Student Secures Full-Time Position After Interning at Savannah River Site Facility

From left, Griffin Bethle, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) mechanical engineer lead; Olivia Ruszczyk, former SRNS process support intern; and Cody Fee, SRNS Environmental Management Operations senior program planner, walk through H Area at the Savannah River Site.

AIKEN, S.C. — Olivia Ruszczyk, a senior mechanical engineering student at New Mexico State University, has spent this summer inspecting steam systems in the Savannah River Site (SRS) H Canyon, the only operating, production-scale, radiologically shielded chemical separations facility in the United States.

She completed required radiological training prior to the invaluable field experience, and each inspection required donning personal protective equipment.

Pending graduation from the university, Ruszczyk is set to return to SRS as an employee with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) — one of 38 interns who secured full-time positions there. Twenty-five additional interns will transition into apprenticeship roles. SRNS officials announced the offers at its recent Internship Signing Day.

“This is just one example of the vast experiences available when interning at the site’s unique facilities,” said Cody Fee, SRNS Environmental Management Operations senior program planner. “Olivia brings valuable mechanical engineering and computer-assisted design perspectives to the team, and those insights have provided complementary benefits to our group this summer.”

The 12-week internship program, which began in 2009 to build a pipeline of future leaders in national defense, environmental stewardship, and nuclear nonproliferation, enables participants to join a legacy of service, innovation and national security at SRS, which marks its 75th year in 2025.

SRNS launched this year’s program in June, drawing students from 18 U.S. states and Canada.

“She has a natural questioning attitude, and her drive maximized her exposure to various aspects of SRS operations and missions,” Fee said of Ruszczyk. “We are grateful to have her on our team.”

For Ruszczyk, every day of the internship was different. Her tasks included creating 3D models, automating spreadsheets, shadowing, training and completing hands-on assignments.

"When I applied for this position, I thought, ‘What a cool opportunity to expand my skillset,’” said Ruszczyk. “I was excited for the chance to work at a nuclear facility and learn more about processing fuel after its useful lifecycle. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in a nuclear or nuclear-adjacent field post-graduation but did not know much about nuclear energy or research beyond a material's fissionable life.”

Olivia Ruszczyk shares her experiences during the recent Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Internship Showcase and Farewell event.

Ruszczyk found the radiological training to be her favorite experience this summer.

“The class helped me better understand the units of measurement for radioactivity, absorption, and dose — which previously seemed like very abstract, almost magical units. The class also allowed me to do something I had imagined myself doing in high school — entering contaminated and radioactive areas. I've gained some great connections and troubleshooting skills from this internship that I know will help me in the future.”

Ruszczyk and other interns are the operators, radiation protection inspectors, engineers and other team members of the future, said Janice Lawson, senior vice president of SRNS Environmental Management Operations.

“Their experience will be invaluable to ensuring H Canyon can support national security and environmental cleanup missions well into the future,” Lawson added.

-Contributor: Mackenzie McNabb