Historically Black South Carolina State University has established a concentration in fire protection engineering as an additional learning opportunity for students pursuing civil engineering degrees. The new program was created in partnership with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. It is one of only a handful of similar programs in the country, and the only offering of its kind at a public university in South Carolina.
“Savannah River Nuclear Solutions applauds SCSU’s vision in developing the fire protection engineering concentration,” said Sean Alford, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. “This critical skillset is in great demand at the Savannah River Site, and it has been an honor for us to partner with a prestigious historically Black cCollege and university to fill a huge void in our state.”
Leaders at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions have agreed to assist South Carolina State University in developing the program. By establishing the new concentration, the two organizations hope to produce qualified graduates in the field of fire protection engineering to meet the staffing needs at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and beyond. Students who pursue the degree concentration will study areas such as hazard analysis, fire damage mitigation, and proper construction and building design.
“Savannah River Nuclear Solutions is an exemplary partner for SC State,” said Alexander Conyers, president of South Carolina State University. “Along with offering internships to our engineering students, SRNS is a valuable resource not just for our nuclear engineering program, but also for our other STEM-related efforts.”
