Upcoming Event: Going Big with Little Nukes

No registration necessary. All are invited to attend this co-sponsored event on nuclear power in Texas between the KBH Energy Center, OLLI, and UT's Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program on September 15, 2025 from 1:00-3:30PM in the LBJ Auditorium in Sid Richardson Hall on campus.

Empowering STEM Educators: High School Teacher Workshops at UT Austin’s Nuclear Engineering Lab and Research Reactor

The Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program at The University of Texas at Austin proudly hosted two hands-on professional development workshops for high school STEM teachers. Held on July 17 and July 24 at the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab (NETL) on the Pickle Research Campus, these sessions brought together educators from across Austin and surrounding areas to deepen their understanding of nuclear science and radiation technologies. 

Led by Dr. Sheldon Landsberger, Robert B. Trull Chair in Engineering, and Dr. William Charlton, Director, Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory and 
Professor, the workshops featured interactive lectures, lab demonstrations, and guided tours of the NETL reactor facility. Teachers participated in small-group reactor tours, gaining firsthand insight into nuclear instrumentation and safety protocols, and explored ways to bring nuclear science into their classrooms. Specific experiences included:  

• Tours of UT Austin’s 1.1MW TRIGA reactor 

• Iodine Extraction Lab 

• Radiation Detector Lab 

• Shielding Lab 

• Radiochemistry overview 

• Presentations on neutron radiography, nuclear medicine, TX nuclear policy and workforce development, and a history of nuclear science and engineering 

These workshops were made possible through generous support from Department of Energy University (DOE) Reactor Sharing and Outreach, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening STEM education and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. 

Looking ahead, the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program aims to expand this initiative by developing a recurring summer series, offering curriculum resources, and building a statewide network of nuclear science educators.  

Graduate Student Presents Poster in Budapest

Graduate student Nick Kaitschuck makes a poster presentation of research work done with Dr. Landsberger on the optimization of rare-earth elements characterization at the Modern Trends in Activation Analysis conference in Budapest, Hungary May 6-10. Nick also gave an oral presentation on the use of Compton suppression in preparation of cellulose reference materials. 

PhD Student Receives Award for Exceptional Public Service

Justine Davidson who received her PhD in spring 2024 has been given a Citation to accompany the Award of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. Justine is an employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory and spent several in Washington DC was recognized for exceptional public service as Senior Scientific Advisor to the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, from April 2021-April 2024.

Radiological Imaging and Instrumentation Taught by Elena Zannoni

For the first time, new Assistant Professor Dr. Elena Zannoni  taught the M E 397 Radiological Imaging and Instrumentation course in the 2024 spring semester in the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program. The course gives an overview of modern imaging techniques and instrumentation in three segments:  physical and mathematical foundations, transmission imaging and emission imaging.