Missouri S&T was one of five universities selected by Exelon Nuclear to receive a gift of $50,000 per year from the company. The U.S. Department of Energy will begin matching the gift through the Nuclear Power Engineering Education Matching Grant Program next year.

Exelon Nuclear is the largest owner of nuclear power reactors in the United States, with 17 reactors. The majority of its nuclear power plants are located in Illinois, with additional plants in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Exelon Nuclear is a business unit of Exelon Corp., which is headquartered in Chicago.

“We are elated that Exelon Nuclear chose Missouri S&T for this honor,” says Arvind Kumar, program chair and professor of nuclear engineering at Missouri S&T. “We look forward to a long-term partnership with Exelon.”

The other four universities selected for the annual gift were the University of Illinois, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin.

Missouri S&T nuclear engineering graduates have skills that are particularly suited to Exelon Nuclear’s needs. “Most other programs have moved away from reactor core design, but we have stayed focused on it,” says Kumar. “Our graduates are well prepared to design cores using smart techniques.”

Exelon Nuclear currently conducts a two-year training program for new graduates hired by the company. Missouri S&T and Exelon Nuclear will collaborate on an educational plan to reduce the time required for on-the-job training by developing additional curriculum tailored to the company’s needs. Exelon representatives will also spend time each semester on campus providing seminars on issues critical to the field.

Kumar says, “this partnership will enhance the development of clean nuclear power to serve current and future energy needs of the United States.”