Information on the March, 2011 Nuclear Emergency in Fukushima, Japan
UM Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Faculty closely monitoring the situation at Japanese nuclear reactors
April 4, 2011 - Message from Ronald M. Gilgenbach, Department Chair and Chihiro Kikuchi Collegiate Professor
First and foremost, we extend our condolences to the people of Japan who are victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami. The faculty of the Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Department stand ready to provide technical advice and assistance to the people and government of Japan. UM faculty members are committed to educating students, policy makers and the public regarding the technical issues encountered at several Japanese nuclear reactors affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Our department faculty have a great deal of expertise relevant to the Japanese nuclear situation. Professor John Lee is an expert on boiling water reactors of the type at Fukushima units 1-3 and author of a new book on nuclear reactor safety. Professor William Martin is U-M director of the MCASL Center: the University of Michigan branch of CASL, the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (LWRs) that is centered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Professor Gary Was is a recognized authority on radiation effects in materials utilized in nuclear reactors. Professor Kim Kearfott is an expert on radiation detection, dosimetry, and safety practices. Professor Michael Hartman's expertise is nuclear fission reactors and neutron science. Professor Zhong He is the world leader in room-temperature, imaging gamma ray spectroscopy cameras. Other faculty expertise is given elsewhere on this website.
The following segments give these faculty member's views on the issues raised by the nuclear accidents that resulted from the natural disasters in Japan.
Japanese Resources Page
A Discussion with Professor Kimberlee Kearfott
A Discussion with Assistant Professor Mike Hartman
Watch nuclear engineering professor Gary Was Thursday afternoon on CNN at 3:15 and 4:15. He will be in Atlanta for the next few days serving as CNN International's in-house expert on the nuclear crisis in Japan.
