Jan. 13, 2012

VSL nuclear conference photo 1

VSL Director Ian Pegg speaks to a delegation of nuclear engineering graduate students from the École des Mines of Nantes, France.

This week, Catholic University's Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) hosted a two-day conference on environmental protection and safety in the nuclear industry for a delegation of nuclear engineering graduate students from the École des Mines of Nantes, France (EMN), a top school of engineering founded by the French government.

The 19 students attended talks Jan. 9 and 10 by VSL scientists at the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center and visited the campus lab, a leading research center for the studies of materials in their vitreous - or glass - state.

VSL is particularly known for processes developed there to transform highly radioactive nuclear waste into stable glass that can be disposed of safely. Those technologies are in use at nuclear waste processing facilities in the United States, Japan, and Great Britain.

"VSL's work in the development of materials and processes to improve nuclear environmental protection is highly regarded by experts in the nuclear industry and research institutions around the world," observes VSL Director Ian Pegg. For that reason, often students from abroad seek spots in VSL's competitive, yearlong internship program; one from the EMN interned there last year.

VSL nuclear conference photo 2

At VSL, research scientist Isabelle Muller leads a tour for students from France.

While on campus, the graduate students visiting from France also met with Cyril Pinel, counselor for nuclear affairs at the Embassy of France, and they participated in discussions with executives from the nuclear industry, including Finis Southworth, chief technology officer of AREVA Inc.; Daniel Leroy, executive vice president of EDF, Inc., in charge of U.S. nuclear fuel operations and business relations in Canada; and representatives from General Electric and Westinghouse.

Later in the week, the group was scheduled to visit George Washington University's Department of Nuclear Engineering; the Indian Point nuclear plant in New York State; the AREVA nuclear facility in Lynchburg, Va.; and the Constellation Energy Nuclear Group headquarters in Baltimore, Md. Catholic University's Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) is a leading research center for the studies of materials in their vitreous - or glass - state. At VSL, 100 Ph.D. scientists and engineers develop applications in such areas as nuclear environmental protection, fiber optics, biophysics, and nanotechnology. Established in 1968, VSL operates on grants and private contracts totaling on average $7 million a year.

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