Four Pitt students among select recipients of Department of Energy scholarships and fellowships for nuclear-related research

PITTSBURGH (May 26, 2016) … Two undergraduate students and two graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering have been named scholars and fellows, respectively, of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP). The students are among 57 undergraduate scholars and 33 graduate fellows to receive more than $5 million to pursue nuclear energy-related disciplines at universities across the country. Since 2009, the Energy Department has awarded over $33 million to more than 600 students for nuclear energy-related scholarships and fellowships.

The undergraduate scholarship winners, Bodhisatwa “Bodhi” Biswas (chemical engineering) and Miriam Rathbun (engineering science) will receive a $7,500 scholarship. The graduate fellowship recipients, Jacob Farber and Lee Maccarone (both mechanical engineering) will receive up to $50,000 annually over the next three years. The graduate fellowships will also include $5,000 toward a summer internship at a U.S. national laboratory or other approved facility to strengthen the ties between students and the Department’s nuclear energy research programs. The selected students will study a breadth of critical nuclear energy issues, from fuel cycle sustainability to reactor efficiency and design.

“The NEUP scholars and fellows program is extremely competitive, and so we’re very proud to have four recipients this year,” said Daniel Cole, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Stephen R. Tritch Program in Nuclear Engineering at Pitt. “This is the fourth year in a row that our students have been recognized, which reflects highly on both their academic excellence and our program’s strengths.”

About NEUP
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy initiated Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP) in 2009 to consolidate its university support under one program NEUP funds nuclear energy research and equipment upgrades at U.S. colleges and universities, and provides student educational support. NEUP plays a key role in helping the Department of Energy accomplish its mission of leading the nation's investment in the development and exploration of advanced nuclear science and technology. As stated in its Nuclear Energy Roadmap, the Department promotes nuclear energy as a resource capable of meeting the nation's energy, environmental and national security needs by resolving technical, cost, safety, security, and proliferation resistance through research, development and demonstration. For more information, visit neup.inl.gov.

About Pitt's Nuclear Engineering Program
Pitt’s nuclear engineering program, offered through the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, is the only undergraduate and graduate program of its kind in western Pennsylvania. Established in 2006, the program develops relevant curricula in concert with industry leaders and is supported with grants from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy. The Pittsburgh region hosts one of the highest concentrations of nuclear-power-related companies and expertise, including FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, which operates the Beaver Valley Power Station nuclear power plant in Shippingport; Bechtel Bettis, Inc.; and Westinghouse Electric Company.

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