S&T alumna encourages women to consider nuclear engineering

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On March 20, 2024

Corie Glenn, far right, with her husband, Jeremy, and two children, Christopher, 13, and Miranda, 11. Photo courtesy of Glenn.

Corie Glenn, far right, with her husband, Jeremy, and two children, Christopher, 13, and Miranda, 11. Photo courtesy of Glenn.

Corie Glenn, a Missouri S&T alumna, has been interested in nuclear engineering since she was a teenager, and she says she hopes more young women will realize this is a potential career path. 
 
“During my junior year of high school, I decided to learn more about nuclear science for a history project,” she says. “And from then on, I knew I wanted to be a nuclear engineer and study how we could use this type of technology as a clean and safe energy source. I find the field so intriguing because there is always a new problem to solve.”     
 
After graduating from high school, Glenn enrolled at Missouri S&T, and she completed her bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering in 2001. 
 
But one thing she noticed both during her time at S&T and working in nuclear engineering roles is that she has not had many female colleagues. 
 
“I understand that nuclear engineering has not traditionally been thought of as a degree for women, but we are just as good at math and science as men, and we need to own it,” she says. “Diversity of thought is so important — especially with something like nuclear power. Young women need to know that they can be awesome engineers, and this is a rewarding career path for them to consider.” 
 
She says she thinks nuclear engineering has a reputation for being especially difficult, and while she agrees it is no cakewalk, she says that shouldn’t scare away students wanting to explore this major. 
 
“Engineering school is hard — regardless of your specific focus area,” she says. “But it’s all about finding your niche. It just turned out that I was passionate about nuclear engineering, and I used that passion to help me do well in my classes.” 
 
She says that her support system also helped her be successful at S&T. 
 
“I had great relationships with my sorority, Kappa Delta, that continue to this day,” she says. “Also, the students in nuclear engineering have traditionally been very close and almost have a family mentality.” 
 
Since graduating from S&T, Glenn says she has enjoyed working in hands-on roles in nuclear engineering. She has worked for Constellation Energy since 2005 and focuses on designs for reactor cores. 
 
“Working for Constellation has been amazing,” she says. “We are the largest provider of clean energy in the United States. I play a crucial role in designs for our plants, and the knowledge and experiences I gained at Missouri S&T come into play in my position every day.” 
 
To go along with gaining that knowledge and experience, Glenn also gained something else thanks to her attending S&T – her husband.  
 
She says she met Jeremy Glenn the week before her first S&T classes began in 1997. Jeremy was an electrical engineering major, and he graduated in 2003. 
 
However, even though they were long-time acquaintances, she says the timing was never right, and they didn’t begin dating until after they both graduated from S&T. 
 
Their wedding was in 2007. 
 
“Now, we’re almost 17 years in and have two kids and are still in love,” she says. “And it all started with Missouri S&T.” 
 
For more information about Missouri S&T’s nuclear engineering programs, visit nuclear.mst.edu.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.

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On March 20, 2024.

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