The School of Engineering at Tennessee Tech College introduced on Might 21 the launch of its Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering diploma program, solely the second such program at present out there in Tennessee. This system was formally accredited Might 16 by the Tennessee Increased Training Fee. Tennessee Tech college students, switch college students, and incoming first-year college students can transition right into a nuclear engineering main over the upcoming 2024–2025 tutorial 12 months.
“We’re extraordinarily excited to supply a program in nuclear engineering at a time when it’s wanted most, because the trade will expertise super progress within the subsequent twenty years and the demand for nuclear engineers with bachelor’s levels will dramatically enhance,” mentioned Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham. “Graduates of Tennessee Tech’s Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering diploma program can anticipate to enter the workforce with state-of-the-art engineering information and hands-on expertise, and employers can anticipate them to have the identical sensible expertise, sturdy work ethic, professionalism, and tenacity for which Tech grads are famend.”
Tech is launching the diploma program to deal with impending demand for nuclear engineers throughout the nation. In 2021, the Heart for Power Workforce Growth projected a necessity for 15,000 nuclear engineering workers by 2026. The trade is present process a metamorphosis pushed by next-generation know-how as small modular reactors just lately accredited by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Fee will probably enhance the demand for nuclear engineers. As well as, the U.S. Division of Power (DOE) has invested greater than $600 million since 2014 to assist small reactor ideas. About 20% of the nation’s electrical energy is generated by 92 present nuclear reactors in 28 states, based on knowledge from the Nuclear Power Institute.
Tech’s nuclear engineering program may also particularly assist the financial competitiveness of the state of Tennessee, the place 40% of the state’s electrical energy is offered by nuclear vitality. In Might 2023, Gov. Invoice Lee signed an govt order setting apart $50 million to put money into establishing a nuclear growth and manufacturing ecosystem within the state. “No different state within the nation comes near Tennessee’s legacy, assets, and potential to be a frontrunner in nuclear vitality. And there’s no long-term nationwide technique that doesn’t embody nuclear vitality,” he mentioned in his 2023 State of the State tackle.
“Nuclear energy is important within the transition to wash vitality. Expertise innovation in small modular reactors and spent gasoline reprocessing is driving super curiosity all through trade and authorities companies working to unleash American nuclear vitality,” mentioned Joseph C. Slater, dean of the School of Engineering. “The nuclear engineering diploma program is an incredible alternative for college students to hitch the following era of engineers main the nation right into a sustainable vitality future.”
This system can be housed within the Division of Mechanical Engineering and expects to enroll practically 50 nuclear engineering majors by this system’s fifth 12 months, which might enhance the variety of nuclear engineering graduates within the state by 25% to 30%. This system curriculum will embody rules of nuclear vitality manufacturing, reactor programs design, spent gasoline reprocessing, nuclear security, and nuclear cybersecurity.
Tech is partnering with nuclear trade companies to offer college students in this system with hands-on expertise and profession alternatives, together with establishing internships, collaborating with trade on analysis initiatives, offering the most recent tools and know-how for hands-on instruction, and offering scholarships and different monetary help.
“These partnerships have already had a major affect on the design of our program as this system has gained widespread assist and momentum within the 12 months main as much as immediately’s launch,” Slater mentioned. “Our aim is to have career-ready, working engineers that may instantly assist the nuclear vitality trade.”
Final 12 months, the college launched a partnership with United Cleanup of Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) to construct on an present internship program to create a pipeline of extremely expert employees for UCOR’s environmental cleanup on the Oak Ridge Reservation for the DOE. UCOR is the DOE’s lead environmental cleanup contractor on the 32,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation in East Tennessee. The corporate’s 2,300 employees are devoted to soundly decreasing environmental threat whereas enabling new science and nationwide safety missions, and financial reinvestment on the Oak Ridge Nationwide Laboratory and the Y-12 Nationwide Safety Advanced.
In June 2023, Tennessee Tech was awarded $3 million in funding from the U.S. Division of Training’s Increased Training Congressionally Funded Group Tasks Program to amass tools and different know-how assets wanted to outfit the state-of-the-art laboratories wanted for nuclear engineering schooling. The Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering is the most recent addition to the School of Engineering’s eight accredited bachelor’s diploma packages with 17 extra concentrations, six grasp’s diploma packages, and a college-wide Ph.D. program that helps chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, pc science, electrical and pc engineering, manufacturing engineering know-how, and mechanical and aerospace engineering. For extra data on the Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering at Tennessee Tech and to enroll to obtain the most recent program updates, go to tntech.edu/nuclear.
—Stephanie Irwin is a advertising and marketing specialist for Tennessee Tech College’s School of Engineering.
