Nuclear Proliferation

“Science for suits” curriculum to offer nuclear primer for the non-scientific set

The more interaction chemistry professor Chris Cahill had in recent years with nuclear policy students and experts, the more he noticed that people’s technical knowledge tended to be restricted to their own wheelhouse—in the science lab or immersed in policy—with little overlap between them.

“It became clear to me that the policy folks really didn’t have a very good understanding of even the most basic components of the science—the origin of radioactivity, how nuclear energy works, how a nuclear weapon works,” says Dr. Cahill, a uranium chemist. “I just sensed this huge disconnect between the science and the policy, and vice versa.”

Now he’s in the process of establishing a program to address the science piece of that equation. Dr. Cahill, along with physics professors William Briscoe and Gerald Feldman, recently were awarded a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to design a nuclear science curriculum for the non-technical set—or “science for suits,” as Dr. Cahill calls it with a laugh.

The curriculum will be aimed at people working in the realm of nuclear policy—from all corners of government, think tanks and industry—as well as non-science focused GW students.

The professors envision a program that offers a practical science primer, fortified with real-world scenarios and hands-on learning. Guest speakers, who might be culled from the ranks of nuclear submarine commanders and other on-the-ground administrators, will share their experiences as a gateway for discussing the science needed to resolve situations. And basic physics experiments will be used to demonstrate the scientific fundamentals and introduce students to Geiger counters, dosimeters, gamma spectrometers and other tools of the trade.

“We’re not trying to train the next generation of International Atomic Energy Agency weapons inspectors,” says Dr. Cahill. “We’re trying to create a bunch of administrators and policy folks that have an appreciation for the technical challenges and protocol.”

The year-long curriculum will focus on four areas: the nuclear fuel cycle; safeguards and security; health and the environment; and materials control and accounting. Anticipated to be in place for the fall 2012 semester, Dr. Cahill says working professionals and GW undergraduates might be grouped into separate classes that largely cover the same material, but may approach the coursework slightly differently. For the professionals, coursework might be taught with more of an applied approach, he says, touching on topics they may be encountering at the office.

Drs. Cahill, Briscoe and Feldman, the investigators on the grant, also will be working closely with nuclear nonproliferation expert Douglas Shaw, the Elliott School’s associate dean for planning, research and external relations. He’ll help connect them with policy experts and people from field who can lend specific insights.

The grant allows for one year of curriculum development and a one-year run through of the course. “The beauty of this—and the demands of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission—is that this is a sustainable entity,” says Dr. Cahill, “so I view this as the first of many courses going forward in terms of what GW can offer in this environment and in this context.”

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