Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences

05/28/2026

Congratulations to NERS Assistant Professor Aditi Verma and Technical Communication Lecturer Katie Snyder on receiving the 2026 ADUE Team Teaching Award for their work in ENGR 100-910: Socially Engaged Design of Nuclear Energy Technologies.

The award recognizes undergraduate teaching efforts that advance academic innovation, leadership development, and opportunities for all.

Through immersive VR learning, community-engaged design, and early research opportunities, Verma and Snyder have created a transformative first-year engineering experience that is helping shape the next generation of nuclear engineers and energy leaders.

The NERS instructors were recognized for their innovative and community-engaged approach to teaching ENGR 100.910: Socially Engaged Design of Nuclear Energy Technologies.

05/20/2026

The Institute for Energy Solutions is hosting a two-day energy symposium themed around energy challenges that keep you up at night!

Faculty, staff and students can look forward to an Energy Leadership Talk presented by Dean Mingyan Liu, engage in various panel discussions, connect with peers at the Hors d’Oeuvres Hour in the Ford Library, and more!

Register now and learn more about the event
https://ies.engin.umich.edu/ies-energy-symposium-2026/

05/19/2026

🎮☢️ What if you could step inside an X-ray machine?

Tiny Tours is a virtual reality project from our Radiological Health and Engineering (RHE) Lab that helps students explore health physics concepts through gameplay.

Created by NERS Professor Kimberlee Kearfott and students Ava Geisler, Andy Tang, Jack Drougel, and Brooklyn Harris, the project allows users to experience radiation processes up close before shifting perspective to see how those processes are used in medical imaging.

The game currently focuses on Compton scattering and the photoelectric effect and their roles in X-ray machines. Developed in the Unity game engine for VR headsets, the project includes:
🔹Two completed radiation simulations
🔹An interactive X-ray machine
🔹A shrinking/growing mechanic that changes the user’s perspective between microscopic interactions and larger medical applications

Although the game is still in prototype form, the team has already completed many of the core systems and mapped out the full gameplay sequence. The remaining major step is integrating all components into a single Unity project.

The project began in Fall 2025, with much of the team’s early work focused on designing the educational experience, gameplay flow, and learning outcomes. It was represented at the 2026 University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) symposium in three separate posters. The foundation is now in place for future development and expanded interactivity.

Next steps for Fall 2026 include:
🔹Combining all existing components into a fully interactive prototype
🔹Expanding the radiation simulations
🔹Demonstrating how Compton scattering and the photoelectric effect are specifically used inside X-ray systems rather than presenting them as standalone models

05/19/2026

NERS professor emeritus John Lee discusses the safety of restarting the Palisades Nuclear Plant and why he believes the plant can operate safely if it meets NRC standards.

The Palisades Nuclear Plant was one of the oldest operating nuclear power plants in the United States when it closed. Now it's gearing up for a historic potential restart.

05/08/2026

Congratulations, Neutronium! The research team from NERS and UMD Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland is a finalist in the XPRIZE Quantum Applications competition. Neutronium team members from NERS include Brian Kiedrowski and Lincoln Johnston.

Neutronium, a U-M and UMD research team, advances quantum algorithms for nuclear energy applications.

05/08/2026

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded $19.2 million to the Great Lakes Partnership to Enhance the Nuclear Workforce.

05/04/2026

Congratulations to NERS alum Joaquin Quezada and best of luck at Los Alamos!

Joaquin Quezada has worked in food service throughout high school and college. He will soon move to New Mexico to start a new job as a nuclear engineer.

05/04/2026

Congratulations, Holtec! We’re excited to see the continued progress at the Palisades Nuclear Plant.

Holtec International is proud to be recognized by TIME as one of the 10 most influential companies in the energy industry, and one of only two leading the nuclear sector alongside NextEra.

As global energy demand grows, nuclear is making a powerful comeback and Holtec is at the forefront. Our work to restart Michigan’s Palisades plant will mark a historic milestone as the first U.S. nuclear facility to return to service after decommissioning.

With major modifications complete, we’re moving closer to reconnecting Palisades to the grid this year, demonstrating the strength of our fully integrated capabilities across engineering, construction, licensing, and beyond.

The future of nuclear energy is being written now and Holtec is helping lead the way.

Read more:
🔹 Holtec’s full highlight: https://holtecinternational.com/hh-41-05/
🔹 TIME’s feature article: https://time.com/article/2026/04/29/time100-companies-energy/



From TIME ©2026 TIME USA LLC. All rights reserved. Used under license.

05/01/2026

Congratulations, graduates! 🎉

Here are a few PhDs advised by NERS materials faculty:
Angel Chavira, advised by Fei Gao
Logan Clowers, advised by Gary Was
Mackenzie Warwick, advised by Kevin Field
Yuhan Li (MSE), advised by Lumin Wang and Kevin Field

04/28/2026

Utah has an ambitious plan to build a nuclear energy ecosystem. Prof. Kochunas discusses the need for real reactor orders to succeed👇

Is Utah’s vision of an entirely new nuclear sector, including turning Brigham City into the Detroit, or Pittsburgh, or Silicon Valley of nuclear development, practical? Improbable? Or just plain impossible?

04/28/2026

Yugo Ashida, Denia Djokić, and Y Z recently completed Michigan Engineering’s Impact By Design leadership development program. The three were part of the 2025–26 cohort, building skills in intentional leadership, communication, and collaboration to strengthen their impact across research, education, and programmatic work.
Read more:

Yugo Ashida, Denia Djokić, and Y Z graduated from University of Michigan Engineering’s Impact By Design program, strengthening leadership skills to support their work and the U-M community.