Graduate student July Reyes Zacarias is one of 110 female students from 77 countries around the world, and the first UT student from the Dominican Republic, who was selected to receive scholarships under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme. This program offers young women an opportunity to pursue studies towards a master’s in the nuclear field through financial support and practical experience.
Reyes Zacarias wants to help her home country develop nuclear power. She is a first-year nuclear engineering doctoral student who is pursuing a concurrent master’s degree in materials science and engineering with a focus on nuclear materials. She is currently working as a graduate research assistant in Governor’s Chair for Nuclear Materials Professor Steven Zinkle’s research group. Her research focuses on additive manufacturing techniques for extreme environmental conditions such as power plants.
“I am very honored to have received this fellowship,” said Reyes Zacarias. “It will allow me to pursue higher education in a more accessible and affordable way and will help me to follow my dreams to become the first female nuclear engineer in my country, the Dominican Republic. There, I aspire to contribute to the development of nuclear power.”
Reyes Zacarias would also like this to inspire and encourage other Hispanic women by showing it is possible to pursue a nuclear-related career.
Read more about the program at the IAEA website.