Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), in partnership with the American Nuclear Society, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the Institute for Nuclear Power Operators, has announced it will host an online workshop called “Shaping the Future of Nuclear Academic Programs.” The 90-minute program is designed for university department heads and faculty interested in enhancing nuclear science and technology programs through best practices.

Four sessions of the workshop—each with identical content—have been scheduled for Monday, May 13, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT); Wednesday, May 15, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT); Tuesday, May 21, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT); and Thursday, May 23, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

Register now. Registration for the workshops is free and can be completed online. There is a separate registration page for each of the four dates: May 13, May 15, May 21, and May 23.

Workshop content: The workshop will provide an examination of the nuclear energy education field, covering such topics as nuclear career awareness, pipeline management, recruitment, retention, funding opportunities, and resource optimization. Afterward, each participant will receive a detailed report summarizing the major findings from the discussions and activities.

The goals of the event are to determine paths to enhance career awareness and pipeline development; envision different ways to engage students at various educational levels and assess the kind of financial support necessary for such programs; and explore diversity and inclusion and how to attract candidates to the field while optimizing resources to further enrich nuclear energy education.

About the speakers: Olivia Blackmon, the director of the ORAU STEM Accelerator’s Partnership for Nuclear Energy; Ken Tobin, ORAU’s chief researcher and university partnerships officer; and Lori Brady, ORAU’s senior director of human resources and workforce development will be the featured speakers at each session.

For more information, contact Dr. Blackmon at 571/205-9467 or via email.