The 12-hour certificate includes four courses over two years, one class each fall and spring semester. The courses cover U.S. national security policy, nuclear policy deterrence, administrative law and regulatory policymaking, and nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards. After a few weeks of their first course, each of the ORNL-sponsored recipients noted how the discussion- and even debate-based format contrasted the courses they took in the hard sciences.
“It was very rare in most of my (former) classes to debate on what is the right thing,” Reed said.
Faxon noted the certificate program has also helped the trio draw connections to their work at the lab in innovative ways.
“The most interesting part of it has been seeing how this coursework applies to all our career paths and then being able to connect what we do individually,” she said. “We were chosen because we have diverse backgrounds both in education and in what we do at the lab, so seeing the connections has been telling.”
Faxon also noted the knowledge she’s gaining is already opening doors for her in nuclear nonproliferation. Since she began the certificate program, she has been invited to apply her skills in remote sensing to nuclear nonproliferation discussions, events and projects.
This seems to be a natural conclusion for Harris, who said the certificate program will help bridge the gap that often exists between scientists and policymakers who need to meet in the middle to make effective, high-stakes decisions.
“I think especially on the technical side, whether it’s theoretical physics or more application engineering-oriented stuff, while we have that science knowledge, oftentimes we struggle to see how that becomes relevant to policymakers,” he said. “If we can better understand how policy decisions are made, then we can better do our jobs here to support them in the ways they need.”
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. — Audrey Carson
This Oak Ridge National Laboratory news article "Nuclear policy certificate opens opportunities for ORNL staff" was originally found on https://www.ornl.gov/news
