Achieving Excellence in National Science Programs

In a year of increasingly incredible firsts, Wilberforce University adds to its list of accomplishments a disproportionate representation in a specialized internship program. Named in honor of former Congressman Mickey Leland, the United States Department of Energy created the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program to create the next generation of talented minority and under-represented leaders in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Kenya Carrington, Shavon Edmonds and Albert Mouton are deserving of recognition. Shavon traveled to Richland, Washington to work at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for her internship. Kenya had the opportunity to work at Schlumberger in Bossier City, Louisiana and Albert worked at the U.S. Department of Energy, Fossil Energy in Washington DC.

Shavon, a senior majoring in computer engineering, worked to design fuel matrix and how it plays a dominant role in diminishing nuclear proliferation, waste degradation that stems from metamorphosis of transuranic fission products, and increase burn-up at a low level expense for the next generation reactors. The fuel matrix was created by using the knowledge and experimentation of the co-existing fuels, which were provided on a detailed investigation of the production, performance, and properties of the design. In addition she worked to determine the neurotics of the advanced fuel matrix, a shielding and criticality examination yielded the neutron flux in the region of space occupied by the detector while the criticality examination determined the K-effective for the new fuel. Based on the flux found in the detector, the shield thickness or the source strength was optimized. The flux in the detector was found to be optimal; there were grater chances that the transuranic became depleted during the fuel cycle while providing efficient energy for the next generation reactors as a result.

Kenya, a junior majoring in computer engineering, worked with a fortune 500 company called Schlumberger. Kenya was the only student who worked for a commercial entity. By working with Schlumberger, she learned that Schlumberger was more than a service provider and that pumping oil directly from a well was not an easy task. Her work experience included working with people who come to work to perforate different zones for the client by using perforation guns while other people with the company known as fracturers travel to specific well locations and inject fluids into the formation by using their pumping instruments and pack the perforations with sand in order to keep them from closing. Kenya actually was able to see work being performed at an oil rig.

Albert, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering, worked on the Oil Shale Pipe Dream or Potential Panacea project at the U.S. Department of Energy, Fossil Energy. He learned that the nation is faced with major challenges due to its dependence on imported crude oil from unstable regions of the world. In 2005 the nation met its oil demand with 58% of its total oil supply coming from imports. Because of the imbalance of domestic oil production versus imported oil, the United States stands at an economic and national security risk. Ironically, the United States has abundant alternative resources that can be produced domestically. The United States has access to nearly 2 trillion barrels of oil shale which serves as a perfect substitute. Additionally, it can significantly improve the nation’s economy and national and energy security. Oil shale production will create more jobs, lower gas prices, and cut importation costs tremendously. Therefore, the aim of his internship was to evaluate the economic viability of oil shale development in the United States. Available pertinent data was collected and analyzed.

The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy MLEFP provided over 30 students a 10-week summer research internship to minority students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions. Each of the students was assigned to work with a Laboratory staff scientist in a specific area of research related the student’s interest in an academic major in the areas of mathematics, sciences, engineering and geosciences. Participation in this program gave the students an opportunity to gain professional experience and opportunities for personal growth, increase student marketability and enhance student knowledge and gain hands on experience for career opportunities.

Each of the students gained an enriching experience and gained some valuable insight into the world of work.

Mickey Leland was a singularly effective spokesman for hungry people in the United States and throughout the world. During six terms in the Congress and five years as a Texas state legislator and Democratic Party official, he focused much needed attention on issues of health and hunger and rallied support that resulted in both public and private action. He died in a plane crash in 1989, while serving in the U.S, Congress on a humanitarian mission in Ethiopia.