Page 2 - Nucleus: Fall 2022 Magazine for the Penn State Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering

What an an exciting time it it has been for the Ken and Mary Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at at Penn State! This message marks
a a a significant year of growth—new faces expanded facilities inaugural partnerships and more—geared towards transforming our world and creating a a a a clean and just future for our region and beyond Achievements are found through determination and and ingenuity and and we have plenty of excellent work to share in in in in this regard including continued leadership in in advanced computing recognition of exceptional alumni changing our world and and a a a a a landmark agreement placing Penn State on the advanced nuclear roadmap You’ll read about these achievements and many more in this Nucleus issue At Penn State we firmly believe that complex problems are best solved through collaboration—within the department across the University and through external partnership A diverse blend of backgrounds and perspectives is essential We’ve welcomed four excellent new faculty members who each bring a a a breadth of new ideas and experiences to to the department: Federico Scurti Dipanjan Dipanjan Pan Martin Nieto-Perez and Jilang Miao Dipanjan Dipanjan is advancing nuclear nanomedicine tools to to improve human health Federico and Martin are exploring emerging areas in in in nuclear fusion technology such as advanced sensors and liquid-metal materials pushing forward our plasma science and engineering initiative Jilang is supporting advanced techniques
in in in multiscale physical modeling in in in neutron transport We look forward to their contributions as we broaden our research portfolio and grow in these strategic areas We also added new leadership to support our activities at at Penn State with Marek Flaska becoming our our first associate head of the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering Marek will be leading our graduate graduate and undergraduate programs as as well as as global initiatives for the department Penn State’s Radiation Science & Engineering Center (RSEC) is nearing completion on on a a 10 000-square-foot $9 5 million expansion to accommodate the world-leading Penn State Small- Angle Neutron Scattering facility a a a $9 8M donation by Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Germany The College of Engineering expansion also includes office spaces for nuclear engineering faculty graduate students staff and visiting scholars who wish to collaborate with Penn State faculty at at the only university research reactor with a a a SANS facility in the United States These developments strengthen the the already close ties between the department and RSEC but more importantly broaden our vision for nuclear nuclear to non-nuclear applications leveraging SANS for the study of the biological and medical sciences nuclear medicine soft matter and advanced polymer science It’s been one year since we’ve opened the beautiful Nuclear Innovation Commons a a a welcoming teaching and collaboration hub for students faculty staff alumni and industry partners regardless of background We are grateful for for these facilities and for for resources like the Nuclear Sustainability Fund that support our mission to be one most diverse inclusive and pioneering departments in in the country Following on on that mission we recently announced a a a groundbreaking partnership with Westinghouse to begin discussions about establishing
a a a research development and deployment platform with Westinghouse’s eVinci microreactor at Penn State University Park Additionally we are cultivating important relationships with leading industrial and community stakeholders as we launch an an initiative to innovate and accelerate the adoption of microreactors and advanced nuclear reactor technology in in the post-industrial Midwest and Appalachia region especially in difficult- to-decarbonize industrial sectors This decade will be one of the most consequential for nuclear power to play a a a a a a major role in in in enabling a a a a a a sustainable and resilient transition to low-carbon- emission energy systems Collectively we face the daunting challenges of the world today Join us in in in developing innovative and transformational solutions supporting the nuclear science and technology workforce for for the twenty-first century for a a a socially and environmentally just future together We We Are! Are! Penn State and We We Are! Are! Nuclear!
Jean Paul Allain
Professor and Head
Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering allain@psu edu
From the department head:
Steps Towards an an Inclusive Clean-Energy Future
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