Tag: Member Spotlight

Education/Certifications:

B.S. Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University, 2013

Licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina

 

Employment:

Duke Energy – McGuire Nuclear Station: Senior Reactor Operator Initial License Candidate (2020 – Present)

Duke Energy – Corporate: Nuclear Fuels Engineer (2014 – 2020)

 

Why did you choose the nuclear field or how did you end up in the nuclear field?

When I was 14 I went to a summer camp at Purdue University where I had the opportunity to take a quantum physics class (it was simplified a little for the age level).  Part of the curriculum was to tour the university’s particle accelerator and nuclear reactor.  The particle accelerator was big and orange and exciting, and everyone was wearing lab coats and talking to us about the work they were doing… then we got to the nuclear reactor.  Purdue’s reactor (PUR-1) is in a basement and very little about its exterior is flashy or exciting.  The other students were bored and falling asleep while the basics of nuclear energy were explained, but I was absolutely enthralled.  I called my parents later and declared I wanted to be a nuclear engineer.  They weren’t too inclined to believe me since I’d also recently decided I wanted to be a dolphin trainer after changing my mind about wanting to be an orthodontist.  But here I am, 17 years later with a degree in nuclear engineering and pursuing my Senior Reactor Operator license.  I fell in love with the concept of nuclear energy and the massive amounts of clean power it could generate, and I’ve been hooked on the field ever since.

 

What advice do you have for women in the nuclear field?

You have every right to your seat at the table!  So many studies have shown how diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes, so don’t be afraid to speak up even if you’re the only one with a different opinion.

 

Why did you join U.S. Women in Nuclear?

I was introduced to U.S. WIN while I was interning for Duke Energy.  I attended my first national conference as a student a few years later, and the empowerment I felt during those three days listening to what women from all over the industry had accomplished made me really value the organization.  I realized how important it is to build your network with people who can relate to you and may have gone through similar situations.  I certainly would not be where I am today without my involvement in U.S. WIN.

 

What do you think is the most important benefit of nuclear science, technology, or energy and why?

I think the most important benefit of nuclear energy is that it’s clean baseload generation.  It’s a great building block for other clean energy technologies to grow from.  We have the technology now, so we can power our communities as newer battery, solar, and wind technologies continue to develop.  Nuclear fits right in to a diversified clean energy strategy.

• Education/Certifications:

Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Georgia; Master of Science, Biological Sciences (Microbiology/Immunology), Clemson University

• Employment:

Nuclear Chemistry Technician at Oconee Nuclear Station (Duke Energy) 2015 – 2021

Nuclear Station Instructor at Oconee Nuclear Station (Duke Energy) March 2021 to present

• Why did you choose the nuclear field or how did you end up in the nuclear field?

My first job out of college was working in the Biological Sciences Department at Clemson University.  One of my co-workers got a job in the Environmental Chemistry Department at ONS and really enjoyed it, and she suggested I apply the next time an opening came up.  I’ve always been interested in nuclear power, and found the idea intriguing enough to apply when jobs opened up a few years later.  I started as a Primary Chemistry Technician in 2015, and in March of this year moved into the Nuclear Station Instructor position for the site’s Chemistry Training Program.

• What advice do you have for women in the nuclear field?

Don’t be intimidated by the gross imbalance between men and women in the field (nuclear being heavily male-dominated).  Even though I am the only female instructor at my plant right now, I came from a department that is headed by women, and work for a company with a female CEO.  Opportunity is there, and it’s yours for the taking.

• What do you think is the most important benefit of nuclear science, technology, or energy and why?

With the demand for energy ever increasing, and the environmental cost of carbon producing coal-fire plants something the world cannot afford to ignore, we need a supply of clean, reliable energy that can meet that high demand.  Wind and solar are always a hot topic in the clean energy world, but they cannot produce power at high enough levels on their own.  Nuclear power can.  With research and development projects in micro-reactors, molten salt reactors, and more happening right now, nuclear is on it’s way to being a game changer in the power industry – becoming even more reliable and safe, on smaller scales, and with less consequential waste than ever before.  The potential is simply amazing.

• Is there something about your job that most people are surprised to hear?

It’s incredibly SAFE!!  Most people immediately recoil a little when you tell them you work directly with the water inside a nuclear reactor.  They simply cannot fathom how you can take samples and analyze them safely, or not acquire huge doses of radiation in the process.  I get asked a lot, “Isn’t that dangerous?” or, “Aren’t you worried something bad could happen?” and people are always surprised when I tell them no – the amount of rigor put in place for everything we do, especially concerning safety and risk, makes working at a nuclear plant one of the safest jobs I can think of!