Training the next-generation nuclear work force in New Mexico

Until recently, the University of New Mexico’s chemical and nuclear engineering program struggled to attract students.

But with nuclear energy on the rise again, student enrollment is booming, said Robert Busch, program adviser and coordinator for undergraduates.

“Ten years ago, we had just a handful of students, but this semester, we’re up to almost 50,” Busch said. “I believe a lot more will join the program next year.”

The prospect of a new generation of nuclear reactors in the U.S., plus the aging of the nation’s nuclear work force, means many career opportunities are emerging.

“At least 50 percent of people in the nuclear industry are now over 50,” Busch said. “We need to get more students educated and into the business before we lose the knowledge and experience we’ve built up.”

UNM offers the only combined chemical and nuclear engineering program in the state. It also provides hands-on experience for students, thanks to a small, 5-watt training reactor that the College of Engineering has operated on campus since 1966.

“At 5 watts, it’s not even enough for a light bulb, but it behaves the same as a 3,500-megawatt reactor in terms of the physics events that happen inside and that students can see and identify,” Busch said. “It’s a perfect training reactor.”

Read the full story in the New Mexico Business Weekly.