HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Did you know that Alabama A&M University has a partnership with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission? NRC is a federal agency that oversees the safe use of both nuclear power and radioactive materials in the U.S. and internationally.
The NRC Chairman Christopher Hanson paid Alabama A&M students and President Daniel Wims a visit discussing how this partnership is helping create opportunities for students in the nuclear arena and beyond. "The NRC has a 20 year relationship with Alabama Agriculture Mechanical University of which I think both of us [Hanson and the University's President] are very proud. And, uh, it's important in this critical time for the country as we make the energy transition, where we make greater use of, of a greater array of energies. Certainly our focus is on the nuclear side, but, uh, we need, uh, smart graduates, we need well-established research programs, um, uh, to support that."
2002 Alabama A&M University graduate Shawn Smith said has worked with the U.S. nuclear regulatory commission for 21 and a half years. "So we're a federal agency and we're here just to reestablish our connection to support the diversification of our workforce in the future. I tell a lot of people I never applied for this role at NRC. My resume was on file as a career development services intern, and that's how NRC found me, it was through that center and finding my resume looking specifically for physics majors and that landed me my amazing career at NRC," Smith added.
Furthermore, you do not have to be be a nuclear engineer to work at the NRC. "We need, you know, electrical engineers, mechanical geophysicists, lots of of different groups," said Hamon.
Smith said all in all, this partnership between the NRC and Alabama A&M is about providing opportunities for summer internships and creating opportunities for tuition assistance and scholarships. "That helps to create a pipeline and increase the pool of candidates that would help us diversify our workforce in the future," she continued.