Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My name is Steven and I am a high school student in the city of New York. For my nuclear engineering research project I must interview a nuclear engineer. I was wondering if any Nuclear engineer would like to take part in my interview. I would really appreciate it.

Here are some questions i would like to ask:

1. When did you know you wanted to become a Nuclear Engineer?
2. What was your college experience like?
3. How did you get your first job?
4. Do you find yourself working more in a team situation, or more alone?
5. Where do you see jobs for Nuclear Engineers in the future? What should students be doing to prepare themselves to take on those roles?
6. What kind of tasks do you perform on a daily basis as a nuclear engineer?

Hello scruz1022,

I am not a nuclear engineer; but I graduated with a PhD in Physics, specializing in nuclear structure and worked in nuclear research a few years.

Nuclear engineering is certainly a challenging job. Given the severe accidents at commercial power reactors and the Chernobyl reactor, a very useful area of engineering is how to build failsafe reactors. These accidents have also given serious pause to many people who previously supported nuclear power, and the growing availability of renewable energy from solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass has reduced the need for new reactors. I would not dare predict the future of nuclear power, but I suggest that you consider the options for a career with these things in mind. A career in a new, growing field is usually more satisfying than a career in a fading field.

I'm sorry that I can't answer many of your questions, so I hope you find another real engineer.

Good luck, WW