Ontario Tech graduate students take part in week-long visit to Canadian Nuclear Laboratories in Chalk River
Fifteen Ontario Tech University graduate students visited Canadian Nuclear Laboratories in Chalk River, Ont., for a week as part of the lab’s Graduate Immersive Experience, according to an Aug. 13 university announcement.
Ontario Tech said it has taken part in the program for the past three years. The visit brought students into CNL’s research setting and included tours, presentations and meetings with staff, including Ontario Tech alumni who work at the site.
The students toured CNL’s Remote Tooling and Equipment Laboratory, Inspection and Monitoring Laboratory, and Tritium Analysis Laboratory, the university said.
Ontario Tech said the schedule included presentations on fusion energy, quantum technologies, advanced computing simulations, cybersecurity, science communication, and Indigenous engagement in the nuclear sector.
Students also took part in discussions about nuclear research and its applications in low-carbon energy, health care and national security, according to the announcement.
Ann Drakes, a master’s student in nuclear engineering, said in a quote provided by the university that learning directly from CNL professionals made her feel “like I was part of the nuclear industry already.”
Veoli Tround, also a master’s student in nuclear engineering, said the visit changed how she viewed the field: “Nuclear stopped being a subject I was studying and started being something people have devoted their lives to.”
PhD student Hanna Przybyla said she was surprised by the range of backgrounds represented in the sector, including both STEM and non-STEM disciplines.
The group also visited the Nuclear Heritage Museum in Deep River, the university said.
Noor Khabbaz, a mechanical engineer at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and an Ontario Tech graduate, said in the release that the visit helped students see “the tools and technologies we use” and how engineering knowledge can translate to work at the lab.