PULLMAN, Wash. — It’s been 65 years since Washington State University’s nuclear research reactor was activated, and since then the halls of Dodgen Research facility have been busy with students and researchers.
“We really have a unique capability here at WSU,” said Kim Christen, WSU vice president for research.
The program trains the next generation of nuclear scientists, where students learn to operate a nuclear reactor. Many of them go on to gain their license, like recent graduate Layla Lumzer.
“It was something I hadn’t gotten from many other classes. You get a lot more hands on experience here. So you get to actually work with the reactor. You work with handling samples and stuff like that,” Lumzer said.
Along with that training, the nuclear research reactor allows for extensive research. From discovering new energy sources to creating materials used for national security.
But soon that training and research will grow.
“So the the rocks in the dirt that you just saw, that’s phase one of our hot cell facility,” Christen said. “That facility will immediately expand our capabilities and our activity to produce isotopes, including medical isotopes.”
The new hot cell facility will help further the school’s research. One example is developing material that will be used for cancer therapies or medical imaging.
With this 5,000-square-foot expansion, the Nuclear Science Center will be able to expand upon the degrees and certificates it offers.
“That might be, people who are already in the workforce and need to be reskilled or upskilled to continue on with their careers. So our goal is to meet that need,” Christen said.
The Nuclear Science Center says right now there is a workforce shortage and in the next 25 years there will be 300,000 jobs that need to be filled. This new facility that’s expected to be operational by 2029 will help address that.
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