UNLV Among Select Group Researching Nuclear Energy
A small UNLV program just got tasked with a big job: improving technologies that could help bolster the country's nuclear power portfolio.
Researchers in the university's radiochemistry program and the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies were awarded more than $2.1 million to lead four new research projects. The effort is part of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Nuclear Energy University Program. UNLV is one of 31 institutions asked to conduct research addressing the global climate and energy crisis and ways to move the nation toward better use of nuclear technology.
The funding will support studies related to two of the DOE's major initiatives — the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative and the Next Generation Nuclear Plant. The UNLV research will focus on:
- Nuclear waste separation technology
- Disposal of waste forms
- Nuclear materials science
"As a zero-carbon energy source, nuclear power must be part of our energy mix as we work toward energy independence and meeting the challenge of global warming," said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "The next generation of nuclear power plants — with the highest standards of safety, efficiency and environmental protection — will require the latest advancements in nuclear science and technology. These research and development university awards will ensure that the United States continues to lead the world in the nuclear field for years to come."
Rebuilding the Ranks
UNLV's radiochemistry program, which focuses on the chemical and physical properties of radioactive elements, is just one of a handful of academic programs currently producing new graduates and faculty with advanced degrees in the field.
Since the last nuclear power plant was commissioned in the United States more than 30 years ago, the annual number of new Ph.D.s in nuclear and radiochemistry has fallen to fewer than 10, leaving the U.S. far behind other countries in terms of the human infrastructure needed to help lead a renaissance of the nation's nuclear power industry. But with 20 students enrolled in the program, UNLV's doctoral program will produce an additional six to 10 graduates in the next few years.
Areas of Focus
Only five years old, the radiochemistry program has quickly made an international name for itself, developing important ties to national and international laboratories, all of which provide unique opportunities for students and faculty to conduct their work.
Ken Czerwinski, professor of chemistry and director of the radiochemistry program; Frederic Poineau, research professor in chemistry; and Dan Rego, a post-doctoral researcher in the radiochemistry program, developed three of the DOE-funded projects. Longzhou Ma, a research scientist at the Harry Reid Center, is the principal investigator on the fourth project.
Their collaborators include fellow UNLV scientists and students, as well as colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Argonne, Idaho, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest national laboratories.
Related Information
Radiochemistry Program
Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies
U.S. Department of Energy
