Challenges and Opportunities for Today’s Math and Science Teachers and Students

1. Challenges and Opportunities for Today’s Math and Science Teachers and Students Timothy J. LeahyDirector, INL Nuclear Safety and Regulation Division

2. World Energy Demand Continues to Significantly Increase The increase is projected to be about 55 quads in industrialized countries alone over the next 25 years 1 quad is a mile-long coal train (11,000 tons) every 2 hours 24-7 for a year Source: EIA IEO 2004

3. World Energy Demand Crisis Human Infrastructure • 2001 NEI survey indicated the U.S. nuclear industry, as a whole, will need roughly 90,000 new employees over the next 10 years to sustain current industry activity levels.1 • The Nuclear Energy Institute’s Feb. 2006 survey showed nuclearenergy companiesmay lose anestimated 23,000workers over thenext five years, 40percent of all jobs inthe sector.2 Source: NEI

4. Math and Science Education • From 1994-2001, enrollment in science and engineering graduate programs by United States citizens declined ten percent. • Enrollments of foreign graduate students increased nearly 35 percent in U.S. universities. • United States minorityenrollment increasedfrom 22 to 35 percent,the 26 percent dropamong white men and9 percent drop amongwhite women drove theoverall decline. Source: National Science Foundation

5. Math and Science Education • The percentages of twelfth-grade students performing at or above the levels of Basic, at or above Proficient, and at Advanced were lower in 2005 than in 1996. Source: Http://nationsreportcard.gov Trend in twelfth-grade NAEP science achievement-level performance

6. Education/Job Outlook • All types of financial aid for Science and Engineering graduate students have increased over the last 20 years.1 • There are more jobs than ever before: • From 1998-2001, Westinghouse hired 200 engineers directly out of college. The company expected to hire another 80 in 2002.2

7. Education/Job Outlook • The percentage of 24-year-olds in the United States with a science or engineering degree (5.7 percent) is nearly half that of Taiwan (11.1 percent), South Korea (10.9 percent) and the United Kingdom (10.7 percent).1 • By the end of 2008, it is predicted that some six million jobs requiring math and science skills will go unfilled simply because American youth won’t be qualified to holdthem.2

8. Opportunities • Space – NewHorizons/Nuclear Moon • World Energy Crisis • Next Generation NuclearPower Plants • GNEP

9. New Horizons/The Moon • Jan 19, 2006 New Horizons Launch to Pluto • Exploration of the unknown • ARES I & V – to the moon to stay • Crew transportation • 2014 • First lunar excursion • Est. 2020 Source: NASA

10. NASA • Average age of NASA workers and years of federal service

11. World Energy Crisis Source: EIA IEO 2004

12. The World at Night

13. NGNP • The Next Generation Nuclear Plant • Will be built earliest in 2011 • Need for people toprovide power foreveryday life. • TVs, computers,cars, lights,electricity

14. Global Nuclear Energy Partnership • Need for international cooperation of engineers/scientists to provide power for everyone. Urgent need for pursuit of energy future. • Main objective is to counter proliferation concerns, but will have effect of much greater resource utilization. • Includes call for small-scale reactors for less developed countries to access affordable, reliable and sustainable power.

15. Need for Small Reactors • Designed for less developed countries with minimal nuclear power production infrastructure. Allows these nations to access affordable, reliable and sustainable power • 50 – 350 MWe range • Proliferation resistant andsimple design = minimalin-country infrastructure • Electrical generationand potential for potablewater production

16. The Nuclear Option • Nuclear is not the only option to alleviate our energy concerns, but we cannot succeed without it. • Combination of electricity and Hydrogen production – NGNP. • Power generation is the power of the next generation.