CNTA
Samuel Cole, Jr.

The Robert Maher Memorial Scholarship Award 2016

Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness (CNTA) is pleased to announce that Samuel Cole, Jr. is the recipient of the Robert Maher Memorial Scholarship award for the 2017/2018 academic year, sponsored by AECOM. The recipient was recognized at the annual Edward Teller Lecture/Banquet.

Mr. Cole is a senior Nuclear Engineering student at South Carolina State University (SCSU) in Orangeburg. Samuel is the recipient of the Ronald E. McNair Scientific Award and the HBCU All-Star for the White House Initiative on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

"Samuel's academic achievements and practical experience in the nuclear field set him apart from the distinguished set of applications we received," said Mike Johnson, former CNTA Executive Director.

"Samuel is an outstanding example of the kind of young, energetic students we need to sustain the nuclear industry into the future."

Cole has interned for NASA at both the Kennedy Space Center and the Goddard Space Center. At Kennedy, he helped with transportation of a radiation source onto a rover that would be placed on a rocket to go into space. At Goddard, he assisted with a power plant design system project to improve the Center's energy bill.

Most recently, Cole was an engineering intern at FlyPro in Shenzhen, China, where he programmed codes for drones.

Additionally, Cole has had several research experiences at SCSU and at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. At the latter, Cole focused on a design project for molten salt reactors. He and his team investigated the effects of the reactors using a liquid fuel design rather than solid fuel.

"I was in charge of developing neutronics for our system," Cole said. "My job involved developing and designing a reactor simulation for our molten salt reactor."

Obtaining a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering is the first step in achieving his career goals. After achieving his educational goals, he would like to pursue a career in academia or as a researcher at a national laboratory or agency.

"Combining my research experience, course work in nuclear engineering, and commitment to scientific inquiry makes me an excellent candidate for graduate shool," Cole said. "I am excited about the challenges, and I look forward to this experience."

The CNTA award, valued at $5,000, is made possible by AECOM. AECOM sponsors the scholarship to honor the memory of Robert Maher, the late Vice President and General Manager for Strategic and Mission Development for SRS. Known as the "father of new missions at SRS," Maher served the Site for 48 years prior to his death in September 2002.

Previous winners of the award include:

Return to Robert Maher Scholarship Main Page

Return to 2016 Teller Lecture Page

Return to Main Teller Lecture Page

CNTA HOME

Questions, Comments, Concerns about our Website?