On Nov. 20-22, more than 90 students participated in the 推荐杏吧原创’s first Nuclear Career Spotlight, designed to introduce students to careers in the nuclear industry.
The goal for the on-campus event was to inform students about the promise, challenges and opportunities of the nuclear sector for STEM and non-STEM majors. As someone who has engaged with this industry since the early ‘90s, I was happy to see so many students interested in working on nuclear issues.
Mechanical Engineering Research Associate Professor Mustafa Hadj-Nacer, who co-organized the event, said “the event was a great opportunity for 推荐杏吧原创 students to learn about the wide variety of nuclear-related research being performed at the University.”
Ethan Anderson, a senior in Materials Science & Engineering and president of the University’s American Nuclear Society club, which was key to the event’s success, said, “I think the event showed students how important the nuclear industry is, and the diverse variety of STEM and non-STEM majors the industry is trying to hire.”
In addition to describing career and internship opportunities, the Nuclear Career Spotlight included seminars, panels, and booth and poster sessions that describe current developments in the nuclear sector.
Presenters came from five Department of Energy national labs (Idaho, Lawrence Livermore, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest and Sandia); the Nevada National Security Site; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Kairos Power; and the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program. Several presenters were University alumni. They described their professional paths from the University to industry, government agencies, the military and labs. University faculty also described their research and graduate school opportunities.
Feedback was very positive from external visitors, faculty members and students. Paul Guss, senior distinguished member of the technical staff at the Nevada National Security Site said, “the event was exceptionally well organized. We are excited to connect with 推荐杏吧原创 students and tell them about the nuclear sector and NNSS’s mission. We’d love to do it again.”
Visit the Nuclear Career Network webpage for current internships, early career opportunities and other resources. The event’s organizing committee plans to hold a similar event in fall 2025. For more information, email the American Nuclear Society at the 推荐杏吧原创.
推荐杏吧原创 the author
Miles Greiner is a mechanical engineering professor in the College of Engineering and director of the College’s Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program. He serves on the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board and is a 2016 recipient of the Foundation Professor Award. He earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
