Anjan Bose Lecture: Nuclear past and futures in the state of Washington and beyond
About the event
WSU School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering professor John McCloy will give this year’s Anjan Bose Lecture, titled, “Nuclear Past and Futures in the State of Washington and Beyond.”
An expert in nuclear waste forms, structure and crystallization of glass, nano-magnetism, advanced characterization techniques and sensors for extreme environments, McCloy is a fellow of the American Ceramic Society, and received their prestigious Fulrath Award in 2018.
This talk will provide perspectives on the current status of decommissioning activities at the Hanford site, the progress of the vitrification plant, and the technical choices around immobilization of radioactive waste. Finally, it will reflect on the ambiguous relationship that human have had with nuclear technology, and some social and political issues surrounding environment, security, risk, responsibility, and the role of the scientific community.
Abstract:
The modern world requires more and more energy to power computers, vehicles, and everything in between. The choices around environmentally responsible fuels and electricity have been hotly debated over the last decade, given concerns about climate change and large scale industrial accidents. One energy source important for the state of Washington is nuclear power, and the state has a long history with nuclear technology dating back to the Manhattan project, and the irradiation of nuclear fuel at Hanford for the production of plutonium. These activities from the 1940s-1980s resulted in a legacy of radioactive and highly complex chemical waste at the Hanford site, now currently an active site for remediation by the US Department of Energy. This talk will provide perspectives on the current status of decommissioning activities at the Hanford site, the progress of the vitrification plant, and the technical choices around immobilization of radioactive waste. Finally, it will reflect on the ambiguous relationship that human have had with nuclear technology, and some social and political issues surrounding environment, security, risk, responsibility, and the role of the scientific community.
The Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award was created by the Executive Leadership Board for the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture along with friends and alumni to honor Anjan Bose for his service to the college as dean. To acknowledge Bose’s support of faculty scholarship and to honor his internationally renowned reputation for research, the award annually recognizes and rewards the top faculty researcher in the college.