Volume 4, Number 3
October 2006

INMM and Nuclear Nonproliferation at Texas A&M University
Aggies lead the way in student participation on nuclear materials issues

In spring 2005, under the leadership of Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering William S. Charlton, Texas A&M University became host to the first student chapter of the INMM. Since that time, the chapter has grown to include nearly 35 members, 20 of whom attended the Annual Meeting this year in Nashville.

In addition, Charlton has bolstered nuclear nonproliferation work at Texas A&M by founding the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (NSSPI) and a graduate degree program in Nuclear Nonproliferation and International Security.

The INMM Texas A&M Chapter (online at http://inmm.tamu.edu) has been very active since its inception in January 2005, hosting an average of two meetings per month and several social events during the fall and spring semesters.

Chapter members consist mostly of graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, as well as graduate students of the Bush School of Government and Public Service. This makeup provides the chapter with a broad range of viewpoints on nuclear materials issues, ranging from the scientific to the political.

Meetings have featured guest speakers from industry, academia, national laboratories, federal agencies and foreign governments, as well as a host of open forums on nuclear “hot topics”. Although there are currently only about 35 registered members of the chapter, meetings have attracted attendance of 60 or more. In addition, the social events have helped engineers, political scientists and graduate and undergraduate students to mingle and share ideas in a more relaxed setting.

The Texas A&M Student Chapter’s formation was initiated by Charlton and Dr. Paul Nelson at Texas A&M; however, it also has received overwhelming support from the INMM and the INMM Southwest Chapter. Student Activities Committee Chair Mark Leek was instrumental in the initial formation of the chapter. President Cathy Key and Vice President Nancy Jo Nicholas provided outstanding support and guidance.

In addition, A&M also received great support and financial backing from the Southwest Chapter, thanks to their President Grace Thompson and Communications Officer Scott Kraus. With their help, the chapter was able to send 20 students to the Annual Meeting this year in Nashville and present 11 student papers.

Overall, the Texas A&M Chapter is achieving its goal of increasing student awareness of nuclear materials issues and providing an opportunity for students to network with professionals in related fields. Students have found rewarding internships and careers through their INMM contacts and the chapter is helping to provide more experienced graduates into the business.

Texas A&M: Pioneers in Nonproliferation Education
In addition to the INMM Student Chapter, Texas A&M University is leading the nation in nuclear nonproliferation technical education and research.
A new master of science degree program in nuclear nonproliferation and international security begins this fall at Texas A&M.

The program is a joint effort between the Department of Nuclear Engineering and the Bush School of Government and Public Service. Created by Nuclear Engineering Department faculty, the two-year degree combines both politics and nuclear science focused on the problem of nuclear nonproliferation for the first time, with some courses being team-taught by Nuclear Engineering Department and Bush School faculty. In addition to the unique coursework, students will conduct research and defend theses on nuclear nonproliferation and materials management topics.

Also new this year is the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (online at http://nsspi.tamu.edu). Founded and directed by Charlton, NSSPI is a research center under both Texas A&M University and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES). This arrangement provides NSSPI with access to more than 11,000 faculty and staff and first-class research facilities including two nuclear reactors and a biohazard level-4 research lab.

With these tools at its disposal, NSSPI is able to provide research, continuing education and training services to government, national laboratories and the private sector, as well as research opportunities and funding for graduate students at Texas A&M.

With INMM, NSSPI and the nonproliferation graduate degree program, Texas A&M University is building the most experienced and best-trained people in the world for the nuclear materials management industry and will continue to do so for many years to come.