Education and Outreach at the Mcmaster Nuclear Reactor

Abstract

Public acceptance of nuclear energy remains a significant barrier to deploying new technologies in Canada. As the only nuclear facility in Canada that is open to the public, the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR) has an important role to play in helping Canadians engage with nuclear science and technology. More than 2,000 visitors tour MNR every year to learn about the importance of nuclear technology in everyday life. In 2018, staff at MNR launched two new educational initiatives aimed at two different student cohorts. A for-credit experiential learning workshop gives undergraduates in interdisciplinary science programs an opportunity to conduct experiments at McMaster’s nuclear research facilities. Working with a student course development partner, an interdisciplinary lecturebased course was developed to introduce undergraduates in the Humanities and Social Sciences to past and current public policy issues in nuclear science and engineering.