NRL Teams Up with ANS to Promote Nuclear Science
The Ohio State University Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (NRL) and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) student chapter at The Ohio State University teamed up to provide public outreach to help people understand more about radiation and nuclear science during the annual Center of Science and Industry (COSI) Science Festival at Columbus Ohio. COSI developed the free city-wide celebration to showcase local science and technology and engage learners of all ages. The event attracts thousands of people each year, and the NRL/ANS booth was an interactive opportunity for attendees to see items with naturally-occurring radiation, to talk to students, and to observe a hands-on measurement with a radiation meter. Over 200 people are estimated to have stopped the booth, ranging from 5-year-olds to senior citizens.
Ohio State University student and Department of Energy scholarship recipient, Emily Gordon, participated in the event right before heading off to her internship at Idaho National Laboratory. Gordon observed that, “The word ‘nuclear’ is sometimes scary for the public, but just like everything else in life, when something is understood and managed properly, it is very safe. Radiation is a part of our everyday lives, and this event was a great opportunity to talk with members of the public about their concerns and make them more comfortable.”
“Right here in Columbus research is happening to support nuclear technology and next‐generation advanced reactors research,” commented director Dr. Raymond Cao. “NRL is making key contributions and cementing its footprint in these high impact areas, and this is a great event to talk to general public about what are happening in the labs, and to recruit next generation nuclear talents from a very early stage.”
As the only operating research reactor in the State of Ohio, the NRL is a unique teaching and research laboratory that delivers high quality service to its customers and excellent instruction and research opportunities to nuclear engineering students. In 2017, the DOE designated the NRL as a partner facility of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Science User Facilities program, allowing awarded researchers, often in collaboration with other laboratories and industry, to perform DOE mission-supporting research at the NRL at no cost to users.
