressed greater confidence in pursuing graduate school in nuclear engineering as well as their ability to interview and secure jobs with nuclear professionals.”
Recognizing the importance of the summer institute, the national government of Singapore is underwriting the cost for four additional Singapore students to attend as well.
