News
Radiological Imaging and Instrumentation Taught by Elena Zannoni
For the first time, new Assistant Professor Dr. Elena Zannoni taught the M E 397 Radiological Imaging and Instrumentation course in the 2024 spring semester in the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program. The course gives an overview of modern imaging techniques and instrumentation in three segments: physical and mathematical foundations, transmission imaging and emission imaging.
Christopher Martin Wins Award
Christopher Martin wins second place at the State of Texas Chapter of the Health Physics Society meeting on April 20, 2024, at Texas A&M in College Station. Christopher’s presentation was Rapid, High Accuracy and Precision Analysis of Uranium Content in Texas Ore using self-attenuation gamma-ray spectroscopy. This work is sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Nuclear Material Support Services (NPI-9).
Sheldon Landsberger Guest Lectures in Serbia
Dr. Landsberger gave a series of five invited lectures in the Department of Physics at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia during the week of April 15, 2024. The series was entitled Nuclear Physics, Nuclear Science and Nuclear Engineering. Lecture topics included neutron activation analysis, pop-culture goes nuclear, radioactivity in the oil exploration sector, low-level gamma ray counting, development of experiments in health physics to reinforce basic radiation protection concepts, and coincidence and anti-coincidence gamma ray spectroscopy in radionuclide identification. The Department of Physics has very advanced techniques in coincidence gamma-ray spectroscopy. Further educational and research collaboration was discussed.
Two Freshman Teams Win Awards
The Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program and Nuclear and Applied Robotics Group supported four of the ten projects for the Freshman Introduction to Research Engineering Course ME 177K. This course is designed to introduce research skills to first year students in their first or second semesters. Second and third prizes of $300 and $200 were awarded to Robotics and Compton Camera: Autonomous Radiation Detection and Robotic Additive Manufacturing, respectively.
Inaugural Texas Nuclear Symposium
As part of UT Energy Week, the first ever Texas Nuclear Symposium organized by Derek Haas and Kevin Clarno was held from March 25-26. Presentations on the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering’s Molten Salt Reactor and Digital Twin Reactors were given by faculty and staff members. Graduate students had the opportunities to make presentation of their work on the above topics. Reed Clay President of the Texas Nuclear Alliance gave an overview of the inclusion of nuclear energy in the electricity production in Texas. In the main UT Energy Week conference there were presentations by Sunil Felix from Nuclear Counsellor, French Atomic Commission – US Embassy (Washington, DC), Jimmy Glotfelty Commissioner, Public Utility Commission of Texas and Dale Klein Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin and Former Commissioner of Nuclear Regulatory Commission joined a panel to discuss "A Nuclear Carol: The Future of Nuclear via the Past & Present Perspectives of France, U.S., and Texas”
Dr. Landsberger Serves on the Department of Energy’s NEUP General Scientific Infrastructure Review Panel
The invitation to serve on national and international review panels is significant to our program in terms of exposure to our faculty’s individual areas of expertise. In Fall 2023, Sheldon Landsberger served on the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Engineering University Program (NEUP) General Scientific Infrastructure Review Panel, as Chair of the European Partnership for Research in Radiation Protection and Detection of Ionizing Radiation including nuclear medicine, review panel and was invited to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Consultancy Meeting for the Disposal of Irradiated Graphite Waste from nuclear power plants.
Dr. Charlton Presents Certificate of Achievement to Lieutenant JunHyeon Jang
Dr. Charlton presents a certificate of achievement to Lieutenant JunHyeon Jang from the Republic of Korea Navy for his three-month practicum in nuclear engineering. Lt. Jang who was sponsored by the ROK Navy, studied basic and advanced concepts in nuclear engineering, health physics, and participated in research reactor experiments.
Dr. David Dodoo-Amoo Donates for Scholarship
Dr. David Dodoo-Amoo donates $1000 for an undergraduate scholarship. David who graduated in 2002 from the NRE program is currently employed at Landauer radiation instrumentation as a medical physicist.
Derek Haas Helps NNSA Improve Nuclear Explosion Monitoring
Derek Haas has taken the lead to produce Xe-127 at the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab to help NNSA improve nuclear explosion monitoring.
UT NRE to Host the Prestigious 2025 Nuclear Critical Safety Division Topical Event
The University of Texas Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program (UT NRE) is proud to announce that it will host the prestigious 2025 Nuclear Critical Safety Division Topical event. This gathering will bring together approximately 250 renowned scientists and engineers, who will showcase their groundbreaking research and insights in critical safety. The event's focus areas encompass a wide spectrum, including operational criticality safety, experimental criticality, nuclear data analysis, and the development of radiation transport codes. UT's American Nuclear Society chapter with its President Andres Fierro is dedicated to ensuring the success of this event. UT ANS is committed to facilitating a seamless experience for attendees. Our efforts will extend to organizing captivating facility tours, extending support to students participating in presentations, and orchestrating engaging activities within the vibrant city of Austin. We look forward to fostering an environment of collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange during this significant event.