New course centers community-engaged design for nuclear energy solutions
New course highlights how energy system designers and local communities need strategic collaboration more urgently than ever
A new Michigan Engineering course, Socially Engaged Design of Nuclear Energy Technologies (ENGR 100.910), empowers first-year students to involve community voices in nuclear engineering projects. Co-led by professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences Aditi Verma and Katie Snyder, a lecturer in technical communication, the course brings students together with Ann Arbor community members and encourages them to conduct interviews in their hometowns to better understand diverse perspectives on energy and nuclear technology.
Nuclear energy:
fission and fusion
Advancing nuclear energy
from discovery to deployment
“The course is novel in many ways,” said Verma. “It is the first instance (to the best of my knowledge) of a community-engaged/participatory approach being used to design an energy technology and system.”
The course also features virtual reality models of energy systems and uses AI image generators to help students and the community visualize their designs in a holistic way.
“We are really centering emerging technologies in this course, but we are also asking students to pause and think critically about these technologies,” said Snyder.
Supported by grants and campus partnerships, this pioneering class has led to student presentations at major conferences and inspired them to always consult rightsholders. Some students continue to develop VR models and analyze workshop findings, helping to advance community-engaged design in nuclear engineering.
This is an AI-generated, human-verified summary of the article New introductory engineering course aims to revolutionize nuclear energy through community engagement by Sara Norman.