MOU Between Baker School & ORNL Paves Way for Collaboration
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – University of Tennessee Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School) Professor and Director of the Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs Krista Wiegand, PhD, joined Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Associate Laboratory Director Moe Khaleel, PhD, for a ceremonial signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UT-Battelle, the management and operating contractor for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee.
“The missions we serve constantly require creative new ways of looking at issues and a workforce prepared to address emerging challenges from many perspectives,” Khaleel said. “We are thrilled to partner with the University of Tennessee’s Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs to launch new initiatives aimed at enhancing our workforce.”
The MOU aims to augment the Baker School curricular offerings in nuclear policy and national security, while at the same time enhancing the capabilities of ORNL’s technical staff. It formalizes a partnership where both parties will work to enhance ORNL’s workforce development and prepare UT students with updated course offerings in public policy and public affairs as part of ORNL’s new National Security Science Academy initiative. The Baker School will focus on increasing knowledge in public policy for ORNL technical staff and provide workforce development, while ORNL will provide subject matter experts and insights on workforce development needs in areas of nuclear policy and national security.
“It is a natural partnership between the Baker School and ORNL to work together training students in nuclear policy, nuclear security, and national security,” Wiegand said. “We are excited to prepare undergraduate and graduate students for careers in these fields, and to broaden the expertise of ORNL technical staff in public policy.”
The fruits of this MOU can already be seen with the development of the Baker School’s proposed Nuclear Security certificate program. Three team members from ORNL’s National Security Sciences Department have begun courses toward the certificate, which is pending the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) approval. ORNL leadership contributed to the certificate’s curricular design and content.
Moving forward, the Baker School and ORNL will regularly review certificate and degree requirements for revisions and updates, seek joint proposal topics and funding sources and assess workforce development needs in areas of nuclear policy and national security.
The Nuclear Security Certificate is designed to equip students with the knowledge necessary to address the unique challenges associated with the security and management of nuclear weapons, materials, and facilities. Students are engaged in topics such as U.S. nuclear security policies, deterrent strategy, nuclear weapons, nuclear proliferation, arms control, export control, safeguards, and potential threats. Baker School graduate certificates are available as add-ons for currently enrolled students and stand-alone credentials for students at other institutions or who already have a degree, pending Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) approval.