UW goes nuclear

A new course launching in fall 2023 aims to teach students of all stripes about nuclear energy. Those spearheading the class want to expand nuclear education at the university.

The University of Wyoming will offer “UW Nuclear 101” next fall — a course covering the basics of nuclear energy and development. The course is part of a larger push for multidisciplinary nuclear education and is aimed at students of all majors.

“I think the University of Wyoming has an opportunity to lead in this space, but it's going to require more faculty to be able to expand what we're doing,” said Tara Righetti, UW’s Occidental Chair in Energy and Environmental Policies. “Particularly those who are excited and can engage in these projects and research, but then can also teach classes in these areas.”

Nuclear energy development is coming to the state of Wyoming. Kemmerer will soon be home to a liquid sodium-cooled nuclear power plant being built by Bill Gates's TerraPower.

Righetti said nuclear education at UW will look like UW's most recent educational addition — the UW School of Computing — in that it will use a “spider web” model connecting all majors to the discipline in a “holistic approach.” This is how the School of Computing approaches its work, seeking to weave computer science and applications throughout various disciplines across campus, rather than focusing on, or offering, a singular degree path.

“I think that's really where education needs to go because all of these problems are transdisciplinary problems,” Righetti said. “It's very rare when you are working professionals that you only work with people with your background. I love when I have engineers, lawyers, MBA students, and anthropologists and they're all in class — because the conversations we have are so much more vibrant, and there's an opportunity to really learn from each other rather than have it be just a vertical delivery.”

There is no current plan for a department of nuclear science at UW, but Righetti hinted that a certificate program might be an option in the future. 

“As a research institution and in terms of workforce development, that's where I see the biggest opportunities,” Righetti said. “First, we can contribute cutting-edge research that helps solve current problems (and) helps advance technologies. There are still a lot of questions about how these are going to be built and how they're going to be licensed and permitted.”

But Righetti said the school could advance economic development as well.

“The other thing is helping develop students and positioning them as leaders in these fields — not only in terms of nuclear engineers, but civil engineers, mechanical engineers, soil scientists and data scientists — giving them the core foundation and tools to …  do really great work at UW and be able to apply them within the nuclear industry and particularly within Wyoming industries.”