In addition to the Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering, there are faculty members with teaching and research interests in environmental problem-solving in the Departments of Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering, as well as in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences in the School of Science. Our focus is on the methods, devices, and systems required for the peaceful use of nuclear technology with particular emphasis on nuclear power generation and applications of radiation. Nuclear energy can be obtained from both fission and fusion processes. Within the past four decades a highly developed fission industry has grown up to make this source available to meet the electrical energy needs of mankind. Fusion energy generation is still in the developmental phase.
Applied radiation spans a broad range of applications from medicine to manufacturing.
The nuclear engineer must be both a specialist in his or her area of concentration and a generalist in interaction with others. An interdisciplinary program at Rensselaer that is concerned with the applications of fundamental concepts in applied physics to engineering problems, with particular relevance to developments at the cutting edge of new technologies. The graduate program draws students from a variety of backgrounds and technical disciplines and provides them with a broad education, preparatory to a wide diversity of career opportunities in national research laboratories, numerous high-tech industries, government agencies, and academia. The research programs and associated areas of concentration are especially geared to the interests of the students and faculty involved, and utilize the many unique facilities of the department and the various interdisciplinary centers at Rensselaer. The Environmental and Energy Engineering Department is engaged in both basic and applied research.