U.S. Air Force Academy cadet Beatrice Shea examines a device during her summer internship with ORNL’s Advanced Detection and Applied Data Science Group. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory welcomed cadets from the nation’s military academies and Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs this summer, equipping the next generation of officers with technical expertise that will strengthen the intersection of national defense and advanced energy technologies.
Eight cadets spent the summer embedded alongside scientists in the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle and Physics Divisions, supporting specialized projects ranging from nuclear fuel chemistry to instrumentation, advancing their knowledge while contributing to ongoing ORNL research.
“These internships are strengthening each student’s technical foundations while fostering long-term connections between the laboratory and the nation’s future military leaders,” said Nick Prins, cadet intern coordinator and national security technical coordinator in the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division.
Throughout their internships, the cadets gained new skills, expanded professional networks, and deepened their understanding of the role of nuclear science and engineering in energy systems development and national security.
U.S. Air Force Academy senior Beatrice Shea spent several weeks alongside the Advanced Detection and Applied Data Science Group, where she developed a modular simulation framework to support the Compact Radiation Array Tracking and Interdiction (CRAFTI) system, which monitors vehicular traffic for radiological threats. Her experience offered her exposure to both nuclear physics and radiological work, as well as opportunities for learning and development.
“Collaborating with ORNL mentors was especially rewarding. They provided guidance while giving me the freedom to shape the direction of my project,” Shea said. “Additionally, engaging in conversations with ORNL and external meteorologists offered valuable insights into both research topics and career paths.”
U.S. Naval Academy senior Liam Carruth and U.S. Air Force Academy junior Jacob Grayson explored advanced nuclear applications during their internships. Grayson worked with the Nuclear and Extreme Environments Measurements Group to apply optical Fiber Bragg gratings as high-temperature sensors. Carruth, driven by his interest in advanced fuels, analyzed microstructural features of irradiated particles with the Particle Fuel Forms Group.
Several other cadets also gained meaningful experience through ORNL projects, including Air Force ROTC cadet Alexandria Johnston, who supported the Fuel Cycle Chemistry Technology Group, as well as West Point cadets Anna Morris and Johnathan Clements, who contributed to nuclear criticality safety research within the Criticality Safety Analysis and Research Group.
For Wilson Hyatt, a senior and Air Force ROTC cadet at the Colorado School of Mines, his internship offered both technical and personal growth. Hyatt, who is looking toward training as an Air Force combat systems officer, studied iodine chemistry in spent nuclear fuel recycling within the Fuel Cycle Chemistry Technology Group.
“I learned more than I could have hoped for in the short month I was here,” Hyatt said. “It was an experience I will never forget.”
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. — Liz McCrory
