Michael Corradini, Chair Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics University of Wisconsin, Madison WI

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Michael Corradini, Chair Nuclear Engineering and
Engineering PhysicsUniversity of Wisconsin,
Madison WI

• UNIVERSITY NUCLEAR
• ENGINEERING PROGRAMS
• and
• NUCLEAR ENERGY
• Developing the Human Resource

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Background

• Nuclear engineering programs were originally
  begun in late 1950s with an emphasis in fission
  reactor engineering.
• Rapid growth expanded programs and areas through
  early 1970s, including university research
  training reactors.
• In the last two decades nuclear science
  engineering has been through a depression and now
  has a resurgence

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Nuclear Engineering Programs
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Outlook for Nuclear Energy in the U.S.

• Nuclear engr. community have endorsed some
  general goals
• Nuclear energy must be part of a balanced energy
  mix
• Nuclear power should have similar incentives as
  other alternative energy sources such as wind or
  solar power
• Yucca Mtn Project is doable needs stable
  funding
• Advanced nuclear energy products need
  consideration
• Advanced fuel cycle RD needs to be supported
  with a goal of sustainability to minimize
  high-level waste
• To fulfill these goals requires people, ideas,
  tools
• Sustaining our human resource is key to our
  future (power, health, security) and leads to
  innovative ideas tools

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Nuclear Engineering Enrollments
Note Other disciplines had constant enrollments
in last decade
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Nuclear Engineering Graduates
Other engineering graduation rates were about
constant
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Observations on Nuclear Engr. Programs

• Resurgence in BS-NE students is encouraging
• Possible reasons visibility, support, status,
  salary!
• Will there continue to be employment
  opportunities?
• Masters students population remains depressed
• Crucial for interdisciplinary students entry into
  NE
• Most flexible degree for a broad range of the
  industry
• PhD students directly enhanced by nuclear energy
  RD
• Demographic changes more women domestic stud.
• Resurgence of NE-Fission RD since late 1990s
• Requirements for staffing of Health Physics also
  is key

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Human Resource Needs/Issues

• ASEE study estimated that BS MS employment
  needs will be 600-700 per yr. while BS MS
  Graduates will be lt300 per yr (this is still an
  issue!)
• Nuclear power industry - utilities, vendors,
  services
• Nuclear-related positions in armed forces (Navy)
• Government and laboratory positions (M.S.
  primarily)
• MS PhD grads require stable long-term resources
• Fellowships/Traineeships/RA funds
  infrastructure
• Gov./Univ./Ind. partners in future (e.g., ANL and
  INL)

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Trends in DoE Funding
Total NERI Funds
DOE Investment ( in Millions)
Univ. Prog. Funds
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University Programs Initiatives for NE

• DoE has leveraged industry support to students in
  late90s
• Student Fellowships/Scholarships/Internships (
  150 students)
• Industry/DoE Matching Grants program to many of
  the NE depts.
• University Partnership Programs at minority
  institutions (5 teams)
• DoE funding is a catalyst for RD since the late
  90s
• University Reactor Fuel and Instrumentation
  Grants
• Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure Education
  Consortia (INIE)
• Nuclear Engineering Education Research Grants (lt
  2 per school)
• University researchers participating in NERI,
  GENIV and AFCI teams
• Need DoE help to increase and sustain human
  resources
• M.S. traineeships, PhD fellowships and stabilize
  the Matching Grants
• Expand the NEER and NERI efforts with Junior
  Faculty Awards

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Observations

• Give us money is not an acceptable answer
• University programs should provide a renewed
  vision (not SOP, innovative ideas/partnerships)
• Industry needs to provide interesting and
  integrated careers and role models for hires
• DoE needs to integrate university faculty into
  advanced GenIV/AFCI tasks and also lead
• Univ/DoE need to work together to align awards to
  maximize graduate student recruiting

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Observations (cont)

• Summer programs and internships at DoE Labs
• For example INIE Nuclear Summer Institute
• Flexible BS and MS program alternatives
• For example BS/MS dual degrees, NE minors
• Internships at nuclear labs (for future
  manpower)
• For example Coops at industry, OYOCs at Univ.
• GenIV/AFCI joint lab/university tasks and leads
• NEER or NERI awards properly timed to allow
  graduate student recruits for gt 3 years