Texas A&M University chapter of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) elected a new officer cabinet for the 2015-2016 school year and recently sent five student representatives to the June ANS Conference. The goal of ANS is to provide public information to those outside of the nuclear engineering community and to continue outreach and education efforts that will benefit the nuclear industry.
Recently elected ANS president Cody Orsak, a senior nuclear engineering major, said the main goals for the Texas A&M chapter are to continue to develop a strong membership base, provide more opportunities for members to network with industry professionals and to expose members to different fields of interest within nuclear engineering.
“Our guest speaker meetings are our main attraction,” said Orsak. “In the past we’ve had speakers that are in the same sectors of the industry, so what we’ve been doing is seeing what social events and speakers students would like to see to get more outside of our usual topics of discussion.”
Five ANS members just finished one of several meetings at the national level this June in San Antonio. Students presented on topics ranging from reactor physics, thermal hydraulics and the power industry, among others.
“We are starting to see the organization become more focused on the policy aspects of the industry,” Orsak said. “Overall, the organization is facilitating the growth of the nuclear industry in a way that allows everyone to get involved.”
In addition to activities at the national level, the Texas A&M chapter has other goals in regards to its local members.
“One of our main focus points this year is that we have really been trying to set up meetings that could introduce students to research in areas that they may not get as much exposure to here at A&M,” Orsak said. “Some topics, like waste management for example, don’t get as much exposure here at A&M.”
In addition to educating members and providing networking opportunities, the society also puts on a variety of public outreach programs and social events. Recently the society put on a workshop for local Boy Scouts to help them in completing their nuclear science merit badge.
“We also do social events where we just meet somewhere to hang out,” said Orsak. “The organization is mostly professionally focused but we also like to have a lot of fun. “
According to Orsak, ANS has many benefits, but the most prevalent is the network and friendships it creates between other members and industry and academic professionals.
“For ANS the biggest thing to me is the networking,” said Orsak. “You get to meet people that you can go to with questions that you might not have been exposed to otherwise. It’s a privilege to meet these people who are experts in their field that you may not have been exposed to at A&M, and also to make good friends along the way.”