Travis Knight, the director of the UofSC College of Engineering and Computing's nuclear engineering program, joins host Abe Danaher to talk about nuclear energy. First, Travis describes his winding journey through the field (1:39) and why he chose to stay the course despite all the obstacles (6:21). Then, he describes the sinking feeling he felt when he heard the news of the V.C. Summer project (10:33) and how it is emblematic of the larger problem facing nuclear energy in America (15:20). Next, he explains what the future of nuclear energy looks like (20:42) before discussing why the current generation of students is so important to the future of the field (25:03). Lastly, he shares the message he tells to people who don't believe nuclear energy is a good thing (27:53) and the many reasons that he believes nuclear energy is a necessity for the security and well-being of the American people (34:24).
The music for this episode was graciously provided by Columbia's own, "No Way Jose!"