Chuirazzi and McCary named INL Graduate Fellows

William Chuirazzi and Kelly McCary, graduate students in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering’s nuclear engineering program, were named 2017 Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Graduate Fellows.

This newly established fellowship aims to foster connections between the INL and its university partners, including The Ohio State University. Upon the completion of their classwork, INL Fellows Chuirazzi and McCary will be employed at the INL as they conduct research for their PhD theses. This prestigious award exposes graduate students to the national lab setting, while also allowing them to collaborate with both their university research advisor and their INL mentor.

Chuirazzi, a third-year graduate student, obtained both his bachelor’s degree in engineering physics (2015) and his master’s degree in nuclear engineering (2017) from Ohio State. His research focuses on radiation detection and measurement, including neutron imaging, solid state detection and light-yield measurement.

“I am excited for the opportunity to improve my knowledge on neutron imaging at INL, as their facilities and mentorship provide an excellent environment for me to further my doctoral studies,” he shared. “Hopefully, our work will improve neutron imaging abilities to enhance the monitoring of spent nuclear fuel, as well as other security threats.”

At the INL, Chuirazzi’s research will center on neutron radiography using the laboratory’s Neutron Radiography Reactor as part of its Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC). Chuirazzi is advised by Associate Professor Lei Raymond Cao, director of the university's Nuclear Reactor Lab.

McCary, who is also a third-year graduate student, obtained her bachelor’s degree in engineering physics (2015) from Ohio State. She was named a Nuclear Energy University Program Graduate Fellow in 2015 and will continue to serve in that role until 2018. She recently completed an internship at the INL.

Her research focuses on fiber optic instrumentation for advanced reactors and high temperature radiation environments.

“I hope that our research in advanced instrumentation will help in the development of more accurate and informative sensing technology that will ultimately be implemented in the next generation of nuclear reactors,” she said.

McCary will continue research on in-pile fiber optic instrumentation at the INL in the High Temperature Test Lab (HTTL). Professor Emeritus Thomas E. Blue serves as McCary’s faculty advisor.