Nic Pilley never thought about nuclear weapons or reactors during his 10 years as an Army combat engineer and leadership advisor. But a class in the Schar School’s Master’s in International Security program sparked an interest that led to a career-changing fellowship in the nuclear industry.
In June, Pilley became a Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) Graduate Fellow, a one-year program with assignments at offices within the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and PNNL outposts around the country.
“I did not have any experience working in nuclear technology before applying for the program,” he said. “In Dr. Craig Wiener’s Disruptive Technology and National Security class [at the Schar School], we were given deep insight into the Department of Energy, and I became interested in the subject.”
The NNSA conducts cutting-edge scientific research to modernize aging nuclear infrastructure and supports the naval nuclear reactor program, among other national security assignments. PNNL, with a staff of more than 4,000 scientists and engineers and an annual budget of nearly $1 billion, designed the fellowship with the purpose of developing the next generation of professionals in national security with a deeper understanding of the nuclear capabilities of the U.S. and other nuclear states. Fellows are paid $53,300 annually, have a budget of $10,000 for travel and training, and receive $13,000 in tuition reimbursement per calendar year.
“The PNNL Fellowship is broken up into two parts,” said Pilley. “Half of the people work in public policy and the other half work on the more technical side of nuclear technology. I work in the defense programs’ strategic materials contributing to the modernization and increasing the life expectancy of our nuclear facilities.”
Fellows can also work in naval reactors, nuclear nonproliferation, defense nuclear security, and emergency operations.
“Nic was an exemplary student—hardworking, intellectually curious, able to synthesize information and perform advanced analyses,” said Wiener, who earned both his PhD in Biodefense and Master’s in Biodefense at the Schar School. "Nic’s classroom research on U.S. Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems strategy dovetails with NNSA’s Sandia National Laboratory’s acknowledged research interest in artificial intelligence-informed hypersonic platforms.
“I am very happy Nic has pursued work in defense programs through the fellowship and I know he will continue to serve our nation with distinction.”
“I haven’t had a professor at Mason that I haven’t been able to expand my professional network with,” Pilley said. “Having so many professors who are also working professionals is really what sets the Schar School apart.”
Pilley anticipates graduating from the Master’s in International Security program this December.