Savannah River Site Engineers Mentor Students for STEM Capstone Project

AIKEN, S.C. – Savannah River Remediation (SRR), EM’s liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS), sponsored four University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) engineering students for their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) capstone project.

“Partnering with the University of South Carolina Aiken extends the site’s involvement in the community and local institutions,” DOE-Savannah River Assistant Manager for Waste Disposition Jim Folk said. “Engaging engineering students with multi-discipline areas of design ensures interest in STEM-related careers at the Savannah River Site.”

SRR engineers Kevin Brotherton, Dan Iverson and John Owen, who work in the Defense Waste Processing Facility melter group, sponsored the students to share a glimpse of real-world engineering at SRS. The students’ project focused on the shielded canister transporter (SCT), a unique 18-foot-tall, 25-foot-long, 235,000-pound vehicle that performs high-level waste canister maneuvering activities.

Savannah River Site Engineers Mentor Students for STEM Capstone Project

“Our goal was to engage the students’ creative and critical thinking skills to develop realistic plans for improving the one-of-a-kind shielded canister transporter,” said Brotherton. “We proved that the knowledge learned in the classroom is directly applicable to real-world work at the Savannah River Site.”

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