Oak Ridge Contractor Builds on Intern Program Success

This year's summer intern program provided opportunities to 40 students from 13 school across the country. It included nontraditional students, veterans and participants from the U.S. Department of Energy's Mentorship for Environmental Scholars and Fellows programs.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management cleanup contractor UCOR continued to expand its summer internship program this year, providing opportunities for 40 students from 13 schools across the country.

This year's class included nontraditional students, veterans and students from colleges and universities with existing partnerships with UCOR. There were also participants from DOE's Mentorship for Environmental Scholars and Fellows programs.

The program also saw an increase in the depth of projects and benefits resulting from the success of the company's university partnerships.

Haylee Cobb, an information science major from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, discusses risk management initiatives during her closeout presentation for her summer internship. Cobb is one of 20 interns continuing part time during the school year.

Intern projects included support to the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Transuranic Waste Processing Center (TWPC) and Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Initiatives included mercury mitigation, a data analysis pilot tracker, earned value management, updates and design change notices to engineering drawings, corporate accounting, contract closeouts and waste profiles.

Following the success of an extended internship option for students last summer, about half of the 2024 class will continue applying the skills learned in the classroom by supporting UCOR part time throughout the upcoming academic year. Five participants are second- and third-year interns who have completed ongoing projects during the school year.

Ronald Randazzo, a Navy veteran and nuclear engineering major at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, returned for a third internship this summer. His extended internship allows him to continue evaluating and incorporating requirements for TWPC into UCOR's processes and procedures as needed.

Pictured with mentor Garrett Hester at left, Avery Newman, a chemical engineering major from Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, returned for a second internship at UCOR, supporting the continuous purge system at the Molten Salt Reactor Experient at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Avery Newman, a chemical engineering major from Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, returned for a second internship supporting the continuous purge system at MSRE. She will continue design change notices to MSRE drawings while completing the final year of her master's degree.

"I'm excited to continue my internship during the school year," said Newman. "There's never a shortage of learning opportunities at the MSRE, making this the perfect opportunity to gain more experience and knowledge before I graduate."

Since the start of UCOR's contract in 2022, 15 students in the contractor's summer internship program have joined the workforce full time.

The 2024 intern class completed a community project that donated supplies to hospitality houses that provide temporary lodging for patients and families who travel to Oak Ridge for extended medical treatment, primarily serving cancer patients and their caregivers.

This year also saw three students from Roane State Community College's Environmental Health Technology program join the intern class. All three received permanent offers from UCOR, proving community college partnerships can provide successful career development for DOE sites. The Roane State-UCOR collaboration also provides education and career pathways to underserved communities in the area.

The 2024 intern class also completed a community project benefiting hospitality houses at the Methodist Medical Center. The houses provide temporary lodging for patients and families who travel to Oak Ridge for extended medical treatment, primarily serving cancer patients and their caregivers.

By relieving the financial burden of hotel stays, the hospitality houses help guests focus on physical and emotional healing. The interns held a drive with the UCOR workforce, raising cash donations and collecting 1,789 items to support patients and their families.

-Contributor: Shannon Potter