Reed Research Reactor - Undergraduate Leadership

Undergraduate Leadership

The RRR distinguishes itself from other university research reactors by the fact that it is the only reactor run completely by undergraduate students and serves undergraduate degree programs almost exclusively. In fact, Reed College does not have any nuclear engineering or even any engineering program.

The facility still is host to research projects and is heavily used by the campus. As of May 2008, there are 46 students licensed to operate the reactor.

When the facilities were visited by ABC's "Radioactive Roadtrip" Primetime special, the fact that the school had no Engineering program was purported as evidence that university reactors are sometimes kept as more of a status symbol than as a valid research tool. This is a quote from the ABC website:

University Reaction: The reactor is a "zero-risk facility," and there is no plausible way it is a threat, said Edward Hershey, director of public affairs at Reed College. Although the school has no nuclear engineering department — or any engineering department for that matter — chemistry and physics students use it as a resource. Hershey said the reactor is a "bragging point" for Reed. "It's just a neat facility," he said.

The "zero-risk facility" comment reflects the reactor design which is a pin-type Low Enriched Uranium natural circulation driven LWR, with a very strong negative temperature coefficient. As such, it is impossible to overheat the reactor, even in the case of a sudden reactivity insertion.