Nuclear Safeguards Education Portal (NSEP) Launch

This week marked the official launch of the Nuclear Safeguards Education Portal, a group of Distance Education modules aimed at providing education and outreach to those with an interest in enhancing security of nuclear materials and facilities. NSEP is maintained by the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (NSSPI) at Texas A&M University and was developed through the work of Dr. William Charlton, D. Grant Ford, Jr., Dr. Wen-Hsing Hsu, Kelley Ragusa, and Dr. Daniel Reece. Funding for NSEP was provided by the Office of Nonproliferation and International Security (NA-24) of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

NSEP is continually under development with new educational offerings becoming available periodically. The modules currently being offered include "Basic Nuclear and Atomic Physics," "The Commercial Fuel Cycle: Beginner's Course," and "Basic Nuclear Detection." Visit the NSEP website.

TAMU NE Undergrads Attend Safeguards Training at ORNL

Several TAMU nuclear engineering juniors visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Safeguards Laboratory during the week of May 26-29, 2009 for Nuclear Material Safeguards Nondestructive Assay Techniques education and practical training, hosted by the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute(NSSPI). Students learned about applied nondestructive assay measurement techniques in nuclear material safeguards, discussed nonproliferation issues with NSSPI and ORNL staff, and gained first-hand experience in measuring special nuclear material using state-of-the-art technologies. In addition, students visited unique ORNL facilities such as the Spallation Neutron Source, the X-10 Graphite Reactor, and Canberra's high-purity germanium crystal growing facility. The group was accompanied by Dr. John Poston and NSSPI staff members D. Grant Ford and Claudio Gariazzo.

View See Photo Album and Course Highlights

Aggie Metcalf Featured as INL "Rising Star"

TAMU Nuclear Engineering graduate Richard Metcalf has recently been featured in an article in the Idaho National Laboratory news. The article gives Metcalf's personal and professional biography, including the work he has done at TAMU within the Nuclear Engineering Department and the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (NSSPI), and characterizes him as a "rising star" at INL. Metcalf completed his M.S. in Nuclear Engineering under Dr. Charlton and Dr. Ragusa in May 2009, defending his thesis, "New Tool For Proliferation Resistance Evaluation Applied To Uranium And Thorium Fueled Fast Reactor Fuel Cycles" in February of this year.

Metcalf will be returning to TAMU in the fall to pursue a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering and a Homeland Security Certificate through the Bush School.

To read the article in its entirety, go to the INL news site.