Alexander Bataller, assistant professor of nuclear engineering at North Carolina State University, was a 2020 recipient of an ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award. With his award, which was matched by his institution, Bataller built a custom optical furnace as part of his team's research into molten salt reactors. The blueprints for the furnace were from the 70s, and molten salt reactor research is seeing a bit of a renaissance. Learn more about his research and why it's important during this conversation with host Michael Holtz. If you're junior faculty at an ORAU University Consortium institution, consider applying for a Powe Award. Application submissions close on January 9, 2023. Apply here: https://www.orau.org/university-partnerships/member-grant-programs/powe/index.html