University of Nebraska–Lincoln: Home of ANS’s newest student section
Following official confirmation in June at the American Nuclear Society’s 2025 Annual Conference, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has kicked off its first year as the newest ANS student section.
The creation of the UNL student section marks a unique milestone: it is the first ANS student section in Nebraska. It inherits the title of newest section from New Mexico State University, which was formally approved at the 2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo.
The creators: Mechanical and materials engineering professor Bai Cui is the faculty advisor for ANS-UNL. Alongside leading the university’s Materials for Extreme Environments Laboratory, he has also been a member of ANS for seven years. Cui told Nuclear Newswire that the faculty at UNL had the idea to create a student chapter for many years. But it wasn’t until a key student leader, Alex Rien, accelerated this plan into action.
Rien previously served as a nuclear machinist mate in the U.S. Navy and is now pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at UNL. He was inspired by his passion for nuclear to form a peer group at the university. After some research, he learned about the process of creating an ANS student chapter, connected with Cui, and together, the two got to work recruiting more members.
The plan ahead: In terms of concrete goals in the coming months, ANS-UNL has two immediate plans. First, they will attend and have a booth at the 3rd Nebraska Advanced Nuclear Conference in October. Second, they will travel to Washington, D.C., in November to attend the 2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo.
More broadly, Rien and Cui hope that the group can develop the UNL student body’s general interest in and support of nuclear science, technology, and engineering. At the same time, they plan to make the chapter a useful networking and career development tool for its undergraduate and graduate members, faculty, and industry leaders from across the state. This focus on workforce development will be especially important considering the Nebraska Public Power District’s current efforts to site a new nuclear power plant in the state.
The section’s goals for the university don’t stop there. They also aim to support the creation of a nuclear engineering curriculum and graduate certificate for teaching at UNL, alongside advocating for the development of new research infrastructure on campus. This, they hope, will ensure that the university and the state have the resources needed to continue facilitating new nuclear development.
