Education Overview

The various project activities CRESP undertakes are designed to attract and train people interested in careers in nuclear waste management. This includes opportunities at undergraduate and graduate degree levels as well as for continuing professional education related to nuclear waste management. Specifically, the Consortium:

  • Develops courses and curricula
  • Recruits students
  • Develops student summer research and internship programs
  • Trains students at the Master (MS, MEng), Doctoral (PhD) and postdoctoral levels
  • Establishes an internship program
  • Provides workshops, seminars and other continuing education opportunities

Early Career Program

CRESP funds approximately 20 early career researchers, which we define as PhD students and postdocs.  In addition, there are MS and undergraduate students, and other affiliated PhD students and postdocs who participate in the community. The objectives of the program are:

  • foster a community of graduate students and postdocs, linking the disparate geographic sites
  • create professional development opportunities for our early career researchers through networking and internships
  • connect all CRESP researchers with EM practitioners to enhance our research impact

Read more about the Early Career Program

Graduate Student Support

The following universities provide support for postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students working on CRESP projects:

  • Vanderbilt University
  • Georgia Tech
  • Howard University
  • Oregon State University
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Texas Tech University
  • Washington Sate University

CRESP Student Dissertations and Master’s Theses

Wang, X 2022, Geochemical Assessment of Leaching From Coal Ash Disposal Sites, Doctoral dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Kocevska, S 2022, Development of In Situ Monitoring and Data-Driven Modeling for Complex Systems: Case Study on Simulant Mixtures of Nuclear Waste, Doctoral Dissertation, Georgia Institute of Technology.

Zhang, P 2021, Effects of Environmental Conditions on Estimating the Long-Term Performance of a Cementitious Waste Form for the Immobilization of Nuclear Waste, Doctoral dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Chisholm, BM 2020, Development of a Technology-Inclusive Methodology to Analyze the Environmental, Safety, and Health Risks Associated with Advanced Nuclear Reactor Designs as Demonstrated on the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment, PhD Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Branch, J 2018, Impact of Aging in the Presence of Reactive Gases on Cementitious Waste Forms and Barriers, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Kernick, T 2018, Estimating the composition of multicomponent particle slurries using focused beam reflectance measurement, Master’s Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Duncan, LL 2017, Regional and Local Hydrologic Responses to Climate Fluctuations and Land Use Change, Columbia River Basin, Washington, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University. 

Fyffe, L 2016, An Evaluation of Safety and Health Data, with an Emphasis on Developing Performance Measures for Nuclear Chemical Facilities, Using Quantitative and Semi-quantitative Methods, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Rustick, J 2016, An Integrated Systems Approach to Performance Assessment of Near Surface Disposal Facilities for Low Level Radioactive Waste Management, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Li, H 2015, Process Measurements and Kinetics of Unseeded Batch Cooling Crystalization, Ph.D. Dissertation, Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Makusa, G 2015, Stabilization-Solidification of High Water Content Dredged Sediments Strength, Compressibility and Durability Evaluations, Ph.D. Dissertation, Luleå University of Technology.

McNew, C 2015, The Attachment of Colloidal Particles to Environmentally Relevant Surfaces: Effect of Ionic Strength, Particle Shape, and Physicochemical Properties, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Miller, VJ 2015, An analysis of the viability of ranked set sample methodologies based on the evaluation of Dyess AFB B-47 crash site radiological contamination survey data and theoretical modifications, Master’s Thesis, Oregon State University [2018-10-18]. 

Napier, JB 2015, Analysis of Carbon-14 Transport from a Contaminated Groundwater Source, Ph.D. Dissertation, Oregon State University. Available from: ScholarsArchive@OSU [2018-10-18].

Sample-Lord, K 2015, Membrane behavior and diffusion in unsaturated sodium bentonite, Ph.D. Dissertation, Colorado State University. 

Ruedig, EB 2014, Dose-effects relationships in non-human biota : development of field sampling, dosimetric and analytic techniques through a case study of the aquatic snail Campeloma decisum at Chalk River Laboratories, Ph.D. Dissertation, Oregon State University. Available from: ScholarsArchive@OSU [2018-10-18].

Commolli, M 2014, Comparison of dosimetric modeling of the International Commission on Radiological Protection trout reference animal, Master’s Thesis, Oregon State University. 

Eun, J 2014, Volatile organic compound and methane transport through composite barriers with co-extruded geomembrane containing ethylene vinyl-alcohol, Ph.D Dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Hunter, E 2014, Radionuclide Sorption in Fine-Grained Barrier Soils for Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLW) Disposal, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Nan, T 2014, Scaling and extreme value statistics of sub-Gaussian fields with application to neutron porosity data, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Arizona. 

Whitlow, J 2014, Biological remediation strategy for immobilizing Ag-110m and Cs-134 in soils, Master’s Thesis, Oregon State University. 

Smith, B 2014, Evaluating Environmental, Health and Safety Impacts from Two Nuclear Fuel Cycles: A Comparative Analysis of Once-Through Uranium Use and Plutonium Recycle in Light Water Reactors, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Houser, E 2013, Mechanisms of plant uptake of radionuclides, including mycorrhizal interactions  for purpose of refining models and uptake parameters, Ph.D Dissertation, Oregon State University.

Tian, K 2013, Durability of high density polyethylene in low level radioactive waste leachate, Master’s Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Worthy, R 2013, A Systematic Approach to the Evaluation of RCRA Disposal Facilities under Future Climate-induced Events, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Stone, D 2013, Site Specific Reference Person Parameters and Derived Concentration Standards for the Savannah River Site, Master of Science, Oregon State University.

Hay, T 2012, Medical Radionuclides and Their Impurities in Wastewater, Ph. D. Dissertation, Oregon State University. 

Napier, J 2012, Establishment of Concentration Ratios for Riparian and Shrub Steppe Areas of the Eastern Washington Columbia Basin, Master’s Thesis, Oregon State University.

Scalia, J 2012, Bentonite-Polymer Composites for Containment Applications, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Smith, C 2012, Coupling Hydrology and for Low-Level Waste Disposal Facilities Erosion Control Master’s Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mlusu, J 2011, Kinetics of redox reactions of hexavalent chromium and trichloroethylene in waste containing both contaminants, Master’s Thesis, Howard University.

Pierson, K 2011, Comparison and cultural review of biosphere modeling using foliar uptake of Technetium-99 in Radishes, Honors Baccalaureate of Science in Chemical Engineering and Honors Baccalaureate of Arts in International Studies of Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University.

Xue, L 2011, Multi-Model Bayesian Analysis of Data Worth and Optimization of Sampling Scheme Design, Ph D. Dissertation, University of Arizona.

Farrell, A 2010, Mass Transfer and Chemical Oxidation Studies for TCE Treatment in Aqueous and Soil Systems, Master’s Dissertation, Howard University.

Haley, J 2010, Evaluating the effectiveness of risk education for early adolescents, Master’s Thesis, Vanderbilt University. 

Mishra, P 2010, Pumping Test Inference of Saturated/Unsaturated Aquifer Properties, Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Arizona. 

Park, MG 2010, Volatile organic compound transport in composite liners, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sarkar, S 2010, Probabilistic Durability Analysis of Cementitious Materials under External Sulfate Attack, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Kirkland, R 2009, Leaching assessment of red mud and phosphogypsum for beneficial use as construction materials, Master’s, Vanderbilt University. 

Roseberry, JC 2009, Effects of soil transport processes on organic storage in forested hillslope soils, Master’s Thesis, Vanderbilt University.

Brown, K 2008, Life-Cycle Risk Analysis for Department of Energy (DOE) Buried Wastes, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

Spradley, L 2008, A Systematic Approach to Analyzing Pre-Closure Operational Performance of the Proposed Repository for High Level Nuclear Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, Ph.D. Dissertaion, Vanderbilt University.

Tinjum, JM 2006, Mineralogical properties of chromium ore processing residue and chemical remediation strategies, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Lopez Meza, S 2006, Evaluation of the impact of environmental conditions on constituent leaching from granular materials during intermittent infiltration, Ph.D Dissertation, Vanderbilt University.

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