MNE ACCEND Sophomore Charles Stratton Receives ANS Scholarship

Charles Stratton, a sophomore in the College of Engineering's Mechanical-Nuclear ACCEND Program, is one of only four students nationwide to receive an Undergraduate Scholarship award of $2000 from the American Nuclear Society (ANS).

Charles, who was valedictorian of his class at Sidney (Ohio) High School, is a sophomore in the College's Mechanical-Nuclear (MNE) ACCEND program where students earn two degrees, a BS in mechanical engineering and MS in nuclear engineering, in just five years. There are currently over thirty students in the MNE ACCEND program.

"Charles Stratton displays his Undergraduate Scholarship certificate from ANS. On the right is Dean of Engineering Carlo Montemagno. On the left is Associate Professor Ivan Maldonado."

Charles also received a Cincinnatus Century Scholarship to attend UC and enrolled in the Honors Program. He entered as an Advanced Placement Scholar with over 43 credits of advanced standing. Among his numerous honors are the Ohio State Board of Education Award of Merit - Honors Diploma, Ohio Board of Regents Certificate of Achievement, and President's Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence. Commenting on what the award means, Charles said, "I am very honored that ANS has awarded this scholarship to me. It will allow me to continue to pursue my academic goal to become a nuclear engineering professional and ultimately work in research or the power industry." While this particular ANS scholarship is non-renewable, Charles will be eligible for a number of other ANS scholarships as he continues his undergraduate studies.

University of Cincinnati NRE Graduate Student Maisha Murry Awarded CIRMS Travel Grant

Maisha Murry, a graduate student in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, has been awarded one of only four grants to present her research at the 15th annual meeting of the Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards (CIRMS) on October 23 -25, 2006 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

CIRMS is an independent, non-profit council, affiliated with the National Institute for Standards and Technology that draws together experts involved in all aspects of ionizing radiation to discuss, review and assess developments and needs in this field.

The theme of the meeting is "Implications of uncertainty in radiation measurement and applications." International experts from academia, industry and government with expertise in areas such as radiation protection, industrial applications and radiation effects, medical applications, and homeland security will address the implications of the dynamic and diverse aspects of uncertainty.

"Maisha Murry, flanked by Professor Henry Spitz (left), explains details of her upcoming presentation to Dean of Engineering Carlo Montemagno (right)." "

Maisha will display a poster and make an oral presentation of her research "A new method involving a Na2O2/Na2CO3 fusion to completely dissolve a polyurethane-based lung tissue substitute to confirm the expected content of radioactive material." As an undergraduate Maisha participated in the Tuskegee University (TU)-University of Cincinnati Nuclear and Radiological Engineering (UCNRE) "Bridge Scholars" Program. The TU-UCNRE is a summer program collaboration between Tuskegee University and the University of Cincinnati, begun in Autumn 2001 with support from the Department of Energy Nuclear Engineering University Partnership Program, designed to increase the number of minority engineers and professionals in the nuclear industry. The program is open to Tuskegee undergraduates during the summer of a student's sophomore or junior year.

Commenting on her upcoming trip and career direction, Maisha says, ""I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the CIRMS-NIST conference. My experience as a Bridge Scholar inspired me to pursue a career in the field of Health Physics - Radiological Engineering."

DOE Awards Scholarships to Five MNE Students

Five MNE ACCEND students have just been awarded Nuclear Engineering Scholarships by the Department of Energy (DOE). Justin Maurer and David Chandler of the class of 2008 and Tom Greifenkamp, Jeffrey Markland and Nicholas Bishop of the class of 2009 will each receive a renewable award of $2,000 per year.

According to Ivan Maldonado, associate professor of nuclear engineering and MNE ACCEND program coordinator, "These are highly and nationally competitive awards. We are extremely proud of these students and are delighted that their hard work and commitment to the field of nuclear engineering is being recognized at a national level."