ISU professor leads ASME’s nuclear engineering division

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – An Idaho State University professor is at the helm of one of the largest professional groups in the nuclear engineering field.

Richard Schultz, research professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, is the chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Nuclear Engineering Division. The 6,000+ member group was established in 1955 and “focuses on the design, analysis, development, testing, operation and maintenance of reactor systems and components, nuclear fusion, heat transport, nuclear fuels technology and radioactive waste.” This week, the group is sponsoring the International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE29) in conjunction with the Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Chinese Nuclear Society.

“It is really exciting to be a part of the nuclear engineering division and ICONE since both promote nuclear power, a clean, carbon-free form of energy: something the world needs,” Schultz said.

Schultz is the latest in a string of leaders in the nuclear engineering field hailing from Idaho State. Chad Pope, professor and nuclear engineering department chair, will present a workshop at ICONE29. Jay Kunze, emeritus professor of nuclear engineering at ISU, was chair of the ASME Nuclear Engineering Division in 2008. Meanwhile, Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar, associate professor of nuclear engineering and associate dean for ISU’s College of Science and Engineering, has held multiple roles with the American Nuclear Society, including President from 2020 to 2021.

For more information on ISU’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, visit isu.edu/ne.