One of engineering’s most powerful capabilities is the improvement of existing systems through innovation — taking something that works and making it better, faster or cheaper.

Associate Professor Jacopo Buongiorno and his team at the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, in collaboration with Dr. Lin-wen Hu of the Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, provide a perfect example. With support from donor Douglas Spreng, they are applying new materials science to the task of heat management in nuclear reactors, and making significant practical advances in reactor performance and economics.Read the full feature on the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering's web site: http://web.mit.edu/nse/research/research_spotlight.html