A Materials Science and Engineering student was one of 18 students to attend the Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation in Washington, D.C., in September 2024.
Sarah Cole, a senior in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering who plans on graduating with her bachelor’s degree this spring, had the opportunity to write policy recommendations and meet with over 50 congressional offices to discuss workforce development and investments for nuclear infrastructure.
“I grew interested in nuclear energy policy in high school when I competed in the Idaho National Laboratory’s Bright Futures in Nuclear Competition,” Cole said. “I presented a nuclear cost-competitive policy analysis to a panel of judges recommending strategies and I won first place and a scholarship that jump-started my passion for nuclear energy policy.”
Cole is passionate about advocating for nuclear energy policy. As a student researcher in the College of Engineering, Cole leads the Nuclear Energy Club and researches nuclear fuels in the Advanced Materials Laboratory. This summer, she conducted energy storage materials research at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center National Laboratory.
After actively participating in various policy initiatives, including the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering program and the American Nuclear Society Capitol Hill Day, Cole applied to join the Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation. About 20% of applicants were selected.
Cole is one of the first Boise State students to attend the delegation, but she hopes more students from the university will apply in the future.
“We are in the midst of a nuclear renaissance with Congress appropriating $3.4 billion toward the nuclear fuel cycle in the past few years,” Cole said. “I would like to see the momentum used to build up domestic fuel enrichment and deconversion capabilities to ensure timely deployment of the advanced reactor fleet.”
This year’s delegation crafted policy recommendations to strengthen the resiliency of nuclear material supply chains and to create a more favorable economic and regulatory environment for new nuclear facilities. They also advocated for continued investments into the education and workforce development initiatives.
Student delegates met with the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, Clear Path, Zeno Power and American Nuclear Society Congressional Fellows. Cole also met with the Idaho’s congressional offices of Representative Ross Fulcher, Representative Mike Simpson and Senator Jim Risch.
As her time as an undergraduate nears completion, Cole’s experience in Washington reminded her of the importance of staying engaged in policy and further inspired her to continue her career in the nuclear industry. She was selected to serve as the Vice Chair for the 2025 Delegation.
Cole was awarded a national Tau Beta Pi scholarship this summer as she continues her undergraduate research in nuclear fuels. She plans to earn her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering with a research focus in materials for extreme nuclear environments and work at the intersection of nuclear science and policy.
-by Siera Tuttle