UCOR and UT signed an updated memorandum of understanding in February that increases the scope of the original 10-year agreement to address critical needs for the current cleanup workforce. According to UCOR, the partnership underpins the company’s “Cleanup Today for a Nuclear Tomorrow” initiative supporting $12 billion in next-generation nuclear investments at Oak Ridge.
Details: Under the renewed MOU, UCOR will provide students with hands-on experience and career opportunities, including internships, collaborations on research projects, subject matter experts serving on college and university advisory boards, and mentors for senior design projects. These efforts help ensure curricula align with work currently being done at Oak Ridge, according to DOE-EM.
According to UT, collaborations will include projects, research, and curriculum related to nuclear and criticality safety, environmental and restoration management, deactivation and decommissioning, waste management, soil sciences, cybersecurity, information technology, workforce development, and student internship and fellowship opportunities.
New minor program: In addition to training and educational opportunities to benefit both UT students and the UCOR workforce, the renewed MOU supports the development and expansion of a new nuclear safety minor degree focused on DOE-EM cleanup and operations.
“Most nuclear engineering curricula focus on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission system rather than the regulatory frameworks specific to DOE facilities,” explained Jay Mullis, UCOR chief nuclear officer. “To address this gap, UCOR and UT will collaborate to offer a DOE-focused nuclear and criticality safety program that will benefit the entire DOE complex.”
According to DOE-EM, the new program is designed for the next generation of workers pursuing careers in the nuclear field, including work on aging reactors and nuclear facilities around the nation.
The minor degree would complement a nuclear engineering degree by providing additional coursework and training in regulations and policy, safety analysis and hazard control, safety strategies for aging facility conditions, and deactivation and demolition. DOE-EM stated that the program’s goal is to help add to the number of qualified candidates for cleanup work at Oak Ridge and other sites in the DOE-EM complex.
The company: An Amentum company, UCOR is the lead environmental cleanup contractor for the DOE’s Oak Ridge Reservation. The company’s 2,500-person workforce is working on an $8.3 billion cleanup contract to remove nuclear facilities that have completed their production missions, clearing land to support continuing science and national security missions at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex.
Since 2022, UCOR has hosted more than 70 interns from UT, with many joining the workforce full time after graduation, according to DOE-EM.
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