- Major: Nuclear Engineering
- Company: Southern Nuclear Company, Boston Government Services
- Graduation Year: 2025
- E-mail: mvander7@vols.utk.edu
Profile
Hello! I was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. I enjoy tennis, painting, and spending time with friends. I am a nuclear engineering major with minors in leadership studies and physics. I am Vice President of UT's Women in Nuclear organization and a member of the Honors Leadership Program and Alpha Nu Sigma.
During my freshman year, I began gaining undergraduate research experience where I assisted with a NASA-funded project for nuclear thermal propulsion fuel development. This project lasted about a year and was a great way for me to observe the research process and gain an appreciation for the specialization and depth of understanding necessary to walk that path. I have completed 3 co-op rotations with Southern Nuclear Company: BWR Fuels engineering in Birmingham, AL, Reactor engineering at Plant Farley, and Reactor engineering at Plant Vogtle. I was able to dive deep into these roles due to my extended time with the company. My biggest takeaway from this experience is that the ability to research and learn, regardless of the topic, is the most important thing you can take from college. Last summer, I had a summer internship with Boston Government Services. This internship exposed me to the DOE side of the nuclear industry. Currently, I am interning at a nuclear waste processing facility at UCOR, which is also DOE funded.
