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Virtual instructor-led training, or VILT, is education facilitated by an instructor that can occur in a synchronous (live) or asynchronous (self-scheduled or reviewed) virtual format. This saves valuable time and money for the utility, the instructor, and the student. Industries use VILT to train and onboard employees and colleges offer undergraduate and graduate VILT programs. …

In 1994, my roommate at Clemson University let me experience the Virtual Reality (VR) lab he worked in on campus. I walked a plank between two skyscrapers. I will never forget the sensation when I intentionally stepped off the plank.  My stomach turned and I lost all bearings as I hurled down to the city …

As we enter 2023, the outlook for SMRs (small modular reactors) and advanced nuclear reactors is both exciting and uncertain. While these technologies hold great potential for providing clean, reliable energy, there are still many challenges that need to be overcome before they can be widely deployed.  Costs:  One of the main challenges facing SMRs …

I began working in the nuclear power industry over 40 years ago. When I started as a young chemist, samples were manually collected in sample bottles and carried back to the laboratory for analysis. Primary and secondary coolant samples were analyzed using tried and true analytical methods.  Chlorides were determined by titration.  Conductivity was obtained …

Humans use forms of artificial intelligence (AI) every day. Chances are, you have an AI-based personal assistant within arm’s reach right now. As technology has advanced, we have explored more ways to use AI such as making tasks easier, making decisions with swift data analysis, and predicting trends for both industry and personal use. An …

After forty-plus years in the US Nuclear industry, I’ve come to realize that I’ve been lucky to work in an industry that has been shaped by a culture of knowledge sharing. Unlike many other industries that are protective of their business processes and information in order to be competitive in the markets they operate in, …

The Current Situation  The commercial nuclear power industry has one major problem – the lack of understanding by non-nuclear educated individuals. There is no doubt that the commercial nuclear power industry perception took a negative hit after the Fukushima disaster that occurred on March 11, 2011.  Most articles classify this event as a nuclear disaster, …

In today’s ever-evolving nuclear industry, the term nuclear “compliance” is tossed around frequently.  It is used in day-to-day business conversations routinely, often spoken in a serious, professional tone.  But what exactly do we mean as stewards of nuclear safety, when we utter this poignant word?  Merriam-Webster defines the word as follows:  “A: the act or …

How a trainee learns establishes how the information is stored and retrieved. Reinforcement of learning through practice and feedback enhances knowledge retention and skills development. Technology plays an important role in innovative learning and developing skills. In current training classrooms, information on any subject can be researched and found immediately. Trainees have a variety of …

When I look back on my initial license training program to obtain my Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) license, I recall the intense amount of plant information and tasks I needed to learn just to be able to pass the final NRC exam.  Over three decades ago, the SRO operating exam consisted …