Bae wins 'Pitch Your PhD' Competition

Junghyun Bae, PhD student at the School of Nuclear Engineering, won the ‘Pitch Your PhD’ Competition during the 2021 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Winter Meeting and Technology Expo. Hosted in Washington, D.C., Bae was selected from six other finalists from top nuclear programs around the country.
Junghyun Bae, PhD student at the School of Nuclear Engineering
Junghyun Bae, PhD student at the School of Nuclear Engineering

The competition is an annual showcase where PhD and master’s students are able to present their nuclear engineering research. Students who are finishing their graduate studies and those who have defended their theses, within one year, have three minutes to present their thesis. The audience, made of up of their peers, then vote for the best pitches. Finalists are evaluated and chosen by judges who are experts in the nuclear field.

Bae’s award-winning research is titled, “A Gas Cherenkov Muon Spectrometer for Nuclear Security Applications.” Conducting his research under the guidance of his graduate advisor, assistant professor Stylianos Chatzidakis, he seeks solutions for improving the usability of cosmic ray muons in nuclear security applications by developing a new fieldable muon spectrometer.

Recipients of this distinction receive a $300 cash prize and the opportunity to present at the Generation IV International Forum (GIF). Bae commented, “This was a great opportunity for me to share my idea to a wide range of audiences. This award will motivate me to further my research.”

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Writer: Ashvini Malshe, malshea@purdue.edu

Source: Stylianos Chatzidakis, schatzid@purdue.edu