In an inaugural ceremony at the FIU Engineering Center’s Panther Pit yesterday, the College of Engineering & Computing introduced a new student chapter of the American Nuclear Society, an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the fields of nuclear science and technology.
“This is a great time to be in this industry,” said ANS’s national chapter President Eugene Grecheck, who attended the ceremony.
While FIU does not currently have an official nuclear studies program, the push to start FIU’s student chapter came from students who are interested in nuclear research and who wanted to increase FIU’s presence in the nuclear science community.
As members of FIU ANS, an organization that focuses on workforce readiness, students will have the opportunity to participate in nuclear research at the Applied Research Center; earn funding for projects from ANS’s national chapter; present their work at national research conferences; engage in community outreach through a robotics program with local schools; connect with ANS’s national network of engineers and scientists; and more.
“It’s such a highlight on your resume to be a part of a group like this and have leadership skills, and it helps you in hands-on experience,” said chapter Secretary Awmna Rana.
ARC Director of Research and FIU ANS faculty advisor Dr. Leonel Lagos said the group has plans for workshops and a semester-long project building robotics to assist in the US Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management nuclear cleanup efforts. The idea is to help students apply the theory they learn in the classroom by conducting hands-on research based on real-life situations.
“We hope to provide events that will help people face technical issues and develop the technical skills, as well as their teamwork skills, as this is a multidisciplinary team,” said chapter President Ryan Sheffield.
“I think all the stars are aligning,” said Dr. Lagos. “With all the different departments at FIU, including the Applied Research Center, Physics Department and Chemistry Department, that are doing significant nuclear work, I think it’s the perfect timing for an ANS student chapter at FIU.”
The 2016 FIU ANS officers include:
-Ryan Sheffield, President
-Maximiliano Edrei, Vice President
-Awmna Rana, Secretary
-Jesse Viera, Treasurer
-Janesler Gonzalez, Head of Committee
-Dr. Leo Lagos, FIU Chapter Advisor
Story: Clara-Meretan Kiah