The Washington Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation makes an annual trip to Washington DC. The trip provides students in nuclear engineering programs around the country the opportunity to talk with leaders in DC based organizations important to nuclear technology like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Energy Institute.
The trip also provides the students a chance to meet with congressmen, senators and their staff members that work on energy issues so that they can share thoughts and learn a bit more about how the political processes work.
This year, the NESD visit to Washington took place during the week of July 24-July 29. On August 1, 2010, I spoke with three of the 12 students who participated. The guests included Rachel Slaybaugh from the University of Wisconsin – Madison (one of the co-chairmen of the group), Will Sames from Texas A&M University, and Kevin Robb from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The students shared their thoughts about the policy statement that they created on the first day of their trip, issues that concern nuclear engineering programs, federal support for research reactors, importance of faculty development programs and the importance of efforts to ensure that nuclear energy is defined as clean energy for the purposes of counting as an effort to reduce CO2.
I also want to take this opportunity to remind you that there are a couple of high school students who are undertaking a video project in which they will visit with four nuclear energy pioneers who helped them prepare for a series of competitive debates. The Team Policy combo of Price Baker and Mary Claire Birdsong debated the resolution: “Resolved: that the United State Federal Government should significantly reform its environmental policy.” Baker/Birdsong advocated the use of Nuclear Power as the most effective way to reform environmental policy. You can find out more about the project at Opportunity to Support an Exciting Nuclear Technology Video Project.
If you are interested in participating by providing a donation, please send me an email.
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