What’s Happening?

The DOE Fellows program at FIU hosted Dr. Soon-Heung Chang during his Feb. 10 visit to FIU. Dr. Chang is the current president of the Korean Nuclear Society, as well as dean and vice president at the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST). During his visit to FIU, Dr. Chang had the opportunity to visit FIU’s laboratories and facilities where DOE fellows and Applied Research Center (ARC) staff showcased on-going applied research projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM).

Mechanical engineering graduate student Eric Inclan describes to Dr. Chang an experimental setup for the evaluation of remote sensors network to be used during the decommissioning of excess nuclear facilities at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site. Mr. Inclan is assisted by DOE Fellows Alessandra Monetti, a civil engineering undergraduate student, and Frank Silva, an electrical engineering undergraduate student.

Dr. Chang also participated as a distinguished lecturer in the DOE Fellows Lecture Series. Dr. Chang’s presentation, “Perspective on Korea’s Nuclear Future after Fukushima,” discussed the cutting-edge research being conducted at KAIST and provided a perspective on Korea’s nuclear energy program after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan.

KAIST was established in 1971 as Korea’s first graduate school specializing in science and engineering education and research. The school’s founding was a catalyst for Korea’s rapid rise from a producer of light industry goods to a world leader in high-technology industries. KAIST focuses on finding solutions to critical problems in the fields of energy, environment, water and sustainability.

During his visit to FIU, Dr. Chang met Vice President for Research Andres Gil, Associate Vice President for Research Luis Salas, ARC Executive Director John Proni, College of Arts & Sciences Dean Ken Furton, College of Engineering & Computing Associate Dean Giri Narasimhan, and ARC Associate Director Leonel E. Lagos, who also directs the DOE Fellows Program. Potential collaborations between KAIST and FIU were discussed, among other items of interest.

Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL) James Auld, who is the company’s college coordinator of nuclear programs, attended the DOE Fellows Lecture Series and provided his perspective on an aging nuclear workforce and the need to train and mentor the new generation of college students in  nuclear science and engineering disciplines. He also discussed FPL’s plans to construct two new nuclear reactors at the company’s facility in Homestead.