For the record I had thought about starting some kind of Nuclear Energy blog about a month ago. I just never thought I would have more than a post or two in me and I kind of put the idea aside. Wednesday I attended the American Nuclear Society annual meeting in Atlanta, first to present a paper and then to work as a student assistant. In all honesty I was kind of dreading the session that I was supposed to work. It was called Focus on Communications: Telling the Nuclear Story and the second half was on the New Media. Now, as a 20 year old trying to find a niche in an industry dominated by men who have kids who are older than me I was not looking forward to some session on what this generation saw as “New Media”…which for them I expected to be cell phones that were smaller than a microwave or something. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the panel was comprised of legit bloggers who knew how to operate technology that had come on to the market since the turn of the century. It was exciting for me to see that there was this very real vibratn community of people who were not just content with working in a power plant or working with nuclear science but wanted to share that excitment with others.
And so I’ve started a blog…kind of.
As a bit of a disclaimer I am probably not going to be the most religious poster on my own page. I have set up a twitter account. I plan on using this frequently because I am much better at composing 140 character comments than a whole blog post. I also wanted some kind of identity in case I decide to contribute my two cents on someone elses blog (which I intend to do).
The reason I wanted to have some kind of page at all was so people who saw me comment would have some idea of who I am because I do not fit the typical stereotype of someone interested in pursuing nuclear engineering (although this is changing…thank God).
My name is Meg Schroeder. I am going into my third undergrad year at Georgia Tech and I am pursuing a degree in Nuclear & Radiological Engineering. Currently I am in my first co-op work term at INPO in the Industry Analysis department (if anyone in the industry has ever used the Plant Information Center (PIC), Just In Time (JIT) trainings, seen a Topical Report …it is that part of INPO). While I cannot admit that it is exactly what I pictured myself doing as a nuclear engineer, so far it has been an incredibly valuble experience and I have learned a LOT about the industry.
Even though my studies keep me busy, I find time to be a member of Georgia Tech’s Rowing Team (tried to fit the word ERGS into a title for my blog but it didnt work out), an officer in my sorority Alpha Xi Delta (oh yea…did I mention that I’m a girl?), I am a Georgia Tech tour guide, and I am a Math TA.
and for the record I’m somewhere between a blonde and a brunette but NuclearBlonde was already taken on twitter…so much for my Elle Woods tribute. (Legally Blonde).
In closing I would like to say thank you to John Wheeler (This Week in Nuclear), Rod Adams (Atomic Insights,), Dan Yurman (Idaho Samizdat) who sat on the panel and inspired me to stop thinking about blogging and start bloggin, and Kirk Sorenson (Energy From Thorium) who was not only there but has two daughers under the age of 9 who have memorized the entire periodic table.
NuclearBrunette
https://nuclearbrunette.wordpress.com
GO JACKETS
Nuclear Brunette 
Welcome. Glad you enjoyed the session. Thank you for the kind words.
I should have the video posted soon of the 4 and 7 year old girls reciting the periodic table in tandem. Inspiring! Maybe America has a future after all. I wish I had thought of doing that when my girls were young – maybe I would then be able to do it as well.
Rod Adams
Publisher, Atomic Insights
Host and producer, The Atomic Show Podcast
Welcome to the world of nuclear blogging. I hope you find your voice and that blogging gives you satisfaction,
Congratulations! It’s about time. Looking forward to hearing more from you in the future. Good luck and keep rowin’…I’ll close with a quote from a famous observer, Charles Darwin.
You have powers you never dreamed of.
You can do things you never thought you could do.
There are no limitations in what you can do except
The limitations of your own mind.
Charles Darwin
Hi Meg and welcome.
-DV8 2XL
It is refreshing to see new blood flowing into the field of nuclear energy. I am happy to see someone who has passion for the profession, because that is what it takes to be successful and to derive satisfaction from the work.
I was in grade school and high school during the space-race era. Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon the day before my college entrance exams. Seeing this great feat of engineering inspired me to get a master’s degree in electrical engineering.
The great engineering challenge of our times is providing the large amounts of clean and economical energy that we need to maintain modern civilization. You are right in the middle of that challenge!
Don’t be discouraged by the nay-sayers. They got away with shutting off much of the space program, and bringing the construction of nuclear power plants in the USA to a halt. Doing nothing and continuing business as usual with energy worked at the time–fossil fuels were still easily had. But now we risk freezing in the dark and altering our environment.
Learn as much as you can from those with experience in the industry. Some of that knowledge may be personal opinion or just plain wrong, but there are many pearls of wisdom to be had just for the asking (and listening!).
Hi NuclearBrunette – kind of surprised I don’t see any other comments on here when you’ve been mentioned on Atomic Insights.
I was down in Atlanta earlier this year; I wish I’d organized myself to spend a little time looking around the city, but at least I took the Marta from the airport to the Tech Conference Center.
Why “ergs” for rowing? Is it just from the noise you make 🙂 ?
An ERg is an ergometer or an indoor rowing machine…basically a torture device for rowers
You go girl!
Good to see another rational person on the blogosphere. Good luck. You may want to take one of those many A’s your getting in your classes and put it into the word radiological, though;).
Though I live in Ann Arbor, Mi; I work in Augusta, GA.
Go Blue!
Oh ge’ez….nice catch ha ha
Lion Dancer – as long as we are proof reading, you might want to remember the difference between the possessive “your” and the contraction of “you are”. (As in “those many A’s you’re getting in your classes. . .”)
Go Blue, Go Atomic.