10/21/2024
By Zhiyong Gu
Chemical Engineering Seminar
Speaker: Dr. Emily Liu, Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, and Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Title: Passion, Challenge and Future of Nuclear Energy
Date: Oct. 24, 2024, 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
Location: Ball Hall 210
As a clean, low-carbon and efficient base-load energy source, nuclear power is being considered as one major tool to help New York state reach zero carbon emissions by 2040. Nuclear energy is a base-load energy, meaning it provides high power density. And it has unique capability for disaster relief and providing energy to remote communities. However, the major challenges and/or people’s concerns about nuclear are safety and waste.
In addition to general discussions of nuclear energy and its role in a future energy landscape, two research topics will be discussed during the seminar. One is in fundamental nuclear materials study, where we investigate methodology development based on neutron scattering techniques to “visualize” complex phenomena such as metal corrosion due to molten salts. The other is about the project entitled “Collaborative Paradigm for Community Engagement” supported by DOE's Consent-based Siting for Interim Storage Program.
Biography:
Dr. Liu is a professor of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering and department head of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Liu earned her Ph.D. from MIT and BS from Peking University. She received 2018-2019 ELATE at Drexel Fellowship and has served as advisor for ELATES fellows since 2021. In 2017 she was awarded an Arab-American Frontiers Fellowship from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. She is also the recipient of many teaching and research awards from the School of Engineering at Rensselaer, as well as the Cozzarelli Prize in Engineering and Applied Sciences from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.