Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) Director and Associate Professor of nuclear engineering at Texas A&M University Dr. Sunil Chirayath has been named to the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) World Research Hub Initiative (WRHI) as a specially appointed associate professor. WRHI is part of the Institute of Innovative Research at Tokyo […]
NSSPI Leads Domestic Nuclear Facilities Experience for Students
From May 13 through 17, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) led a Domestic Nuclear Facilities Experience (DNFE) in New Mexico. The tour included visits to a series of operational nuclear fuel cycle facilities and national laboratories, including Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the Waste Isolation Pilot […]
NSSPI Helps Conduct Workshop at PDPU in India
From May 14 through 16, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) collaborated with Sandia and Oak Ridge National Laboratories to provide technical support for a workshop titled “Incorporating both Technical and Human Elements to Reduce Hazards and Vulnerabilities in Sensitive Facilities” organized by the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) in Gandhinagar, […]
INMM Student Chapter Holds Workshop on Advanced Reactor Safeguards
In April, the Texas A&M Student Chapter of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) hosted a professional workshop on advanced reactor safeguards in College Station with support from the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI). “With advanced reactors being a very hot topic in the nuclear industry today,” said Mario Mendoza, […]
NSSPI Coordinates Human Reliability Program Meeting in India
On April 24-26, the Texas A&M Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) and the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS-Bengaluru, India) co-organized a discussion meeting on human reliability programs (HRP) at NIAS with technical support from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The meeting, titled “Human Reliability Program in Industries of National Importance,” […]
NSSPI Graduates for Spring 2019
Four NSSPI graduate students will be walking across the stage to receive their degrees this May. All four will be earning their Master’s of Science in Nuclear Engineering. Ryan Coogan Adviser: Dr. Craig MariannoMaster’s of Science in Nuclear Engineering Abstract: The challenge of an adequately detailed smuggling network problem is that the number of variables […]
NSSPI Organizes Nuclear Security Best Practices Meeting with IIT-Bombay
On February 26 through 28, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives and the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) organized a discussion meeting on nuclear security best practices sponsored by the US Department of the Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) with technical support from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The event was […]
NSSPI Students Research Safety Concerns for Urban Search and Rescue Dogs and Their Handlers in Contaminated Environments
Urban search and rescue (USAR) dogs are a familiar member of most emergency response teams. We often see footage of these dogs working in difficult environments after major disasters to help find and rescue survivors and recover remains. A search and rescue dog must complete many months of rigorous training to be certified to complete […]
NSSPI Hosts Radiation Disaster Response Exercise for Tokyo Institute of Technology
From February 25-26, thirteen students and faculty members from the Advanced Nuclear 3S Education and Training program at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) visited the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) to participate in a radiation disaster response exercise and an academic exchange with NSSPI students. The Tokyo Tech students […]
NSSPI Helps Lead Workshop on Nuclear Security Design Vulnerability Assessment in India
From January 29th through February 1st, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station at Texas A&M University collaborated with Amity University in India, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to conduct a nuclear security workshop on the topic […]
NSSPI Co-Hosts Nuclear Safety and Security Workshop in Brazil
From December 10 to 12, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) partnered with the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) and the University of Sao Paulo (USP) to organize an international workshop in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The workshop, titled “Career Opportunities for Graduates in Nuclear Safety and Security,” was focused on […]
NSSPI Conducts Nuclear Security Workshop for South African Utility
In November, Dr. Craig Marianno and Dr. Jeremy Osborn from the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI), along with Fred Marcussen of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, travelled to Cape Town, South Africa to conduct a nuclear security workshop at ESKOM, the South African electricity utility that operates the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. […]
NSSPI signs MOA with PDPU for Nuclear Security Research and Education Collaboration
In September, Professor Chaitanyamoy Ganguly, professor of nuclear engineering, and Mr. Abhinav Kapadia, chief financial officer, from Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) in Gandhinagar, India visited Texas A&M University to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between PDPU and the Texas A&M College of Engineering, specifically the Department of Nuclear Engineering, the Center for Nuclear […]
NSSPI Student Evaluates Options for Effective Border Monitoring
Preventing terrorists from smuggling nuclear and radiological material across our borders has been a priority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since the beginning of this century. Radiation detection portal monitors are currently the primary means by which the CBP scans cargo and vehicles at ports […]
Detecting Environmental Radiation at Tailgates
By Savanna Hoover | It’s gameday in College Station, late September. Maroon and white tents cover the campus. There’s an electric spirit in the air, an energy beginning to build momentum. Standing next to the A.I. Engineering building’s yellow brick walls, underneath a line of concrete carved cattle heads, 10 nuclear engineering students split into […]
NSSPI Offers Continuing Education Credits through Two New Professional Certificate Programs
NSSPI is offering two new certificate programs to professionals and students who want to participate in formal training in nuclear security and safeguards. The certificate programs draw from the current online modules in the Nuclear Security and Safeguards Education Portal (NSSEP), and carry with them the option to earn continuing education units (CEUs) and a […]
NSSPI Hosts IAEA Nuclear Security Division Director
On October 5, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) hosted a delegation from the Nuclear Security Division of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The division director, Raja Adul Aziz Bin Raja Adnan, along with the division’s section head for Program Development and International Cooperation, Jason E. Tierney and the Nuclear Security […]
NSSPI Welcomes New Stanton Fellows
In September, two new Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows joined the Department of Nuclear Engineering and will be working with the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) for the 2018-2019 academic year. The Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows Program supports young scholars to pursue policy-relevant technical research in nuclear security for a twelve-month period […]
NSSPI Conducts Workshop on Policy and Technical Fundamentals of International Nuclear Safeguards
On July 22, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) led a workshop on the policy and technical fundamentals of international nuclear safeguards that took place in conjunction with the 59th Annual Meeting of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) in Baltimore, Maryland. The workshop consisted of a face-to-face session at […]
Osborn Wins Student Paper Award at the INMM Annual Meeting
Jeremy Osborn won the J.D. Williams Student Paper Award at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) took place from July 22-26 in Baltimore, Maryland. Osborn is a Ph.D. student in the department of nuclear engineering working with the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) Director Dr. […]
NSSPI Co-coordinates Nuclear Facilities Experience in Japan
From June 23 to 30, a group of graduate students, faculty, and national laboratory staff members participated in the Nuclear Facilities Experience (NFE), which took place in various locations across Japan. The NFE was jointly coordinated by the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), with assistance from […]
NSSPI Conducts Personnel Reliability Program Workshop with PDPU in India
The Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) worked with faculty from Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) to conduct a workshop on the campus of PDPU in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, India, from May 29 to May 31. Titled “Workshop on Personnel Reliability Program in Nuclear Safety and Nuclear Security,” the main objective of […]
NSSPI develops remote detection laboratory for distance education
Performing radiation detection experiments is an essential part of the curriculum for nuclear engineering students. Laboratory sessions help students gain a better understanding of the physical processes involved in radiation detection. However, not all academic institutions have the means to provide the equipment or radiation sources necessary for such labs, and students taking distance education […]
NSSPI Faculty Conduct Nuclear Security Workshop in India
The Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) conducted a nuclear security workshop on the topic of “Vulnerability Assessment of Nuclear Security System Design” for Indian academics in collaboration with Amity University in India, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The workshop was held from April […]
NSSPI researchers develop new methodologies to discriminate weapons-grade plutonium from various nuclear reactor types
Nuclear forensics involves using analytical techniques to determine the origin and history of nuclear materials, in particular those that have been intercepted from smuggling operations or recovered following a nuclear explosion. According to Jeremy Osborn, a nuclear engineering Ph.D. student working with the TEES Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI), “The growing […]
Panel on 21st Century Deterrence and the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review Discusses the Direction of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
On March 28, 2018, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) joined with the Institute of Nuclear-Security and Cyber-Security Education and Research (INSCER), the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and the Texas A&M University student chapter of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) to present a panel discussion on […]
NSSPI Student Develops a Stochastic Approach to Evaluate Nuclear Facility Security
All nuclear facilities contain assets that must be protected against security threats. Threats may be in the form of outsider adversaries seeking to steal materials to produce nuclear weapons or dirty bombs or to attack the facility to cause a dangerous release of radioactive materials. Adversaries may also collude with insiders, people with authorized access […]
NSSPI Researchers Examine Novel Solutions to the Problem of Reprocessing Used Nuclear Fuel
The U.S. has produced more than 70,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel over the past 60 years from nuclear power generation. There is currently no available repository capable of containing this large amount of used nuclear fuel, which is expected to double within the next 30 years. The U.S. has also not implemented any […]
NSSPI Student Evaluates the Effects of Speed on Detector Efficiency
Radiation detectors are deployed for many different uses in a variety of different field conditions, and many of these detection systems are mobile. The efficiency of radiation detection systems is known to decrease as the speed of the detection system increases. Understanding how these systems perform under increasing speeds and in changing environments will help […]
NSSPI Hosts Tokyo Tech for Academic Exchange
From February 15-16, students and faculty from the Academy for Global Nuclear Safety and Security Agent (DOJO) program at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) visited the TEES Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) for an academic exchange. They participated in a radiological incident response exercise at the TEEX Disaster City facility […]
NSSPI and INMM Sponsor Panel on North Korea
On February 8th, the TEES Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI), along with the Texas A&M Student Chapter of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), sponsored the first Panel on Interdisciplinary Nuclear Security (PINS). The event focused on the current geo-political situation surrounding the state of North Korea, featuring invited speakers […]
NSSPI Hosts Stanton Fellow to Research Proliferation Risk of Pyroprocessing
The TEES Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) is currently hosting the first ever Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at Texas A&M University. Dr. Seung Min Woo is spending a year with NSSPI researching the value of pyroprocessing to reduce the proliferation risk of closed nuclear fuel cycles. He is working with Dr. […]
Chirayath Participates in a Panel on the Challenges for Nuclear Security Human Resource Development for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Dr. Sunil Chirayath, director of the TEES Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) and associate professor of nuclear engineering, served as a panelist for the International Forum on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Security. The focus of the forum was on strengthening nuclear terrorism countermeasures and human resource […]
Marianno Participates in Workshop at the Brazilian Nuclear and Energy Research Institute
During the week of November 27th, Dr. Craig Marianno, NSSPI deputy director and assistant professor of nuclear engineering, was invited to attend and speak at the International Workshop on the Utilization of Research Reactors held by the Brazilian Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The workshop coincided with the 60th anniversary […]
NSSPI Graduate Profile: Claudio Gariazzo
On December 15th, Claudio Gariazzo will be receiving his Ph.D. degree in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University. His doctoral research focused on the development of a game theoretical model of the mutual benefits of bilateral nuclear security regimes with Dr. Marvin Adams and Dr. Paul Nelson as his advisers. After receiving his Master of […]
NSSPI Students Attend NDA Short Course at ORNL
From November 13-16, twelve Texas A&M University nuclear engineering graduate students from the TEES Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (NSSPI) traveled to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to participate in a short course in non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques at ORNL’s Safeguards Laboratory. The course consisted of lectures and hands-on experience […]
Chirayath Takes Part in Panel Discussion on Iran Nuclear Deal
On November 9, Sunil Chirayath, director of the TEES Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute and associate professor of nuclear engineering, participated in a panel discussion on the Iran nuclear deal as part of the Bush School of Government and Public Service’s “What’s Next” series. Attracting nearly 100 people from across the Texas A&M University […]
NSSPI researchers working to make nuclear facilities safer–and more secure
A loss of offsite power event at a nuclear power plant, also called a LOOP event, is considered a serious safety risk that could put many lives in danger. After the 2012 incident at the Fukushima-Daiichi power plant in Japan, which involved an extended loss of offsite power in the wake of a massive earthquake […]