A Woman, An Immigrant, and A Nuclear Engineer: Interview with Guirong Pan

Introduction

Behind a grove of trees, strict security that rivals airport TSA, and under a stack of NDA’s lies a community of passionate staff and the production facility of ten percent of the United States electricity. Westinghouse, in Columbia, SC, was established in 1969, and is one of the largest producers of nuclear fuel. Over 800 employees package and process nuclear rods to companies all over the world [1].

I had the privilege of touring the Westinghouse facility this last summer in hopes of discovering more about the future of fuel. Not only were my eyes opened regarding fuel sources, but I was able to find a company of people who seemed to love their jobs. Every aspect of production is closely monitored - not just out of safety for the general public, but out of passion for the role these people play in the overall product. 

During my visit, I had the chance to meet a ‘Fellow Engineer’ from Westinghouse, Guirong Pan, learn about her career, and ask some questions about the work she does. The following excerpts from our discussion will help you get to know her and have a quick look into the life of an engineer at a nuclear fuel production plant.

Interview with Guirong Pan

ES: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your job.

“My name is Guirong Pan. I have a master and a PhD degree from University of Cincinnati on Chemical and Materials Engineering. After graduate school, I have worked as [a] research associate briefly at the University of South Carolina and Texas Tech. My area of focus has been on cladding*: from development, implementation, manufacturing support, performance follow.”

[*Cladding refers to the outer layer of a nuclear fuel rod [2]. ]

ES: What made you get into engineering?

“I actually really started to get into engineering and liked being an engineer when I started working for Westinghouse. Before joining Westinghouse, I had been doing research work in universities. It was interesting, but it is more fascinating to convert all scientific knowledge into technology and useful products. I feel so proud when I tell friends and family that electricity we use is generated from the fuel produced at our Columbia plant.”

ES: What does a typical day look like for you?

“Almost all my work is done on the computer: writing test prospectuses for the lab to do testing, reporting test results, and providing evaluations and analysis on production issues. Almost all the work I will need to [do is] work with a team. So my days are filled with conference calls.”

ES: How do you communicate with such a large team?

“As I said, we have a lot of conference calls. For major projects, we have regular status meetings (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly). Sometimes I also follow up individually for some issues that will need special attention.”

ES: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in engineering?

“The most important lesson I have learned is actually to use lessons learned effectively. Before starting a new project, we usually have a pre-job brief** to go over lessons learned. That will save a lot of time down the road.”

[**A pre-job brief is a meeting where engineers get together to discuss what has worked well in their last projects and what can be improved. This can include materials, ways to test, and overall designs.]

ES: As a woman and immigrant in engineering, what is the biggest challenge you’ve had to face?

“Make your voice heard, especially when I just started. Now I don’t have [that] problem since people know that I can help them solve problems. So you just need to work hard, make yourself an expert in the field and people will listen.”    

My Key Takeaways

Conversing with such an accomplished engineer inspired me and helped me see what traits I can develop to become a better engineer. One of the first things I noticed about Pan is her passion, not just for her work but also for mentoring other young engineers. She truly is an amazing example of how sharing your experience empowers others. As I continue in my engineering career, I want to find the fields I’m passionate about. I want to research the things I love and implement that into my own career. 

Further, Pan is well educated and seeks to learn continually throughout her career. That’s something I find admirable. For me, as a student, I know it’s important to set goals to get good grades and keep up with my school work, but I also try to learn from outside resources; things like clubs, mentorship opportunities, and working on personal projects. 

The last thing I want to touch on is Pan’s communication abilities. She works in a large team, so communication is crucial. As she stated above, almost her entire day requires communicating with her peers. I have found my ability to communicate with others through collaborating on homework assignments, working on group class projects, and most importantly through clubs. In this way, not only can I demonstrate effective ways to communicate, but I can see what works and what doesn’t work and learn from my mistakes.

Westinghouse is impressive in the quality of their products and employees. With a company filled with people like Pan and the staff at Westinghouse, SC, I have high hopes not only for the future of nuclear fuel, but for the future of engineering as a whole.

[1] WestinghouseNuclear.com, “Columbia Community,” https://westinghousenuclear.com/columbia-community/, Accessed September 2, 2024

[2] US N.R.C., “Cladding,” https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/cladding.html, Accessed September 27, 2024