January 25, 2024
By Chloe Arrington

Jesse Bruner, an M.S. student in the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics (NREMP) program at Georgia Tech, has been selected as a 2024 recipient of the Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship. The foundation provides scholarships to students to help develop careers in the safe management of nuclear materials.

Bruner, originally from Orlando, Florida, previously worked in the Washington state area, including a period with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he conducted nuclear forensics and nonproliferation research, first as an intern, then as a post-bachelor's research associate. He is currently a member of Assistant Professor Shaheen Dewji’s Radiological Engineering, Detection, and Dosimetry (RED²) Laboratory, exploring his interests in the fields of radiation detection, dosimetry, and medical physics.

Dewji, a former recipient of the same scholarship, is happy to see it now helping one of her students.

“As a prior recipient of the Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship in 2012, I embarked on a path to become a professor, a position in which I am committed to developing future generations of nuclear science and engineering professionals,” said Dewji. “I am pleased that this opportunity has come full circle, where my students can, in turn, continue to grow as next-generation leaders with the support of the Roy G. Post Foundation.”

Bruner’s research focuses on nuclear material accountancy during disposal and reprocessing of salt-wetted components in molten salt reactors with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The purpose of his work is to ensure regulatory compliance, reduce operational risks and expenses, and safeguard nuclear materials through the measurement and prediction of fuel accumulation.

Bruner received a B.S. in nuclear engineering from the University of Florida in 2020 and a minor in music performance. He currently plays bassoon in the Georgia Tech Symphonic Band. After he completes the NREMP program, he hopes to pursue a career in radiation protection engineering, health physics, or medical physics.

He will be formally recognized as a scholarship recipient and give a presentation on his research at the Waste Management Symposium, hosted by WM Symposia, this March in Phoenix, Arizona.

About the Roy G. Post Foundation

The Roy G. Post Foundation is a non-profit organization formed by former students, peers, and protégés of Roy G. Post, founding chief executive of WM Symposia, another non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and information exchange on global radioactive waste management.