UW-Madison: A Midwestern nucleus of fission and fusion

[Marlin]

UW-Madison: A Midwestern nucleus of fission and fusion

https://www.ans.org/news/article-8163/uwmadison-a-midwestern-nucleus-of-fission-and-fusion/

[Core Content]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics has appointed Kathryn Huff as its new department chair. The program is currently undergoing rapid expansion in faculty and student enrollment while launching new curriculum focus areas in fusion plasma and overseeing a state-funded nuclear energy siting study.

This growth reflects a broader industry trend toward integrating academic research with commercial nuclear development. By leveraging its 1-MW TRIGA research reactor and leading regional fusion alliances, the department serves as a pipeline for workforce development. These efforts aim to bridge the gap between theoretical engineering and the practical requirements of future fission and fusion power deployment.

With more than six decades as a top-ranked program in its rearview, the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics (NEEP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is hardly slowing down. In fact, NEEP is continuing to grow and develop its faculty, curriculum, and research.

In April, Kathryn Huff, former assistant secretary of energy for nuclear energy, was named the new chair of NEEP. It's a homecoming of sorts: Huff, who is returning to Wisconsin from the University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), received her doctorate in nuclear engineering from UW-Madison in 2013, with Grainger Professor of Nuclear Engineering Paul Wilson as her advisor. She begins her new position this month, accepting the reins from Wilson.

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/article-8163/uwmadison-a-midwestern-nucleus-of-fission-and-fusion/