Participating in the National Nuclear Science Week for the fifth time, NC State’s nuclear engineers are spending this week educating fellow students about the everyday presence of nuclear science, from electricity to textiles.
The primary goal of National Nuclear Science Week is to demystify what it means to study nuclear engineering and celebrate its role in society, according to Lisa Marshall, director of Outreach, Retention and Engagement for the department of nuclear engineering.
Today in the Brickyard between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., the American Nuclear Society and Women in Nuclear at NC State will host a “Nuclear Table” to showcase their nuclear programs and answer questions students might have about nuclear science.
“We just want to address any misconceptions and let them know that nuclear engineering is not just working in a nuclear reactor or nuclear power plant, but all sorts of other things as well,” said Logan Sit, a junior studying nuclear engineering and the president of the American Nuclear Society NC State chapter.
According to Sit, nuclear engineering is “a very social, very welcoming department” and wants people to see that the nuclear science field has a lot to offer.
The American Nuclear Society, the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management and the Women in Nuclear student chapters all helped out in the planning for this weeklong event. The groups made sure to engage in different events that would be helpful for other people to learn about this unknown and sometimes misplaced field of study.
Tuesday evening at Talley Student Union, nuclear engineering students showed “Pandora’s Promise,” a documentary that explains misconceptions and why skeptics were turned into believers in nuclear power.
“Many people think of nuclear science as a weapons technology, which in turn keeps people from believing that nuclear energy is a great source of renewable energy,” Marshall said. “People should be open to gaining an understanding that nuclear technology as a whole has its place in society.”
The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History created National Nuclear Science in 2009 to recognize the lesser-known connections to the field of nuclear science.
