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“I’m a Nuke” project launches during conference for nuclear science students

Linda Zec|
Focus Will Be Policy Issues, Broad Regulatory and Safety Objectives of the NRC

The first-ever "I'm a Nuke" video will star nuclear science and technology students who are participating in the American Nuclear Society 2013 Student Conference hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Student Section of the American Nuclear Society.

"Our conference theme is the Public Image of the Nuclear Engineer," remarked Sam Brinton, a graduate student at MIT, one of three co-chairs of the event. "We'll interview and film conference attendees to create the first-ever 'I'm a Nuke' video. Starring nuclear science and technology students from around the world, we.ll be capturing the many faces of nuclear to show that nuclear professionals are a diverse group all working to leverage the benefits society can realize from nuclear. We plan to post the video on social media sites."

Brinton and his co-chairs, Nathan Gibson and Ekatarina Paramonova, also MIT students, have arranged for Commissioner George Apostolakis, Ph.D. of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to serve as the conference keynote speaker.

"The theme for this year's ANS Student Conference will be an interesting topic to explore," stated Apostolakis. "I plan to speak about my views on what shapes the public's image, to provide some insights about how the NRC tries to engender public confidence in our work, and to offer my thoughts on how to shape the public image of nuclear engineers in the future."

Students at the conference will have access to the latest nuclear developments from industry, research, and academia. A team of nuclear engineers from Argonne National Laboratory will present a workshop on Generation IV fast reactors. "We'll present the physics behind fast reactors, which can use up the hazardous waste created from commercial (water-cooled) reactors as fuel," commented Roger Blomquist, a Principle Nuclear Engineer at Argonne National Laboratory. "Fast reactors also extract about 100 times more energy from each pound of uranium and provide a large improvement in safety."

Members of the American Nuclear Society will serve as speakers in various specialty areas. Students will present scientific abstracts and participate in competitions showcasing their own research.

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