The School of Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University

Welcome

Welcome to the School of Nuclear Engineering, where future leaders of the global nuclear engineering community are cultivated. We educate ethical nuclear engineers to provide technical expertise to the nuclear engineering communities around the world, expand the frontier of knowledge through cutting-edge and innovative research in all areas of nuclear engineering, and dynamically engage with the global society through strong partnerships.

Our Reputation for Nuclear Engineering

Mission

  • Be the Leader in National Mission Project
    • ​Identify emerging areas in nuclear engineering & science and maximize long-standing strengths.
  • Fuse the Cyber with the Physical
    • Leverage our unique cyber-physical facilities to develop opportunities for research and innovative pedagogy.
  • Develop Premier Global Workforce
    • Disseminate knowledge at scale and educate the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists.
  • Become the Hub for Atoms for Humanity
    • ​Engage with general and professional communities to explore sustainable and reliable usage of nuclear energy.

Vision

  • Foster an inclusive and diverse community for students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
  • Strive toward excellence in both research and educational programs.
  • Establish and maintain a strong partnership with alumni, government, industry, national laboratories, and global partners.
  • Improve visibility and recognition of the school in global society.
  • Be the leader in global nuclear engineering educational institution.

Our Faculty

  • 15 Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty
  • 5 Courtesy Faculty
  • 6 Visiting Faculty
  • 1 Research Faculty

Our Research

  • Home of Purdue University Reactor One (PUR-1), the only nuclear reactor in the State of Indiana, established in 1962, being used for both teaching and research.  First to be accepted by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for license amendment request to upgrade instrumentation and controls (I&C) to be fully digitized.  PUR-1 is the first and only reactor in the nation with fully digital I&C capability.

  • Home of Center for Materials Under eXtreme Environment (CMUXE) to study the interactions of high-intensity, modulated energy beams. The CMUXE facility is recognized as one of US DOE’s Nuclear Science User Facility (NSUF) and maintains an open user policy, encouraging involvement from all faculty and students in conducting their research. 

  • Home of the PUMA (Purdue University Multi-dimensional integral test Assembly) facility, the only existing integral test facility for advanced boiling water reactors to simulate thermal-hydraulic phenomena in normal and off-normal operation conditions.

  • Home of the Institute of Thermal Hydraulics (ITH) supported by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide broad technical expertise and perform thermal-hydraulics reactor safety research.

School Overview

Established in 1960, Purdue Nuclear Engineering has been a leader in nuclear engineering research, education, and service. Our world-renowned faculty performs pioneering research in their world-class research facilities in comprehensive areas of nuclear engineering and science. We are the home of Purdue University Reactor One (PUR-1), the first and only nuclear reactor in the State of Indiana, being utilized for both research and educational purposes. We foster a global network with both domestic and international peer institutions in teaching, helping our students expand their learning capacities with innovative pedagogies, and promoting dynamic engagement activities. Purdue Nuclear Engineering students have been recognized with numerous prestigious domestic and international awards, and our alumni/ae are actively serving as leaders in nuclear industries, governments, national laboratories, utilities and educational institutions not only within the US, but across the globe.

Energy is one of the key global challenges of our time, and nuclear energy has been one of the most sustainable energy options over the last six decades. In view of its ability to provide reliable, safe, and affordable electricity in a broad spectrum of energy scale with no carbon gas emissions, nuclear energy is indisputably the most feasible and indispensable option among many energy sources of the future. We live in a time where advanced nuclear reactors are actively being constructed worldwide, and interests toward small modular reactors and next generation nuclear reactors are at its highest. As such, it’s a pivotal time for us to provide the global society with top-notch ethical nuclear engineers as future leaders. We are proud to provide our expertise to Purdue-Duke Energy’s joint study to explore feasibility of using advanced reactor technology to address long-term energy needs for Purdue West Lafayette campus and surrounding community.

We invite you to explore the School of Nuclear Engineering and learn about how we position ourselves at the forefront in the advancements of nuclear engineering and science.