UT has been selected to host the 2023 American Nuclear Society student conference, to be held April 13–15, 2023. The conference is expected to attract around 450 students and 120 professionals to campus and Knoxville, which is good for both UT and the more than 100 nuclear-related companies in the region.
Wes Hines, department head, Postelle Professor, and Chancellor’s Professor, called the opportunity a game changer. The department will be able to showcase its state-of-the-art facilities in the new Zeanah Engineering Complex, while industry partners will be able to connect with talented researchers from across the country.
“This will help us all recruit the best and brightest to the greater Knoxville area,” Hines said.
The conference will provide students with opportunities to present research in 16 technical tracks and attend professional development workshops and panels. In addition, the committee is organizing tours of leading research facilities like ORNL and Y-12 National Security Complex.
UT’s ANS student organization first considered hosting the event in summer 2021 after Associate Professor Nicholas Brown, who was the faculty advisor at the time, suggested the possibility. They were excited by the idea and quickly organized, preparing a bid in time for the October deadline.
“We had a really solid group of people working on it, and we were able to divide the work,” said Sydney Copp, communications chair for the planning committee.
Several sponsorship tiers are available for those who want to help support the event and participating nuclear engineering students. If you’re interested, please email the planning committee at ans23stucon@gmail.com.