As nuclear power returns to the national energy agenda, the need for engineers and scientists in all sectors of the field becomes ever more pressing. This year’s American Nuclear Society (ANS) national student conference, held March 30-April 1 at Rensselaer, offered a glimpse at the future leaders in academia, government, and industry, with more than 300 of the top nuclear engineering students from across the country in attendance.

The conference featured presentations from a number of experts currently working in the field, including Admiral Frank “Skip” Bowman, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the main policy organization for the country’s commercial nuclear power industry. In a March 31 lunchtime keynote address titled “America’s Nuclear Renaissance and Your Role in It,” Admiral Bowman discussed the resurgence of the nuclear power industry in the United States and the opportunities for young engineers to play a role in this growth.

Photos by Rensselaer/Kris Qua and Jason Gross

Published April 3, 2006