Why settle for an engineer, go for a scientist like at the Livermore National Lab. It would be wise to have a set of questions you plan to ask and some sort of goal you are trying to get from the interview. They all are busy folk, very intelligent and want someone to do their homework. That will go for whomever you go with. You did not say the age or grade level involved. Need Details.
Now, that is funny.
Settle for an engineer? I have met my share of Bozo engineers, but a good engineer is every bit as capable as any scientist (and generally more practically useful.) Also, more to the point, the request was about nuclear power, not nuclear research or nuclear theory. Scientists at Livermore are good for theory, but most probably have little practical nuclear
power experience (which may also explain why the professors are unresponsive to the requests.)
My suggestion would be a Scientist if the assignment is about pure theory only, an Engineer for design and an Operator for practical application. The operator could probably give the scientist a run for his money on theory too, as long as the theory is pertinent to the particular plant design on which he is trained.
