Oak Ridge Interns Enrich Nuclear Workforce of the Future

UCOR’s summer intern program has grown significantly over the past three years. This year, 41 students from 10 different schools took part — an increase of more than 40% since 2022.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — A new generation of workers have gotten career experience and mentorship from Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) contractor UCOR this summer.

More than 40 students from 10 schools completed summer internships in 2025, learning numerous aspects of the company’s project and business operations.

Supporting OREM’s mission involves clearing away Manhattan Project and Cold War-era infrastructure and legacies, creating more economic opportunities for the community and providing land to support important research and national security missions for the U.S. Department of Energy.

To accomplish this challenging and complex work, UCOR looks to its intern program to help develop the next generation into its workforce. The program continues to grow, increasing the number of participants by more than 40% since 2022.

Interns Charles Shamburger and Sarah Livingston, at left, took part in the East Tennessee Economic Council's Nuclear Opportunities Workshop.

Professions that students can pursue have grown, too. This year, UCOR offered opportunities in engineering, data analytics, nuclear safety and criticality, environmental services and characterization, waste programs, business and financial management, and public affairs.

Data analytics has become one of the fastest growing areas. UCOR began offering data analytic internships in 2024, with two individuals supporting the effort. This year, four interns took part.

“Studying data helps find patterns and insights that can help guide better decisions,” said Ryan Lee, data analytics intern. “I chose the data analytics internship at UCOR because I wanted to apply what I’ve learned in school to real world projects. Now, my interest in data has only grown.”

Ryan Lee discusses what he learned as a UCOR data analytics intern. All interns give presentations recapping their work experiences from the summer months.

Another area of expertise offered through the internship program is environmental stewardship and characterization. While major field work is complete at the East Tennessee Technology Park, much remains at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex. That work will require significant demand for employees in those fields.

“Not only did I get to see how environmental cleanup operates on such a large scale, but I also got to experience the different types of expertise and backgrounds that go into environmental cleanup at UCOR,” said Dillen Priest, an environmental services project control intern. “It was eye-opening, and for that reason, I hope to continue my work in such a rewarding field.”

Waste management is another profession that has expanded. This year, a former UCOR intern who has since joined the waste management group full time mentored three interns. They primarily learned about Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulations to dispose of waste properly.

“As an intern in previous summers, it was a great experience to teach other upcoming waste management experts from the other side of the table,” said Danner Keeton, waste technical specialist at UCOR. “I remember first learning about our complicated job and being overwhelmed at the responsibility, but now being able to teach a new class of interns is a great opportunity.”

UCOR’s summer interns hosted a food collection event, called “Pack the Van,” gathering over 6,000 food items for the Second Harvest Food Bank in East Tennessee’s Food for Kids Program.

The interns made a big impact in the Oak Ridge community, too. They hosted a food collection event, called “Pack the Van,” gathering over 6,000 food items for the Second Harvest Food Bank in East Tennessee’s Food for Kids Program.

Since the start of UCOR’s contract in 2022, 36 students in the summer internship program have joined the workforce full time, including three from the 2025 class. Approximately half of the 2025 class will continue applying the skills they learned in the classroom by supporting UCOR part time throughout the upcoming academic year.

-Contributor: Ryan Getsi