In April, Mareena Robinson was one of five students awarded the prestigious Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (SSGF), which is sponsored by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Robinson is a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, with a focus on nuclear security. This fellowship program provides four year of benefits and opportunities to students pursuing a PhD in areas of interest to stewardship science.
“The holistic focus on developing students into skilled and insightful researchers in the area of stewardship science is what initially intrigued me about this fellowship,” Robinson said. “My goal in my graduate and broader professional career is to continue to advance my technical and political intuition through diverse experiences. I firmly believe that diversity of experiences and backgrounds is essential to the development of the next wave of innovative nuclear security solutions. I am excited to contribute my perspective on prevalent issues regarding nuclear security and to be exposed to other perspectives through my interaction with the fellowship.”
Robinson’s research currently focuses on the detection and measurement of radiopharmaceuticals — specifically N-13 ammonia, which is used as a tracer in positron emission tomography. Using a compact high-field superconducting cyclotron, N-13 ammonia will be produced through high-energy proton collisions with O-16. Robinson’s role in the research is to develop a flow-through detection system that measures the amount and activity of the N-13 ammonia produced by this system.
Robinson graduated with a BS in physics from Florida A&M University in 2011.
“The holistic focus on developing students into skilled and insightful researchers in the area of stewardship science is what initially intrigued me about this fellowship,” Robinson said. “My goal in my graduate and broader professional career is to continue to advance my technical and political intuition through diverse experiences. I firmly believe that diversity of experiences and backgrounds is essential to the development of the next wave of innovative nuclear security solutions. I am excited to contribute my perspective on prevalent issues regarding nuclear security and to be exposed to other perspectives through my interaction with the fellowship.”
Robinson’s research currently focuses on the detection and measurement of radiopharmaceuticals — specifically N-13 ammonia, which is used as a tracer in positron emission tomography. Using a compact high-field superconducting cyclotron, N-13 ammonia will be produced through high-energy proton collisions with O-16. Robinson’s role in the research is to develop a flow-through detection system that measures the amount and activity of the N-13 ammonia produced by this system.
Robinson graduated with a BS in physics from Florida A&M University in 2011.
