Oklo backs $4.5 million push for Ohio State undergraduate nuclear engineering major
Students could begin pursuing the new degree in fall 2027, expanding a field now offered only at the graduate level. Plans include faculty hiring, endowed scholarships, expanded reactor research capabilities and a hands-on lab for capstone projects, simulation and interdisciplinary engineering work.
Advanced nuclear technology company Oklo is backing a $4.5 million effort to bring undergraduate nuclear engineering to Ohio State University, connecting its support for the field with an expansion of engineering education in Ohio.
The package combines company support, gifts from Oklo executives and university matching funds for scholarships. Ohio State is targeting autumn 2027 for the launch of an accredited undergraduate nuclear engineering major, according to its Oct. 9 announcement.
Why it matters
Ohio State currently offers nuclear engineering degrees only at the graduate level. The new major will expand access to the discipline, supported by curriculum development, additional faculty and modernized instructional space and equipment.
“Industry demand for nuclear engineers continues to grow, and Ohio State is expanding to meet that need,” said B. Shanker, interim dean of the College of Engineering.
“Oklo’s support will help us launch a new undergraduate major and give students access to the faculty, facilities and hands-on experience that prepare them to contribute from the start of their careers.”
The breakdown
The investment extends beyond the new degree program:
- Nuclear research: Ohio State will expand research capabilities at its Nuclear Reactor Laboratory and rename it the Oklo Nuclear Reactor Laboratory. The west campus facility has supported teaching and research since 1961.
- Hands-on learning: The university will create the Oklo Experiential Engineering Education Lab in Scott Laboratory on its main campus. It will support capstone teams, hands-on build work, simulation and modeling, and interdisciplinary engineering projects.
- Faculty recruitment: The Oklo Endowed Professorship in Nuclear Engineering will help recruit and retain leading scholars.
- Student support: Executive gifts will establish the Dr. John Hanson and Dr. Lindsey Pack Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Dr. Jacob DeWitte and Caroline Ann DeWitte Endowed Scholarship Fund in Nuclear Engineering.
The Ohio connection
John Hanson, an Ohio native and Ohio State alumnus who serves as Oklo’s corporate chief of staff and leads its power business, linked the investment to opportunities for students to work on advanced nuclear technologies in the state.
“Ohio helped build America’s nuclear industry and the people of the Buckeye State will help lead its future,” said John Hanson, a native Ohioan and Ohio State alumnus who serves as corporate chief of staff and leads Oklo’s power business. “The next generation of nuclear engineers will turn the technologies we’re developing today into the reliable energy our country needs for decades to come.”
