Nuclear Summit
Monday, October 19
It is a great honor for me to be serving as dean of engineering because I know how an engineering education prepares our students for successful careers, and I know how important engineering research is to the nation.
Universities create, curate, and disseminate enduring knowledge. And we apply that knowledge outside the ivory tower.
Universities can learn much from business about how to lower costs and become more nimble and efficient. Universities must change to meet the challenges of the times, but at the same time, the nation relies on its universities to take a longer view, a more patient view – to do things that may not make business sense at some particular point in time.
AI is an example. For decades, AI fell short of its early promise, but researchers continued making advances in universities and research laboratories, including research on neural networks, which are so important today. Critical advances that led to the AI explosion that we are in the middle of right now were made in academia, and the leaders in the AI industry today were educated in universities. Patient, persistent work paid off.
Nuclear energy is another example. During the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s, nuclear engineering experienced a prolonged downturn. Many universities shut down or consolidated their nuclear engineering programs. We took a longer view, and today, under the leadership of Dr. Seungjin Kim, the Capt. James F. McCarthy, Jr. and Cheryl E. McCarthy Head of the School of Nuclear Engineering, nuclear engineering at Purdue is thriving. Enrollment in the program has nearly doubled over the past five years. PUR-1, Purdue’s research reactor is now the nation’s first and only NRC-licensed reactor with a fully digital instrumentation and control system. PUR-1 is complemented with a digital twin that combines real-time reactor data with advanced modeling to support research in autonomous reactor control, diagnostics, and cybersecurity while also creating realistic training opportunities for students.
But our job cannot stop at the edge of campus. We have been actively working alongside utilities, industry icons, and government partners to map out exactly how advanced nuclear energy can deliver what our society desperately needs: energy that is reliable, affordable, and profoundly secure.
To signal Purdue’s absolute commitment to this mission, I am proud to announce today the establishment of a vital new strategic leadership role: the Chief Nuclear Officer of Purdue University.
It is also my pleasure to announce that Dr. Seungjin Kim has been appointed to serve in this role, and to serve as Special Advisor to Governor Braun. Dr. Kim will work with President Daniels, university leadership and faculty, and leaders in the State of Indiana to show the world how to deliver secure, reliable, and commercially scalable nuclear energy.