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News Archives — 2018

	Monitoring radiation damage to materials in real-time Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Laboratories have developed, tested, and made available a new system that can monitor radiation-induced changes continuously, providing more useful data much faster than traditional methods.
	From Fusion to Foxtrot Grad student Alex Creely is studying ways of reducing simulation times in fusion experiments, using data from tokamaks at the PSFC and Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. To take a break from plasma science Creely dances competitively with the MIT Ballroom Dance Team.
	Focus on plasma turbulence pays dividends in fusion energy, astrophysics for theorist Loureiro Difficult problems with big payoffs are the life blood of MIT, so it’s appropriate that plasma turbulence has been an important focus for theoretical physicist Nuno Loureiro.
	Mike Short receives ARPA-E funding for nuclear materials research Shortand a team of researchers from Georgia Tech, Louisiana Tech, and the Idaho National Laboratory were awarded $1,694,034 for their project: Multimetallic Layered Composites (MMLCs) for Rapid, Economical Advanced Reactor Deployment.
	Dennis Whyte receives Fusion Power Associates Leadership Award The Fusion Power Associates (FPA) Board of Directors has awarded its 2018 Leadership Award to Prof. Dennis Whyte, Head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.
	Two from MIT named Schwarzman Scholars for 2020 As a Schwarzman Scholar, NSE’ grad student Pablo Ducru hopes to explore building ventures in China that harness algorithms and artificial intelligence to address challenges in energy, agriculture, health, and environmental sectors.
	Jayson Vavrek wins award for Best Student Presentation at ANS Fifth-year graduate student, Jayson Vavrek, was winner of the Best Student Presentation in the Advances in Nuclear Nonproliferation Technology and Policy section of the 2018 ANS Winter Meeting for his presentation entitled “Warhead verification experiments using nuclear resonance fluorescence”.
	Running Start NSE alums Matt Ellis and Sam Shaner, co founders of Yellowstone Energy featured in MIT Spectrum. They are developing an advanced nuclear reactor designed to exploit the existing nuclear supply chain for quick and cost-effective deployment.
	NSE’s Zhao wins 2018 Young Professional Thermal Hydraulics Research Competition Fifth-year NSE graduate student, Xingang Zhao, won the 2018 Young Professional Thermal Hydraulics Research Competition for his presentation entitled “Machine Learning-Based Critical Heat Flux Predictors in Low Quality Flow Boiling”.
	NSE’s Baglietto honored for mentorship of grad students Professor Emilio Baglietto was nominated by his graduate students as a model of great mentorship, and is among the current slate of honorees for Committed to Caring (C2C).
	NSE’s Yildiz and team win 2018 Purdy award NSE Professor Bilge Yildiz and her research team have won the Ross Coffin Purdy award for 2018 for their paper, “Improved chemical and electrochemical stability of perovskite oxides with less reducible cations at the surface”.
	First two-dimensional material that performs as both topological insulator and superconductor A transistor based on the 2-D material tungsten ditelluride (WTe2) sandwiched between boron nitride can switch between two different electronic states — one that conducts current only along its edges, making it a topological insulator, and one that conducts current with no resistance, making it a superconductor — researchers at MIT and colleagues from four other institutions have demonstrated.
	NSE celebrates 60 years The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering celebrated the 60th Anniversary of its founding in 2018. As part of the celebration, the Department honored Manson Benedict, the first Department Head. NSE dedicated the department’s conference room to commemorate Benedict’s legacy of comradery and collegiality.
	Podcast: The Future of Nuclear Energy Jacopo Buongiorno, John Parsons, and Karen Dawson discuss nuclear energy’s potential in the future low-carbon energy landscape, and review strategies for navigating barriers in construction costs, government policy, and community outreach.
	NSE celebrates 60 years As part of its 60th Anniversary celebration, NSE honored Manson Benedict, the first Department Head, and his lasting legacy of camaraderie and collegiality. Long-standing professors in the Department were asked to reflect on their favorite NSE memories.
	Monitoring electromagnetic signals in the brain with MRI Technique develop by Alan Jasanoff’s research team could be used to detect light or electrical fields in living tissue.
	NSE alumna Robinson-Snowden pushes boundaries in PhD pursuit When Mareena Robinson-Snowden PhD ’17 graduated from MIT, she became the first self-identified American black woman to graduate with a PhD in nuclear engineering from the Institute.
	Lanza named American Physical Society Fellow Lanza is amongst four from MIT to receive the prestigious honor recognizing them for their research and leadership.
	A new path to solving a longstanding fusion challenge Novel design could help shed excess heat in next-generation fusion power plants.
	PODCAST: Firm low-carbon energy resources Jesse Jenkins and Nestor Sepulveda of MIT discuss what the future looks like for reducing CO2 emissions in electricity
	Adding power choices reduces cost and risk of carbon-free electricity To curb greenhouse gas emissions, nations, states, and cities should aim for a mix of fuel-saving, flexible, and highly reliable sources.
	MITEI study reports on the future of nuclear energy Findings suggest new policy models and cost-cutting technologies could help nuclear play vital role in climate solutions.
	A passion for policy Alumna Luisa Kenausis ’17 builds on her foundation in nuclear policy through a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship
	A plan for revitalizing Japan’s nuclear energy industry NSE’s Buongiorno and MIT team to develop nuclear power plant concept for the Japanese energy market
	Alan S. Hanson 1946 – 2018 Alan S. Hanson, PhD ’77, former Executive Director of the International Nuclear Leadership Education Program, dies at 71
	Alex Creely receives Itoh Project Prize Doctoral study could speed fusion research by shortening simulation time
	NSE’s Buongiorno to collaborate on $1.9M DOE grant The collaboration with Franz-Josef Ulm, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Exelon Generation, and Bechtel will focus on ways to accelerate advanced nuclear technology development
	“Artificial blubber” protects divers in frigid water MIT engineers develop a way to triple the survival time for swimmers in wetsuits.
	A conversation with alumna Gail H. Marcus ’68, SM ’68, ScD ’71 Gail H. Marcus was the first woman in the United States to earn a doctorate in nuclear engineering. Dr. Marcus celebrated her 50th Reunion in June.
	Explained: Detecting the threat of nuclear weapons Professor of nuclear science and engineering Scott Kemp describes the science behind the search for clandestine nuclear sites.
	North Korean disarmament: build technology and trust Researchers must improve ways to verify weapons declarations and collaborate on nuclear power, argues NSE’s R. Scott Kemp.
	2018 Commencement 999 undergraduates and 1,821 graduate students receive their MIT diplomas on June 8 — amongst them are 40 students from NSE.
	NSE alums, Ellis, Shaner win $2.5M ARPA-E award Co-founders Matt Ellis and Sam Shaner and the Yellowstone Energy team seek to develop a new reactor control technology to enhance passive safety and reduce costs for its molten salt reactor and other designs.
	2018 NSE & ANS Awards NSE and the student chapter of the ANS hosted the annual awards dinne on May 14, 2018.
	Spinning data into sound Prof Joe Paradiso uses a modular synthesizer to translate data from Alcator C-mod’s final experiment into artful sound. The installation, entitled “Resynthesizer”, is a collaboration between NSE, the Program in Art, Culture and Technology (ACT), the PSFC, and the Media Lab.
	Celebrating great mentorship for graduate students NSE professors Emilio Baglietto, Paola Cappellaro, and Ju Li are among the third slate of dedicated professors selected for MIT’s Committed to Caring Award.
	2016 + 2017 Del Favero Thesis Prize Lectures The Del Favero Prize Lecture held on April 17 featured Dr. Jon Walsh (2016 winner) and Dr. Ashok Ajoy (2017 winner).
	For nuclear weapons reduction, a way to verify without revealing New isotope-detection method could prove compliance but avoid divulging secrets.
	Self-healing metal oxides could protect against corrosion Researchers find an ultrathin layer of aluminum oxide, though solid, can flow like a liquid instead of cracking.
	2016 + 2017 Del Favero Prize Lecture On April 17, the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering will host the Del Favero Prize Lecture. This year we celebrate awards to the 2016 and 2017 winners
	2018 NSE Graduate Research Expo In addition to showcasing groundbreaking research from NSE’s various labs, the Expo also provides an opportunity for prospective students to learn about what projects they may be able to work on if they choose to come to MIT in the fall.
	MIT and newly formed company launch new approach to fusion power Goal is for research to produce a working pilot plant within 15 years.
	3 Questions: NSE’s Zach Hartwig on MIT’s big push on fusion Researchers will work with industrial collaborators to pursue fusion as a source of carbon-free power.
	2018 NSE Research Expo On March 16, the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering will host its annual Graduate Research Expo —a unique opportunity for the MIT community to learn more about the diverse research being conducted within NSE by faculty and graduate students.
	QEG develops unprecedented visibility into quantum information transfer Advance holds promise for “wiring” of quantum computers and other systems, and opens new avenues for understanding basic workings of the quantum realm.
	How to detect clandestine nuclear weapons programs NSE’s R. Scott Kemp explores practical ways to sniff out uranium processing from afar.
	Integrated simulations answer 20-year-old question in fusion research MIT study finds that turbulence competes in fusion plasmas to rapidly respond to temperature perturbations.
	Nuclear Systems Design : Pitch Presentations Topics in the Design Class Pitch Presentations demonstrated the broad application of nuclear science and engineering in finding solutions to real world problems.
	Turning heat into electricity NSE’s Mingda Li and colleagues find topological materials could boost the efficiency of thermoelectric devices.
	Predicting distortions With his computational breakthrough, nuclear engineer Mark Reed characterizes the weird warping of geometries inside a reactor core.