After graduating from the Purdue University School of Nuclear Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering in 1977, Poindexter worked as a Licensing Project Manager in the Three Mile Island Program Office (TMI-2) through the US NRC. He was one of a core group of NRC technical personnel responsible for inspecting and overseeing the clean-up activities at Three Mile Island, and contributed to several presidential inquiries into the famous event.  

Eventually, he sought out a more challenging pursuit; an NRC senior executive suggested he try pursuing law, due to his role as an Enforcement Officer in the NRC Office of Inspection and Enforcement. Keen to his suggestion, Poindexter later began the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in 1986. He attended school in the night, and worked during the day.

Though grueling, Poindexter was not new to sacrifice. Growing up in Indianapolis, he came from humble beginnings. During his undergraduate studies at NE in the late 70’s, he described that he was usually the only African American individual in the room, especially in STEM spaces, while campus was largely segregated. However, his Purdue degree proved to be useful, as it gave him the credibility and technical expertise needed to excel post-graduation.

“Engineers are unique. They can sit in a cubical and produce product,” he says but Poindexter admits that this does not “fit the bill” for all engineers. From his experience, the uniqueness of a Purdue degree is that you can always fall back on it, and it helps you take risks, much like he did when deciding to pursue nuclear law. He hopes that current NE students can learn from this truth.

Poindexter further emphasizes that the importance of alumni of color, specifically Black alumni, staying active and engaged at Purdue would help expose current and prospective students to a realm of possibilities. From his time in the field, he knows that it is “tough to convince someone to go into this area” when they do not see themselves represented. “The doors are probably more open than they were in my day,” he says and continues, “Once the doors are open, the challenges are similar to what they were 40 years ago," referring to ongoing national efforts to center equity and inclusion. Indeed, Poindexter believes that continuing to stay active at NE will help open students’ eyes to his specific field.

This feature is part of the Purdue University School of Nuclear Engineering’s new series of alumni articles. Poindexter's was in honor of Black History Month. We aim to highlight diverse Boilermaker alumni that have paved unique paths in the nuclear field and seek to make a positive impact on our campus community.

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