Our Crowdfunding Groups
The UC Berkeley American Nuclear Society (ANS) chapter is a student organization comprised of undergraduate and graduate students with interests in the nuclear field. Our organization strives to integrate students into our tight-knit community by hosting professional development sessions, speakers from the nuclear industry, and organizing outreach events to educate local communities on nuclear science and technology throughout the semester.
Each year, the national ANS chapter hosts a student conference aimed towards providing students with the opportunity to present their research and network with others in the nuclear field. Many undergraduate students at Berkeley work closely with faculty and graduate students in different areas of research and produce novel work. As an organization, we find it important for students to gain experience in not only producing research but also presenting it.
We believe that the ANS student conference is a great opportunity for undergraduate students to build connections within the nuclear community and share their research in a professional setting. In order to have a strong Berkeley representation on a national level, we are seeking financial support to cover registration, travel, and lodging expenses. This year the conference is being held in Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Any financial support to fly our young researchers across the country would be greatly appreciated.
At ANS, one of our main goals is to educate the public about nuclear science and technology through community outreach.
Thousand Oaks Elementary School Science Fair
During the Thousand Oaks Elementary School Science Fair, our ANS members taught students grades 1 to 5 about the basics of radiation and radioactive decay through a fast-paced, interactive demonstration called the "Half-Life Challenge" where students learned about exponential radioactive decay and half-life using licorice.
Engineering 4 Kids (E4K)
E4K is an annual event geared towards exposing fourth to sixth-grade students to different engineering concepts. We hosted six thirty minute sessions about radiation, decay, half-life, and the different applications of nuclear science and technology to a total of 200 students.
Another goal of our club is to provide professional development opportunities for our nuclear engineers.
Laboratory Tours
The 1140 Etcheverry Hall lab tour is a great opportunity for younger undergraduate students to learn about the different research groups in the nuclear engineering department. After the tour, students were given the opportunity to speak with the graduate student representatives about getting involved in research. As a result of this year's tour, about five of the attendees joined a research group and now work closely with the graduate students on that project. These graduate students provide unparalleled research, academic, and personal mentorship for undergraduate students.
Industry Speakers
Last semester, we had the privilege to have Don from General Atomics come to speak with ANS about industry careers available after graduation.
Coffee with the Chair
Each semester, ANS hosts "Coffee with the Chair," an opportunity for undergraduates and graduates to talk to department Dr. Peter Hosemann and learn about what's happening in the department.
ANS's third main goal as an organization is to build a community within the department.
Study Sessions
Throughout the semester, ANS hosts study sessions where underclassmen students have the opportunity to get tutoring and guidance from older students.
Community Building Socials- Graduate Students v. Undergraduate Nuclear Jeopardy!
During Nuclear Science Week 2018, our wonderful outreach chair, Grey Batie, organized a friendly (yet intense) game of nuclear Jeopardy! to test our expertise in the field.
Summary
The American Nuclear Society UC Berkeley chapter is comprised of a diverse group of students, who perform research in nuclear materials, thermal hydraulics, numerical methods, radiation detection, and more. ANS provides indispensable resources to our members through mentorship, industry and research exposure and giving back to the community through outreach.
