A web-based course in nuclear and radiochemistry

Over the last six years through a Department of Energy Radiochemistry Education Award Program (REAP) we have developed a completely web-based course in nuclear and radiochemistry given at the University of Texas at Austin. This course has had nuclear and radiation engineering and chemistry graduate students. While the course also has an extensive laboratory component only the lectures are web based. The lectures begin with a historical introduction of radiochemistry followed by two movies on Madame Curie. This is followed by the usual lectures on radioactivity, fundamental properties, radioactive decay, decay modes, and nuclear reactions. As section on radioactive waste management and nuclear fuel cycle is also presented. Lectures in neutron activation analysis, geo- and cosmochemistry, and plutonium chemistry have also been developed. All lectures are in power point with many animations and a significant number of solved problems. All students are required to make a short oral presentation on some aspect of nuclear and radiochemistry in their research or a chosen topic.     

The Living Textbook of Nuclear Chemistry

Summary A Summer School in Nuclear Chemistry sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy and the American Chemical Society has been held at San José State University for the past 20 years. The intent of the program is to introduce outstanding college students to the field of nuclear and radiochemistry with the goal that some of these students will consider careers on nuclear science. The program features radiochemistry experiments along with radiation safety training, guest lectures by well known nuclear scientists and field trips to nuclear chemistry facilities in the San Francisco area.     

Further development of a graduate program in nuclear and radiochemistry at the University of Texas

Over the last three years we have developed a very robust nuclear and radiochemistry program at The University of Texas at Austin. The cornerstone of support was the DOE Radiochemistry Educational Award Program (REAP) that was awarded from 2002–2005. A second award for the period of 2005–2008 was just received. This award has enabled us to support many educational activities from vanguard classroom instruction, to laboratory enhancements, to research activities at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Both traditional radiochemistry and advanced topics in nuclear instrumentation have been supported. Various DOE university programs, national lab funding and IAEA fellowship grants, have allowed the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program at the University of Texas to be at the forefront of nuclear and radiochemistry educational and research activities and help secure the next generation of needed expertise.     

Radiotracer techniques courses at Eastern Michigan University: Evolution with changing clientele

The radiochemistry program at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) was initiated twenty years ago. A three-semester-hour lecture/laboratory course was offered specifically for chemistry and biology seniors and first year graduate students. As demand increased from medical technologists, a special course was introduced in radiation and radioimmunoassay. The Nuclear Medicine Technology program required a different approach. A special mini course was also taught for biologists. At present the 3-hour course is being reevaluated to address the needs of biochemists and toxicologists. The evolution of nuclear science courses at EMU and their current status is discussed.     

Summer school in nuclear and radiochemistry at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Summary The Living Textbook of Nuclear Chemistry (http://livingtextbook.orst.edu) is a website, which is a collection of supplemental materials for the teaching of nuclear and radiochemistry. It contains audio-video presentations of the history of nuclear chemistry, tutorial lectures by recognized experts on advanced topics in nuclear and radiochemistry, links to data compilations, articles, and monographs, an audio course on radiochemistry, on-line editions of textbooks, training videos, etc. All content has been refereed.     

The United States Department of Energy funded program: Summer schools in nuclear and radio-chemistry

Following several national surveys that clearly indicated both a paucity of universities offering nuclear chemistry courses, and a severe shortage of personnel trained and educated in nuclear sciences, the US Department of Energy (DOE) agreed to fund a special summer program. This program would take 12 undergraduates on a competitive scholarship basis from across the nation, and provide them with an intensive 6 week course in the fundamentals of nuclear science. The first such course was taught in the summer of 1984 at San Jose State University in California, and has met each summer since that time. In this course, the students cover material equivalent to approximately 2 semester units of health physics and radiological safety, 3 semester units of lecture material on nuclear chemistry, radiochemistry, uses of radionuclides, and nuclear instrumentation, and 3 semester units of laboratory work in radiochemistry, radiation chemistry, and associated topics in nuclear science. A second course was opened in 1989, with the same curriculum and intent, and sited at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York. With regard to intent, both courses are very successful, with a majority of persons going on to complete graduate degrees in some aspect of nuclear science (nuclear chemistry, nuclear physics, health physics, nuclear medicine PhD programs, and synthesis with radio-nuclides or programs such as nuclear pharmacy or pharmacology) or nuclear medicine and oncology via MD programs.Presently a member of the Chemistry Department, formerly Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, and now Dean of the College of Science at SJSU.     

Survey of the teaching and applications in radiochemistry in Latin American countries

Summary Missouri University, a recipient of a U.S. Department of Energy Radiochemistry Education Award Program (REAP) grant in 1999, has significantly expanded its education and research mission in radiochemistry. While MU had a viable radiochemistry program through existing faculty expertise and the utilization of the Missouri University Research Reactor, the REAP award allowed MU to leverage its resources in significantly expanding capabilities in radiochemistry. Specifically, the grant enabled the: (1) hiring of a new faculty member in actinide radiochemistry (Dr. Paul Duval); (2) support of six graduate students in radiochemistry; (3) purchase of new radiochemistry laboratory equipment; (4) more extensive collaboration with DOE scientists through interactions with faculty and graduate students, and (5) revised radiochemical curriculum (joint courses across disciplines and new courses in actinide chemistry). The most significant impact of this award has been in encouraging interdisciplinary education and research. The proposal was initiated by a joint effort between Nuclear Engineering and Chemistry, but also included faculty in biochemistry, radiology, and molecular biology. Specific outcomes of the REAP grant thus far are: (1) increased educational and research capabilities in actinide chemistry (faculty hire and equipment acquisition); (2) increased integration of biochemistry and radiochemistry (e.g., radiochemical analysis of uranium speciation in biological systems); (3) stronger interdisciplinary integration of molecular biology and radiochemical sciences (alpha-emitters for treating cancer); (4) new and more extensive interactions with national laboratory facilities (e.g., student internships at LANL and LLBL, faculty and lab scientist exchange visits, analytical measurements and collaboration with the Advanced Photon Source), and (7) new research funding opportunities based on REAP partnership.     

A century of radiochemistry: Its growth and development as a unique scientific discipline

In recognition of the 1997 anniversary of the first century of radiochemistry, a review is made of its unique contribution to the emergence of nuclear science, its development from the use of very basic chemical techniques initially to a battery of more sophisticated procedures, and its changing role as it has become widely applied in many fields of science. Synergistically, these fields have been able to develop with the aid of radiochemistry while at the same time, radiochemical methods developed to meet the demands of such applications. Among these, during the second half of the century, has been radiochemistry applied to quantitative chemical analysis: RAA or, nuclear analytical chemistry, and typical examples of its use in the authors' laboratory are described, including some recent INAA results on development of novel ‘activable’ tracer coding for forensic use with specialized and high security materials. The specific contributions, during the century, of Japanese pioneers in radiochemistry are also cited.     

The Nuclear and Radiochemistry in Chemistry Education Curriculum Project

Summary We present the outline of a comprehensive website based offering of a basic graduate level or senior undergraduate level course in nuclear and radiochemistry. This password protected course follows classical pedagogical treatment of the subject. However, it has been augmented by the implementation of Flash animations to better teach basic nuclear and radiochemistry concepts. As well, the website is linked to many Internet related resources. All lectures and problems are presented in Microsoft Power Point format with Flash animations incorporated. A series of six experiments in radiochemistry, also offered in the course is available in a downloadable Microsoft Word format.     

Nuclear science education in Taiwan, 1956–1992

The nuclear science education has been established in Taiwan at the College of Nuclear Science, National Tsing Hua University since 1956, the only one among 123 universities and colleges in Taiwan where nuclear-related education is offered. The Nuclear/Radiochemistry program, with nine faculty members, offers bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in Nuclear Science. Lectures and lab classes of nuclear chemistry, radiochemistry, and allied branches in health physics, nuclear instruments, nuclear engineering, nuclear medicine, radiation biology, and environmental monitoring are given to the 17 undergraduate students and 33 postgraduate students currently registered. Support from the well-developed local nuclear power industry and government agencies is converged with rapid growth rate toward the Nuclear/Radiochemistry program; the 1992 annual research contracts for the program amounted over one million US dollars. Careerplacement program for graduates is developed to orientate them into the local nuclear power utilities as well as agricultural, medical, industrial, academic, and govemmental sects where nuclear chemists and radiochemists at all levels are desperately needed.     

Radiochemistry teaching and research activities in Brazil

Summary Much concern has been expressed lately about the decline of teaching and research activities in radiochemistry in many countries, as was discussed in an IAEA Technical Meeting in Antalya, Turkey, in 2002, and also at MTAA-11 in Guildford, UK. In the IAEA meeting, a survey was presented about the current situation in different regions of the world (Eastern Europe, East and West Asia, Africa, North America and Latin America) by experts of each region. In the case of Brazil, which has nuclear research reactors and also cyclotrons in operation, the teaching and research activities in radiochemistry are concentrated in the three main institutes of the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission, in the University of S?o Paulo and in other universities, in different regions of the country. In the present paper, a closer look is given to the radiochemistry teaching and research activities that are being conducted nowadays in Brazil, comprising: number of radiochemistry courses and students being formed, main research areas being conducted, as well as research and production of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine, using nuclear reactors and cyclotrons.     

Out of the textbook and into the world: Student projects in the radiochemistry laboratory

A major objective of any laboratory course should be to stimulate students to extend their knowledge of the subject to specific problems. In the radiochemistry laboratory course at the University of Kentucky, we encourage students to make the transition from the textbook or laboratory manual to the real world through the use of a special project. This project, which typically replaces two normal laboratory exercises, is a short research problem that the student independently develops and executes. An overview of the incorporation of special projects into our radiochemistry laboratory course is presented.     

Teaching nuclear and radiochemistry at undergraduate colleges

A large fraction of the potential graduate students in chemistry come from undergraduate colleges. The exposure of these students to the field of nuclear and radiochemistry is limited by the fact that few professionals actively involved in the field teach at these schools. There is also increasing competition for the limited number of chemistry students by other chemical specializations. Innovative approaches such as a short course to introduce students to nuclear and radiochemistry and some of the needs for undergraduate teaching are discussed.     

The nuclear education and staffing challenge: Rebuilding critical skills in nuclear science and technology

Summary The U.S. Department of Energy supports 24 fellowships for students to attend six-week programs at either San Jose State University in California, or Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in New York. The American Chemical Society through the Division of Nuclear Science and Technology operates both schools. The twelve students at the BNL program are enrolled in the State University of New York at Stony Brook (SUNYSB) and receive 3 college credits for the lecture course (CHE-361) and 3 additional credits for the laboratory course (CHE-362). In addition to lectures and laboratories, students tour various nuclear facilities offsite, at BNL, and at SUNYSB. Opportunities are given the students to interact with faculty and scientists within the profession through the Guest Lecture Program. Further details are discussed along with results of student surveys for the years 1999 through 2002.     

Nuclear science summer school for high school students

We have developed a two-week summer lecture and laboratory course that introduces high school students to concepts in nuclear science. The program has operated at the San Jose State University Nuclear Science Facility for two years. Experienced high school science teachers run the summer school, assisted by other science teachers. Students consider the program to be effective. Its popularity is shown by numerous requests for reservations and the necessity to offer multiple sections in 1997. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A0553010 00006     

Activities to foster training in nuclear and radiochemistry from IACS,IAEA-Vienna

Summary Given the mismatch between supply of and demand for nuclear scientists, education in nuclear and radiochemistry has become a serious concern. The Nuclear and Radiochemistry in Chemistry Education (NRIChEd) Curriculum Project was undertaken to reintroduce the topics normally covered in a one-semester radiochemistry course into the traditional courses of a four-year chemistry major: general chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative and instrumental analysis, and physical chemistry. NRIChEd uses a three-pronged approach that incorporates radiochemistry topics when related topics in the basic courses are covered, presents special topics of general interest as a vehicle for teaching nuclear and radiochemistry alongside traditional chemistry, and incorporates the use of non-licensed amounts of radioactive substances in demonstrations and student laboratory experiments. This approach seeks not only to reestablish nuclear science in the chemistry curriculum, but to use it as a tool for elucidating fundamental and applied aspects of chemistry as well. Moreover, because of its relevance in many academic areas, nuclear science enriches the chemistry curriculum by encouraging interdisciplinary thinking and problem solving.     

Undergraduate research in radiochemistry: A thirty year perspective

Students at the University of Kentucky are introduced to radiochemistry through an introductory lecture course offered yearly. The course is designed to assure that juniors and seniors can master the fundamental concepts and are exposed to a variety of applications. Enrollment is typically 25–35 students, about 1/2 of whom are undergraduate chemistry majors. The course prompts several students each year to elect undergraduate research projects in radiochemistry. Research is conducted under a course entitled Independent Work In Chemistry and may be elected for up to 9 credits towards B.A. or B.S. degree requirements. Students are required to present the results of their research as a written report, and also in a seminar or an undergraduate research poster competition sponsored yearly by the department.     

Incorporating nuclear chemistry as an education tool in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum: A description of the curriculum project

Although many areas of major national need depend critically on professionals trained in nuclear and radiochemistry, educational opportunities and student interest in this area have declined steadily for the last twenty years. One major contributing factor to the lack of student interest is that most students in science and chemistry courses are never introduced to these topics. This deficiency in science curricula, coupled with the negative public perception towards all things “nuclear”, has resulted in a serious shortage of individuals with a background in this area. We propose to address this problem by “educating the educators” — providing faculty from two- and four-year colleges and high school science teachers with the curriculum materials, training, and motivation to incorporate these topics on a continuing basis in their curricula. Two advantages of this approach are: (1) it will generate scientists with a basic understanding of this field and (2) as teachers incorporate nuclear topics, many students will have the opportunity to reflect on the role of science in a technological society.     

Research reactors and radiochemistry: Partners in a changing world

The raison d'etre of research reactors is based on their role in a number of research fields, including radiochemistry. Inversely, it is in the interest of a healthy development of radiochemistry that a sufficient number of reactors will remain in operation and that the downward trend is in this reversed. In this paper, directions for further developments in reactor based radiochemistry are discussed, taking into account also relevant developments in competing fields. The discussion is focused on neutron activation analysis as well as tracer applications and environmental radiochemistry. Moreover, the consequences for reactor operations will be indicated.     

Nuclear forensics education at the University of Texas at Austin

Nuclear forensics continues to be an integral part of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the National Nuclear Security Administration. As with our previous three-year Nuclear Forensics Education Award Program we will continue to offer a comprehensive educational program and closely collaborate with national laboratories to pursue common research. Our research will primarily focus on analysis of radioactive debris following a nuclear or radiological dispersive device event or the investigation of the pedigree of nuclear materials in nonproliferation. This research will include using Compton suppression and gamma coincidence low-level gamma ray counting, investigation of nuclear fuel cycles for nonproliferation, on-site inspection within the context of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and radioxenon detection physics. We also offer a graduate program in nuclear robotics, an interdisciplinary program in the automation of handling special nuclear materials. To better equip our students who are entering the workforce at the national laboratories and government agencies we are also proposing the development of several new laboratory modules for non-destructive identification of fission products in environmental samples and irradiated uranium specimens at various enrichments and characterizing naturally occurring radioactive material. Collaboration with Florida Memorial University a Historically Black Colleges and Universities will continue for training and collaborative research.