On Friday, August 3, 2012, Commissioner William D. Magwood, IV and William Orders from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission visited the Nuclear Power Institute at the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M. The primary purpose of his visit was to address 29 individuals from Kenya who were participating in a one month workshop on nuclear energy organized by the A&M Nuclear Power Institute, and sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Government of Kenya. Commissioner Magwood stressed the importance of a strong independent nuclear regulatory authority as a prerequisite for the safe use of nuclear energy. He described the origins and history of the NRC and outlined the functions of the Commission. While he was at A&M, Commissioner Magwood also met with faculty from the Department of Nuclear Engineering and visited some of the Departmental facilities including the Fuel Cycle and Materials Laboratory and the AGN-201 Reactor.

Vice President Michael Meier from the South Texas Project visited the Nuclear Power Institute and the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M on July 11, 2012. He met with faculty, toured reactor safety labs and discussed collaborative efforts with NPI. 

The 2013 Nuclear Energy Summer School in China was sucessfully organized by the Department of Nuclear Engineering at TAMU and the School of Nuclear Science and Technology at Harbin Engineering University. The Summer School had 33 undergraduate students, 15 from TAMU and 18 from Harbin, and three nuclear engineering faculties (Drs. Shao, Ragusa and Kurwitz). After one week lecturing and internship in Harbin, the group visited three Nuclear Power Plants in China, ranging from the very far north at Dalian, to very far south at Shenzen, with each having reactors under construction. The Summer School helped students to visualize and understand reactor systems, and increase their international and globalization experiences. 

Howdy! Thank you all for your continued support of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M. Our department continues to grow and see more students successfully graduate and join the field. With this growth, needs arise in the form of department development and stronger connections between the industry and our students. Providing more opportunities for these purposeful interactions has become a departmental goal.

I'd like to take this opportunity to invite you all to our annual Nuclear Engineering tailgate at the Arkansas game on September 29. With this event, we hope to provide opportunities for our current students to make lasting connections with industry professionals and our former students.

Another event to put in your calendar is our upcoming 55^th anniversary for the Department of Nuclear Engineering. This great celebration will take place in the spring of 2013. Please stay tuned for more information regarding this extravaganza.

I understand that your inbox is inundated with communications from past affiliations and organizations, asking for your involvement and support. With Aggie NukeNews, we intend to update you monthly with department news.

Everything we offer, from our Facebook page to our Flickr site, invites you to respond back and stay involved. There are many ways to participate-- attend our events, speak at a department seminar, and support students through scholarships. The sky is the limit when it comes to involvement with your alma mater!

I look forward to seeing you at these events and hearing from you in our social media.

Yassin A. Hassan
Interim Department Head and Professor