100+ Attendees at Summer School Hosted by Department of Nuclear Engineering
Visitors from all over the world gathered at NC State this summer for a week-long camp hosted by the Department of Nuclear Engineering (NE).
The event, titled “The 5th U.S. Low Temperature Plasma Summer School,” took place from June 15-19, attracting more than 100 graduate students, post-doctorates, early career investigators and researchers with one common goal: to learn more about low temperature plasmas.
Low temperature plasmas are nonequilibrium, or unstable, gases with high reactivity. These gases can be used in a variety of applications from semiconductor processing to biomedical treatments.
Attendees were treated to lectures and hands-on workshops from leaders in the field brought to Raleigh from across the globe. Along with hosting the event, NE faculty contributed to the topical areas covered in the summer school. NE Department Head Steven Shannon spoke to the attendees about “Plasma Sources and Power System Design” and Associate Professor Katharina Stapelmann discussed “High Pressure Plasmas.”
The event also included a banquet and discussion panel with the following professionals in the nuclear engineering space:
- Ryan Chaban, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Department of Energy
- Professor Jane P. Chang, University of California at Los Angeles
- Professor Elizabeth Kautz, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and North Carolina State University
- Ryan D. Robinson, Plasmatreat, Inc.
- Professor Mitchell L. R. Walker, Dean of the College of Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
“The scope of applications where low temperature plasmas contribute continues to grow, spanning electronics, agriculture, energy, medicine and the environment,” Shannon said. “NC State has played a substantial role in the growth of this technology into these new markets and boasts one of the largest research groups in this area in the United States. We are thrilled to host these impactful events that play a critical role in the educational process that enables engineers and scientists to contribute to this fast growing exciting field.”
