There are many facets of my chosen avocation as a pro-nuclear blogger and podcaster, but one aspect that has been prominent during the 25 days since the Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear nightmare at Fukushima has been that of atomic educator. Following the role model of my favorite teachers, I have worked hard to maintain a two-way flow of information-successful educators have to be open-minded learners. There is no doubt that I know a lot more about the design and operation of boiling water reactors with MK I containment vessels now than I knew four weeks ago.

Leigh Keever is a professor of sociology at Chattahoochee Technical College, in Marietta, Georgia. Last year, she invited PopAtomic Studios to participate in the service learning program, which has evolved into an ongoing effort to learn about energy issues from a sociological perspective.

In my previous post for the ANS Nuclear Cafe, I described what I had learned from debating nuclear opponents.

The Mississippi Section of the American Nuclear Society is offering two $1000 college scholarships to Mississippi high school graduates or college undergraduates. Scholarship winners are chosen from state-wide applications.

I teach students of engineering. Many of them (although certainly not all) prefer logarithms to literature and algebra to anthropology. No doubt they get a fair share of that in my classes, but I try to include a bit of history whenever I can.

National Nuclear Science Week, January 24-28, is underway across the United States and is being promoted in Minnesota with activities that include tours of PaR Nuclear's facility, a student essay competition, and trivia contests.

The American Nuclear Society's Public Education Program will be sponsoring a one-day teacher workshop on Sunday, February 27, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Ariz. The workshop-Detecting Radiation in Our Radioactive World-is intended for science educators (including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, physical science, life science, environmental, and general science) at the high school and middle school levels. WM Symposia, Inc., is cosponsoring the workshop, which will be held prior to WM2011, the international waste management conference that is held in Phoenix.

The January issue of Nuclear News has been published and mailed to American Nuclear Society members, and is available electronically to members. The issue contains a special section on education, training, and workforce issues. Features include: