AIKEN, S.C. - EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) offers students three graduate credits in mechanical engineering for completing their summer internships.
The laboratory provides the credits as part of the DOE Packaging University Graduate Certificate in Radioactive Material Packaging program with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The Packaging University was established in partnership with UNR in 2013 to provide graduate-level nuclear packaging education to prepare students for future employment.
Each year UNR adjunct professors who work at SRNL teach two graduate-level classes as part of the Packaging University. This year the laboratory hosted three students who will receive course credit for their 10-week radioactive packaging internships.
“This program is vital for our future workforce," said Dr. Ed Ketusky, UNR adjunct professor and principal engineer at SRNL. “Students enrolled in this program not only get the hands-on learning from our internships, but a way to test and apply new knowledge to their work over the summer, making them ideal job candidates for the future."
As part of their radioactive packaging internships, students are required to submit an approved research proposal, a midterm report, and a final research report.
Kevin Frew, a senior at Virginia Tech, described his experience at SRNL this summer as enlightening.
“I am still in the process of determining my next step after graduating," Frew said. “Radioactive material packaging was not something I had thought of as a career choice before, but now I am considering it."
For Nicholas Manning, a senior at Texas A&M University, learning outside the classroom was a beneficial part of his intern experience.
“Learning onsite allows me to ask questions directly to the people in my department whose job it is to design the packages," said Manning. “This is a very positive environment for learning as I have firsthand knowledge and experience as to what designing a radioactive material package entails. I also have the supervision of my mentor and can ask him anything and have access to his extensive experience."
Brandon Eberl, a senior at the University of South Carolina Aiken, plans to use the knowledge he gained this summer at SRNL in his future career.
“I now have a greater understanding of metal fabrication techniques and 3D printing for nuclear shipping package design," said Eberl. “After graduating I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, focusing on 3D printing for the fabrication of prosthetics and surgical implants. The knowledge and hands-on experience I gained this summer can apply directly to my future career."
The Packaging University plans to provide a graduate certificate in the field of packaging security and safeguards.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
