Filling the Isotope Specialist Pipeline: The Washington State University Approach

1
Filling the Isotope Specialist Pipeline The
Washington State University Approach

• Ken Nash, Sue Clark, Paul Benny, Aurora
  Clark, Don Wall, Nathalie Wall, Jim Elliston

2
Radiochemistry _at_ WSUCirca 1999

• Research reactor, no NE program
• R. Filby, Neutron Activation Analysis
• S. Clark, Actinide Chemistry
• Reactor Staff
• Radiation Safety Office
• Radiochemistry research laboratories
• Approx. 300,000/year research funding
• Primarily DOE Office of Science, BES BER
• Approx. 7 Ph.D. seeking students 1-2 grads/year
• Hands-on radiochemistry graduate and
  undergraduate courses

3
Radiochemistry _at_ WSUCirca 1999, Continued

• R. Filby retirement in 2001
• 1 2 faculty retirements / year in Chemistry
  Department
• Difficult state budget situation (so no new
  hires)
• Increasing undergraduate student numbers
• Little or no start-up funding for positions
• Possible opportunities for increasing federal
  research funding in radiochemistry education

4
Chemistry Department

• Since 1999,
• Radiochemistry included as a primary focus area
  in curriculum
• Cross training students in fundamentals of
  chemistry and nuclear chemistry
• Increased the number of faculty positions
• Increased the number of radiochemistry students
• Undergraduate and graduate
• Increased outreach to the community

5
Sue Clark, Professor

• Research Interests
• Environmental Chemistry of Actinides and
  Lanthanides
• Mineral Phases of Tailing piles
• Environmental Clean up
• Nuclear Security

6
Ken Nash, Professor

• Research Interests
• Advanced Fuel Cycle
• Reprocessing
• Separation science
• Solution chemistry of lanthanides and actinides

7
Paul Benny, Assistant Professor
Biotargeting Molecule

• Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry
• Design of new molecular targeting agents for
  therapy and imaging
• Radio Environmental Chemistry
• Isolation and identification of migrant
  radionuclides.

BM
8
Aurora Clark, Assistant Professor
Simulation of Actinide Materials
Using electronic structure to understand
physical properties,

• Computation Chemistry of Lanthanides and
  Actinides
• Separations
• Solvation models
• Developing f electron systems
• Environmental modeling

Magnetic properties of reduced U-minerals
DFT Study of Actinide Complexes
9
Harold Dodgen Facility

• 1 MW TRIGA Nuclear Reactor
• James C. Sullivan milligram Np, Pu laboratory
• Director of the reactor, Don Wall

10
Veterinarian Medicine

• Diagnosis of disease in animals
• Magnetic Resonance
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Treatment of disease in animals
• External beam radiation
• Radiopharmaceuticals

11
Radiochemistry _at_ WSU Today

• Seven radiochemistry faculty four tenured or
  tenure track, three research professors
• Increased research funding (Approx.
  600,000/year research funding, with increases
  expected)
• Primarily DOE Office of Science, BES, NE BER
• Increased number of Ph.D. seeking students (18
  at present)
• Hands on radiochemistry graduate and
  undergraduate courses and undergraduate research
• More diversity in course offerings
• Student internships at national labs
• WSU faculty sabbaticals at national labs
• National lab staff sabbaticals at WSU
• Improved and expanded facilities on tap for 2009

12
Supporters of the WSURadiochemistry Program

• US Department of Energy
• DOE Radiochemistry Education Award Program
• WSU
• WSU Dean of Science and the Provosts Office
• Chemistry Department
• Harold Dodgen, Roy Filby
• State of Washington

13
(No Transcript)
14
6.8
23.4
12.6
12.5
15
Who is training the next generation of Nuclear
Scientists?

• The rest of the world!