By Jamie Cookson for INL Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives
Around mid-May, cries of “Everybody hold on, because intern season is here!” can be heard throughout Idaho National Laboratory as high school, college, graduate and postgraduate students immerse themselves in various fields.
Each year, the lab accepts roughly 350 interns from across the U.S. and foreign countries, hailing from various academic backgrounds. Nuclear engineering is a common field of study for INL interns, but the lab also attracts students who specialize in chemical engineering, communications, statistics, construction management and computer science, to name a few.
The internship program is crucial to INL’s mission in developing the next-generation workforce, and enables interns to gain valuable experience in their respective fields.
Some INL interns don’t have far to travel. Students from Idaho’s universities (Idaho State, University of Idaho, Boise State and Brigham Young University-Idaho) can be found throughout INL’s in-town facilities and the lab’s 890-square-mile desert Site.
Others, however, cross oceans to get here.
Han Bao came to the U.S. from Hubei, China, in 2013 after receiving his master’s from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Bao attends North Carolina State University (NCSU), where he is working toward his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, with a focus on thermal hydraulics and reactor safety analysis.
This is Bao’s second summer interning at INL. He came to the laboratory because of a collaboration between INL and NCSU that deals with ensuring the safe operation of nuclear reactors during accidents.
“I do lots of modeling and accident simulations, particularly those based on the design of BWRs (boiling water reactors), so that we have adequate knowledge of reactor safety and accident mitigation strategies,” Bao said.
Bao has thoroughly enjoyed his time at INL because of the opportunity to communicate and work with experienced colleagues who deal with real and practical problems in the industry, which complements the academic world of research that consumes most of his time at school.
“Every moment at INL has been invaluable to me, not only for the promotion of my research, but for the future of my career,” he said.
Outside of work, he plays soccer weekly with a group of INL interns, employees and locals, as he is an avid fan of the sport. Also, Bao has taken advantage of the many natural wonders available to those living in this part of the country.
“I’ve been to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons,” Bao said. “I’ve visited them multiple times. I like the peace and harmony between people and nature.”
After he completes his doctorate, Bao would like to work at a national laboratory or university as an engineer or scientist.
“Nuclear energy is one of the most important and relevant forms of clean energy, and the issue of nuclear safety has always been of the utmost concern,” Bao said. “I feel obligated to do my part in solving these issues.”
