Thursday, Feb. 12, 1998
Nuclear Society hopes for chain reaction of jobs, public awareness
Editor's note: This is the fourth story in a five-part series that focuses on little-known clubs at the University. This story is about the American Nuclear Society.
By CHRISTOPHER ANTONACCI
Collegian Staff Writer
Although its members do not build nuclear weapons or talk about
the political justification of their use, the American Nuclear
Society does discuss the potential of nuclear energy.
Club member Bill Walters (junior-nuclear engineering) said the club helps him to become more acquainted with students in his area of study and it keeps him informed about current issues in nuclear engineering.
A glow emanates from the core of the pool at the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor last August. The reactor was operating at half its capacity. (Collegian Photo/David S. Spence - click for full size image)
The club has about 30 members, said Stephen Cumblidge, president
of the American Nuclear Society. Members discuss the uses of nuclear
energy and talk about topics in the field, such as effective ways
to deal with nuclear waste.
The group tries to promote the use of nuclear energy, said Vice
President Justin Mirilovich (senior-nuclear engineering). It is
a practical, cost-efficient means of energy, he said. Contrary
to popular belief, he said, nuclear energy is safe and clean as
long as it is handled properly. The group tries to educate the
public about this.
"Nuclear power is a political problem, it's not a technical
problem," said club member Don Todd (graduate-nuclear engineering).
The group, which does not have regular meetings, also gets some
hands-on experience in dealing with nuclear energy, said Cumblidge
(graduate-nuclear engineering). The members take classes at the
nuclear reactor facility, which gives the group an opportunity
to use real equipment that measures radiation, he said.
Cumblidge said the club is also useful to help nuclear engineering
majors find jobs in the field, where there are many openings.
"We have the weight of the organization behind us as opposed
to random individuals," he said. "There's not enough
people in nuclear engineering to make companies happy."
Not many people know how to handle nuclear waste, so there are
many jobs available for qualified graduates who have this knowledge,
Cumblidge said.
The club sponsors members who will go to the University of Michigan
to discuss nuclear energy at a conference, Cumblidge said.
"The conference is an excellent place to see what is going
on in the field of nuclear engineering," he said.
Members of the club who participate in the conference will have
the opportunity to meet prospective employers.
"A lot of employers go to the conferences. It's a lot of
hand-shaking, but it's a way to put a foot in the door,"
Mirilovich said.
Members are looking into the club's immediate future as well --
they are looking for more members because the Department of Nuclear
Engineering will soon merge with the Department of Mechanical
Engineering.
"The mission of the club is to raise public awareness about nuclear power," Cumblidge said, "but our main short-term goal is recruitment."
