Earlier this year, Auburn Engineering graduated its first set of engineers who hold a minor in nuclear power generation systems. One of those graduates, Rebecca Osteen, has accepted a position at the Hatch Nuclear Power Plant in Baxley, Ga. Osteen, a 2013 graduate in chemical engineering, was among the first five students to complete the minor.

Beyond an understanding of basic construction techniques, power plant models, integration into the national electrical grid and reactor plant operations, the minor emphasizes safety, regulation, radiological health, work control practices and training requirements for operators and maintenance technicians. Osteen credits the minor with playing a key role in securing her job at the power plant. “It provided me with an understanding of the nuclear power industry, from both a technical and safety standpoint, that I would not have gained otherwise,” she says. “I am well prepared to enter the industry, and am confident that what I have learned will be invaluable as I begin my career.”