Creating And Maintaining The Momentum: Outreach, Recruitment And Retention Strategies From Nuclear Engineering

Nuclear Engineering is one of the older engineering disciplines experiencing a rebirth. How this rebirth gets articulated outside the discipline will determine, in part, its success. How has NC State’s program capitalized on the spotlight to further engage in public education and strategic growth of their undergraduate and graduate programs? What role have students, faculty, staff, alumni and key external partners played in expanding the understanding of the field? We will present results of initiatives that have grown interest, increased enrolment and improved retention. This session examines strategies employed to broaden the perception of nuclear science from K-12 through graduate studies. NC State’s Nuclear Engineering program is part of a Department of Energy Nuclear Engineering and Technology pilot project examining the creation and maintenance of this momentum.