This course will be taught by Harold Dodds, department head emeritus in nuclear engineering. Professor Dodds’s academic interests include nuclear reactor analysis, radiation transport methods, and nuclear criticality safety. Class will be held Mondays from 4:40 – 5:30.

Course description:

With the world’s population increasing from seven billion currently to approximately nine billion by the year 2040, achieving a healthy lifestyle for all people on earth will depend, in part, on the availability of affordable energy, especially electricity. This seminar course will focus primarily on the various options for producing and using electricity, and the consequences associated with each option. The options include fossil, renewables, nuclear, and conservation. All energy options are needed, but some options may be better than others when compared in the following subject areas: economics, environmental effects, public health and safety, sustainability, and politics. Thus, a primary goal of this course is to provide the students, many of whom will become important national and international leaders in the future, with a sound basis for making informed decisions about the path forward for electricity production and utilization. Other goals are to help the students make the transition from high school to the university and to inspire the students.