Some people like to split hairs. Nuclear engineers like to split atoms.

More information American Nuclear Society 555 N. Kensington Ave. LaGrange Park, Ill. 60526 (708) 352-6611 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Engineering 110 8th St. Troy, NY 12180-3590

Nuclear engineers work in a number of capacities including the design, operation and monitoring of nuclear power plants, like Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in Ontario County, run by Rochester Gas & Electric Corp.

Some, like David Lochbaum, a nuclear safety engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists, work to help monitor safety levels at those commercial plants. This is also the job of the government's Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which accounts for approximately one-third of the government-employed nuclear engineers.

Others develop uses for radioactive materials in various industries such as those used in medical procedures. Still others work with production and use of nuclear fuels and the safe handling of waste.

According to Lochbaum, "Many labs have a lot of toxic waste issues,'' meaning this is becoming a larger area of employment in the nuclear industry. The development of nuclear weapons is another area in which a nuclear engineer can get work, though this has declined with the end of the Cold War, says Lochbaum.

Want a challenge? Consider that classes for the undergraduate nuclear engineering program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute include introductory nucleonics and modeling and analysis of uncertainty. And that's only in the second year of the undergraduate program.

In addition to getting a bachelor's degree, Lochbaum suggests working in an internship during college and joining a student chapter of the American Nuclear Society. "Getting involved with the ANS gives insight into what's going on in the industry and what the focus of the nuclear industry is.''

According to the 1996-97 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the average starting salary for a nuclear engineer in 1994 was $33,600, with significant increases for those with either a master's degree or a Ph. D.

Nuclear engineers held approximately 15,000 jobs in 1994 with nearly half working working for the federal government or utilities.

Job growth is expected to be slow because of questions about the cost and safety of nuclear energy which have slowed construction of new plants. However, there will only be a small number of graduates in this field. According to the Handbook, there will be a nearly equal number of graduates and job openings.

-- MICHAEL BUSS
Democrat and Chronicle