The Future of University Nuclear Engineering Programs and University Research and Training Reactors
|
|
| Audience/Grade: | College Freshman-Graduate |
| Discipline(s): |
Nuclear Engineering |
| Special Topic(s): | |
| Learning Resource Type: |
Reference - Article/Document |
| Media Type: |
Audio |
| Author(s): |
Donald Dei Glenn Knoll Kenneth Rogers Marvin Adams Michael Corradini Tom Isaacs Warren Miller |
| Description: | Report from the NOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology. It begins: "Nuclear engineering programs and departments with an initial emphasis in fission were formed in the late 1950’s and 1960’s from interdisciplinary efforts in many of the top research universities, providing the manpower for this technical discipline. In the same time period, for many of these programs, university nuclear reactors were constructed and began their operation, providing some of the facilities needed for research and training of students engaged in this profession. However, over the last decade, the U.S. nuclear science and engineering educational structure has not only stagnated but has reached a state of decline. The number of independent nuclear engineering programs and the number of operating university nuclear reactors have both fallen by about half since the mid-1980s. In contrast, the demand for nuclear-trained personnel is again on the rise. Workforce requirements at operating U.S. nuclear power plants are increasing and will undoubtedly remain high, given the plans for plant-life extension in the vast majority of operating light-water reactors in the U.S. Moreover, new initiatives have begun in applied radiation sciences in collaboration with industrial and medical researchers as well as new biotechnologists. Finally, nuclear science and engineering (NS&E) continues to be needed in national security as well as providing the US Navy with effective, safe nuclear propulsion. Thus, the future of nuclear science and engineering programs must be reevaluated and refocused as the new century begins." |
| Rating: |
|
| Related Resources | |
| Usage Tip | |
| Related ABET Criteria: |
(h) Understand global, economic, environmental, and societal context |
| Use of Resource: |
Recommendations for universities begins: "University Nuclear Engineering Programs: Our vision is have DOE assist universities as they refocus these programs to enhance advances in nuclear science and engineering as applied to security, power and medicine and to maintain the necessary human resource for continuing the discipline through the 21 st century." |
| Difficulty: |
Medium |
| Interactivity Level: |
Very low |
| Version Info | |
| Publication Date: | March 2000 |
| Platform/Format: |
WWW |
| Cost: |
Free |
| Download URL: | http://www.ne.doe.gov/pdfFiles/finalblue.pdf |
| Metadata: |
IEEE LOM Record |
| Collection: |
NEEDS
|
