The ANS conference brings more than 500 nuclear engineers to Gainesville

 

Gators weren’t the only things that swarmed the Swamp this weekend.

From April 1 through April 5, nuclear-engineering students and professionals from across the country attended the American Nuclear Society Student Conference, which was hosted by the University of Florida’s student chapter of the American Nuclear Society.

The conference is held annually, but this was the first time in 12 years that the UF chapter of ANS was able to bring the conference to Gainesville.

Chairman Chris Perfetti, a doctoral student of nuclear engineering, said this year’s conference was probably the largest to date, with about 150 professionals and 400 students attending presentations and workshops.

Perfetti said the core of the conference is for students to present research and share ideas about varying topics of the nuclear-engineering field, including reprocessing and clean energy. Only students presented their work, while professionals gave speeches during dinner and led workshops in topics such as nuclear advocacy and on effective communication when managing a project.

The conference is also a good way to make friends and to network with students and professionals, he said.

Aside from student presentations and workshops, the conference included a beach day in Cocoa Beach on Wednesday; a golf tournament on Thursday; a career fair on Friday and Saturday; and a tour of a Navy submarine on Sunday.

Nineteen UF students presented their work during the conference, including Anthony Raucci, a third-year nuclear engineering student, and first-time attendee and presenter at the conference.

Raucci’s presentation focused on the design of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, known as an HTGR, in which heat from the reactor would be used in high-temperature electrolysis in a separate plant to produce hydrogen.

He, along with 13 other students, created the design and spent two semesters working toward Saturday afternoon’s presentation.

He said he’s glad the conference was held at UF this year because it gave him a chance to learn more about the engineering process and a look into what he’ll be doing after he graduates.

“It makes you feel more connected to the industry,” he said.