Wilmington and its nuclear-related businesses are front and center this week during the seventh annual Nuclear Science Week, a national series of events held each October aimed at educating the public about nuclear science, technology and business.
 
University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Watson College of Education is the host for 2016, serving as the venue Oct. 20-22 for the main events -- called the “Big Event” -- of Nuclear Science Week.
 
This year GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Duke Energy are spearheading the local effort with the university.
 
“Our mission at WCE is to educate and to support learning in a range of contexts, and we happily offered our building to showcase an educational opportunity like Nuclear Science Week,” said Watson College Dean Van Dempsey in a news release. “It’s an honor to serve as the host location for an event designed to enhance and expand efforts in STEM learning for area children and educators.”
 
The three-day event is hosted by the Wilmington Area Local Section of the American Nuclear Society and consists of interactive and educational workshops, keynote speakers, panel discussions and industry tours.
 
“A key focus this year will be showcasing how current and future nuclear technologies are harnessed for the benefit of humanity,” said Derek Bass, Wilmington Big Event 2016 chair and a lead system engineer at GEH in Wilmington, in a news release. “The strong regional presence of high technology enterprises in the state, such as GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Duke Energy Progress and North Carolina State University, provides a rich environment for innovation to bring about this benefit.”
 
“North Carolina and Wilmington in particular, is a great location to host the Big Event for Nuclear Science Week given the significant concentration of nuclear technologists in the state,” Bass added.
 
Most of the events require registration, which can be done online.
 
The nuclear science event became a national effort in 2010 when the Smithsonian-affiliated National Museum of Nuclear Science and History convened the first Nuclear Science Week, hosted in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Each year, a new host city is selected.