From Fellowship to Full-Time
The University of Tennessee is a phenomenal place for young nuclear engineers to prepare for the workforce. In addition to the Department of Nuclear Engineering’s national leadership in NE education and research, UT is home to unique partnerships and opportunities where students can gain hands-on experience in the workforce.
The Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) supports UT’s NE department in many ways, from helping welcome incoming Vols with the annual PicNuke to mentoring senior design teams and offering targeted research opportunities.
In the summer of 2023, NE and Y-12 debuted their newest partnership, the Nuclear Engineering Technology Accelerator Program (NE TAP). This fellowship program provides NE students at any academic level the opportunity to work on real nuclear security projects alongside professionals at Y-12.
“The TAP is unique because all of the student participants are working closely with a Y-12 scientist or engineer on Y-12-relevant problems,” said NE Professor and Associate Department Head Jamie Coble. “The work TAP students are doing is directly in support of the mission of Y-12, which gives them a very real understanding of the why behind the work.”
The fellowships, which are funded through Y-12, are designed to last through students’ graduation. Fifteen students have participated in the TAP over its first two years. Several TAP alumni now work at Y-12 full-time, including Kyra Lawson (MS/NE ’23), who will begin her role as a Y-12 radiation detection engineer after completing her PhD in May.
“I first heard about the program in spring of 2025, when my previous fellowship funding was coming to an end,” said Lawson. “The potential to learn and work on nuclear engineering concepts not covered anywhere else seemed exciting, and I was especially grateful for the TAP because there are not many funding opportunities available for late-stage PhD students.”
After earning their first NE diplomas, some TAP alumni pursue additional degrees—and extend or reinitiate their fellowships.
“I joined the TAP because it seemed to be a great way to learn more about the work done at Y-12,” said Landry Wells (BS/NE ’24, MS/NE ‘25), a Y-12 nuclear criticality safety engineer who first joined the TAP as a bachelor’s student and returned during his master’s program. “I was eager to start my career there after graduating.”
TAP Propels Students Further
Students interested in working in the nuclear security sector need experience considering the deployability of cutting-edge technology in tightly controlled, high-security environments, Coble said. TAP fellows gain hands-on experience working alongside Y-12 researchers, equipping them with the skills they need to effectively navigate that balance from their first day on the job.
“The environment at Y-12 is different from what I have experienced in industry and academia, where theoretical applications are more common,” Lawson said. “The TAP helped me build realistic expectations and better understand the structure of the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) work environment, which has a larger emphasis on procedures and security.”
The TAP also offers students the unique opportunity to explore the many other career paths available in the NSE, such as providing technical expertise for shift work, risk management, nuclear criticality safety, and nuclear engineering.
That exploration can be very valuable for students like Wells, who are passionate about nuclear engineering but unsure which role they want to pursue. Wells’ second TAP fellowship helped him find his passion and prepare him for his current position in criticality safety.
“The goal of our TAP is to develop talent and key skill sets in areas critical to Y-12’s mission success,” said Y-12 Partnerships Program Manager Sanchez Harley (MS/Industrial and Systems Engineering ’13). “Our TAP fellows are prepared to quickly overcome the steep learning curve required to immediately contribute to an ever-evolving nuclear workforce. By the time students graduate, they are prepared to thrive in the NSE.”
Out of the 15 students who have participated in TAP so far, four currently work full-time at Y-12; one works at another NSE site; and one works in the nuclear industry.
“Successfully placing TAP students at Y-12 and in the larger Nuclear Security Enterprise shows the value of this program from both sides,” said Coble. “Students have the opportunity to develop skills and experience that make them attractive candidates for interesting careers, and Y-12 staff who invest their time and mentorship in the program get to help develop their own future colleagues.”
Whether students are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees, Wells highly recommends that all NE Vols get involved with some type of research.
“I’m very thankful to have attended UT,” Wells said. “Our department is doing great work, and our students have amazing opportunities seen nowhere else in the country.”
Contact
Izzie Gall ([email protected])