Nuclear Power as a Solution to AI’s Soaring Energy Needs

Posted on by Richard Cole

Key Takeaways

  • U.S. data center electricity use was around 4.4% of total demand in 2023 and could climb to 6.7%–12% by 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
  • Big Tech is signing long‑term nuclear energy agreements: Google/NextEra (Duane Arnold restart), Meta (Vistra/TerraPower/Oklo), and Microsoft/Constellation (Three Mile Island Unit 1) to secure 24/7 clean power.
  • SMRs and microreactors offer modular, scalable power (≈1–20 megawatts for microreactors, ≈20–300+ megawatts for SMRs), aligning with large AI campus loads.
  • Near‑term risks include timing mismatches (AI load grows in cycles of three to five years, while new nuclear energy can take longer), regulatory hurdles, and community concerns around siting and grid impacts.
  • Software‑orchestrated AI workloads can make data centers flexible grid resources that reduce stress during peaks.

Artificial Intelligence’s Energy Problem

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding rapidly, and with it, global electricity consumption. Several major analyses project that data center electricity use could more than double by 2030, driven largely by AI workloads. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S. data center consumption could grow from about 4.4% of national electricity in 2023 to 6.7%–12% by 2028. Utilities are now assessing whether projected AI load growth is realistic, with analysts noting that duplicate or speculative interconnection requests create uncertainty and could lead to costly over- or underbuilding. Local officials in multiple states have raised concerns as some proposed AI campuses request 100–400 megawatts of daily capacity—comparable to the electricity use of midsize cities.

Why Nuclear Energy Is Returning to the Conversation

Wind and solar energy are essential to decarbonization, but their intermittency makes it challenging to support AI systems requiring round-the-clock, high-reliability electricity. Research from Goldman Sachs indicates that nuclear energy offers a high-capacity-factor, carbon-free source capable of meeting AI’s 24/7 power needs. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that nuclear power facilities provide unmatched uptime and stability, making them well suited to digital infrastructure with strict reliability requirements.

Firm, clean power sources—especially nuclear—will be essential to maintaining grid reliability as AI-driven demand accelerates.

Big Tech Begins Direct Investment in Nuclear Energy

A clear shift is emerging across the energy and tech sectors: Major technology companies are no longer acting only as electricity consumers but are beginning to function as full partners in energy development. I saw this transition firsthand while attending the American Nuclear Society (ANS) annual meeting in the summer of 2024. Developers of advanced reactors emphasized their need for substantial capital to move projects forward, while data center representatives—facing unprecedented AI‑driven demand—expressed an urgent need for as much reliable power as they could secure.

When I attended another ANS meeting just six months later, the tone had changed noticeably. The conversations had moved from concepts and needs to concrete partnerships, as nuclear energy developers and AI‑driven data center operators openly discussed joint projects, coinvestment strategies, and long‑term power commitments. What had been parallel challenges only months earlier had rapidly evolved into coordinated solutions:

  • Google & NextEra Energy are partnering to restart the 615-megawatt Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Iowa by 2029, securing 24/7 carbon-free energy for Google’s AI and cloud operations.
  • Meta has signed long-term deals with Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo that could unlock up to 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2035 through a combination of existing reactors and next-generation designs.
  • Microsoft is supporting the restart of Three Mile Island Unit 1 as Constellation Energy’s Crane Clean Energy Center, aiming to ensure firm, clean electricity for its AI-driven data center fleet.

By making long-term power purchase agreements, Big Tech is mitigating risk in nuclear projects and accelerating deployment timelines that would otherwise take far longer.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Next-Generation Designs

Small modular reactors are emerging as ideal partners for large-scale AI facilities. Whereas microreactors typically generate 1–20 megawatts, SMRs generally deliver 20–300 megawatts, aligning well with the demand profiles of AI campuses. And a Forbes Technology Council analysis notes that next-generation designs could deliver 50–500 megawatts per module, allowing scalability as AI load expands.

The DOE’s implementation of the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) is directly shaping the landscape for SMRs and next-generation reactor designs by creating structured pathways that move promising technologies from concept to deployment. Through three coordinated tracks—full reactor demonstrations within seven years, targeted awards for risk reduction to resolve technical and regulatory gaps, and Advanced Reactor Concepts-20 (ARC-20) funding for innovative designs aiming for commercialization in the 2030s—the ARDP provides a development architecture well suited to the modular, scalable nature of SMRs and advanced systems. The program’s partnership with the National Reactor Innovation Center further supports this progress by offering test beds, siting resources, and national lab expertise needed to validate components, fuels, and integrated system performance.

Together, these implementation mechanisms accelerate the maturation of SMRs and advanced designs by reducing financial risk, enabling iterative testing, and strengthening domestic supply chains—all essential steps for deploying reactors capable of producing the potentially hundreds of megawatts of energy needed for next-generation digital and industrial infrastructure.

One of the most innovative approaches comes from Deep Fission, which is developing a 15-megawatt underground borehole reactor placed roughly one mile deep. This design leverages natural geologic pressure for passive safety while reducing construction costs by up to 80%. Recent financing rounds and digital infrastructure partnerships illustrate growing market confidence.

Timelines, Risks, and Community Considerations

AI-driven electricity demand is rising in cycles of three to five years, while licensing and constructing new reactors—especially first-of-a-kind SMRs—can take significantly longer. Analysts warn of a potential timing mismatch, which may increase reliance on natural gas generation in the short term.

Tech sector observers also note long-standing regulatory, financial, and public perception hurdles that continue to slow new nuclear energy deployment.

Community concerns are rising, as well. Activists and local governments across multiple states have questioned the siting, water use, and grid impacts of multigigawatt AI campuses, prompting developers to prioritize community engagement and transparency.

However, forward-looking grid studies show that data centers themselves can help stabilize the grid: AI workloads can be flexed in real time to reduce stress on transmission systems during peak events.

A STEM‑Trained Workforce: Critical to Both Sectors

STEM education forms an interconnected feedback loop with nuclear power plants and AI data centers.

A thriving ecosystem integrating clean energy and artificial intelligence depends on people, not just technology. Nuclear power facilities require nuclear technicians, operators, and instrumentation and controls specialists; AI data centers require experts in cybersecurity, cloud engineering, and advanced computing.

Reports from MIT Energy Initiative and ACEEE stress that a robust STEM-educated workforce is essential to scaling both clean energy systems and AI data center operations.

STEM education is therefore not an “output” of these industries—it is the core enabler, powering both next-generation energy infrastructure and the digital systems that rely on it.

Bottom Line

AI is transforming reliable electricity from a background assumption into a strategic constraint and competitive advantage. In the near term, nuclear energy restarts and uprates offer the fastest path to more firm, clean power; in the medium term, SMRs and advanced reactors promise scalable solutions tailored to the demand of the AI era.

Success will require long-term investment, regulatory modernization, meaningful community partnership, and—critically—a STEM-trained workforce prepared to operate at the intersection of clean-energy engineering and AI computing.

Gettin’ Stuff Done in Higher Education

Posted on by Scott Dolan

Scott Dolan, executive dean of Excelsior’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was the featured guest on Episode 14 of the podcast Gettin’ Stuff Done in Higher Education. Dolan spoke with podcast hosts Fritz Vandover, Kelvin Bentley, and Kevin Shriner about Excelsior’s history and its long-standing focus on serving adult learners. The conversation explores how institutions serving working adults think about access, flexibility, and innovation. The discussion also touches on what hybrid education might look like in the future and why strategic partnerships and physical locations are important, even for institutions that are primarily online.

Listen to the episode here.

AI-Powered Cyberthreats and Defenses: A Systems Approach to Securing Trust

Posted on by James Tippey

Artificial intelligence is transforming nearly every aspect of our digital lives, and cybersecurity is no exception. Early conversations about AI in cybersecurity often focused on tools—how machine learning could improve threat detection, automate responses, or analyze large volumes of data. While those capabilities remain important, they no longer tell the full story.

Today, AI is reshaping cybersecurity at a systems level. It influences how attacks are designed, how defenses respond, how decisions are made, and ultimately how trust is built or eroded in digital environments.

At Excelsior University, and particularly within the School of Technology, we view this shift as more than a technological evolution. It represents a fundamental change in how cybersecurity must be understood, taught, and practiced in an AI-enabled world.

What Are AI Systems?

Thinking about artificial intelligence solely as a tool, something turned on or off within a product, limits our understanding of its real impact. That framing suggests that AI is passive, predictable, and easily controlled. In practice, AI rarely operates in isolation.

Instead, AI functions as part of a broader sociotechnical system that includes data pipelines, infrastructure, organizational policies, human decision-makers, and institutional goals. These elements interact continuously, shaping how AI behaves and how its outputs are interpreted and acted upon.

Within cybersecurity, AI systems influence what information is surfaced to analysts, how threats are categorized and prioritized, and which actions are automated versus escalated to human review. Over time, these systems shape analyst workflows, risk tolerance, and organizational responses. As a result, artificial intelligence does not merely affect outcomes; it influences how decisions are made, who makes them, and how responsibility is distributed.

How Do AI-Driven Systems Work in Cybersecurity?

Artificial intelligence is a globally transformative technology, utilized by black hats, white hats, and everyone in between. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of AI systems in cybersecurity necessitates examining their role from the perspective of both attacker and defender.

AI-Driven Systems in Cyberattacks

On the offensive side, attackers increasingly rely on AI-driven systems rather than isolated techniques. Generative AI can produce phishing campaigns that adapt in real time based on user behavior, language patterns, and response rates. Automated malware frameworks can test, refine, and redeploy code at a pace that outstrips traditional, signature-based defenses.

In these scenarios, AI operates within a continuous feedback loop, collecting data from each interaction, adjusting tactics, and optimizing future attacks. This transforms cyberattacks from discrete events into evolving systems designed to learn, persist, and scale.

Understanding attacks as adaptive systems, rather than one-off incidents, is essential for effective defense. Without this perspective, organizations risk responding tactically to symptoms while missing the underlying dynamics that allow attacks to evolve and succeed over time.

AI-Driven Systems in Cyber Defense

Defensive applications of AI increasingly integrate machine learning across monitoring, detection, response, and governance workflows. These systems help security teams process vast amounts of data, surface patterns that would otherwise be missed, and act more quickly in high-pressure situations. As a result, AI can significantly improve both efficiency and responsiveness.

At the same time, this integration introduces new dependencies. AI-driven systems influence what analysts see first, which alerts receive attention, and when automated actions are triggered. Errors, blind spots, or poorly governed models can therefore propagate risk at scale, making human oversight essential.

In this environment, AI reshapes the role of cybersecurity professionals. Rather than simply operating tools, they become system stewards, responsible for validating automated insights, understanding system behavior over time, and ensuring that defensive actions align with organizational values, risk tolerance, and ethical obligations.

Ethical and Societal Implications of AI in Cybersecurity

When AI operates at a systems level, ethical and societal considerations are no longer optional—they are built into how cybersecurity functions. Automated security decisions can reflect hidden biases in data, misclassify legitimate behavior as malicious, or obscure accountability when systems act without clear human intervention. As these systems scale, small design choices can produce large, unintended consequences.

AI-enabled monitoring and surveillance technologies further complicate this landscape. While they may enhance protection, they can also blur the line between security and intrusion, raising critical questions about privacy, proportionality, and consent. Who is being watched, why, and with what safeguards in place becomes just as important as whether a threat is detected.

Cybersecurity is no longer only about stopping attacks. It’s about governing complex, intelligent systems in ways that protect people, institutions, and public trust. Ethical judgment, transparency, and accountability are therefore not peripheral concerns; they are core requirements for responsible cybersecurity in an AI-enabled society.

How Excelsior Prepares You for a Systems-Level Future

As artificial intelligence becomes embedded across cyber operations, technical skills alone are no longer sufficient. Cybersecurity professionals must be able to reason about systems—how AI-driven decisions unfold over time, how automation interacts with human judgment, and how governance and policy shape real-world outcomes.

Excelsior’s bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in cybersecurity emphasize adaptability, ethical reasoning, and systems awareness. Students are prepared to evaluate not only how AI-enabled security technologies function but also how they behave at scale, where they introduce risk, and how their deployment affects people, organizations, and society. This approach reflects the reality that graduates will face environments where intelligent systems evolve faster than policies and where responsible leadership matters as much as technical expertise.

Cybersecurity is constantly evolving and now must factor in the role of AI in cybersecurity. Today, attack prevention is only one aspect of a more comprehensive strategy. Modern cyber defense is about designing, governing, and sustaining intelligent systems that secure trust and ensure that emerging technologies serve the public good. That is the challenge and the responsibility facing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, and as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, Excelsior University is dedicated to preparing them to lead the way.

Rarely Idle: Kylie Ackerman’s Journey to Student Advocacy

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

On any given day, Kylie Ackerman’s life looks a lot like the lives of many Excelsior nursing students. The Excelsior faculty member could be studying at her desk for her doctoral degree; taking her 7-year-old son to afternoon jujitsu, baseball, or basketball practice; squeezing in a couple sets of weightlifting for herself; or answering student messages and grading assignments.

“I’m rarely idle,” she says. “There’s always something happening.”

She understands having a busy life is something many people share, and she brings it to her teaching approach at Excelsior University. Her flexibility and emphasis on student advocacy are shaped by a wide diversity of career experiences.

A Winding Path to Nursing Education

Ackerman’s nursing career began far from the traditional hospital floor. She started as an infusion nurse in a holistic practice and from there moved briefly into rheumatology, gaining knowledge in disease management. When the practice she worked at closed, she faced an unexpected pivot point. Ackerman decided to pursue what had long been her goal—working in the operating room.

Ackerman transitioned to robotic surgery and eventually became the charge nurse for the robotic surgery program while also working in other operating rooms, including cardiothoracic surgery. The role required constant prioritization.

“Managing the complex needs of the robotics suite, including staffing, surgeons, and anesthesia, while delivering patient-centered care to often anxious patients, taught me to prioritize effectively, with the patient always at the forefront,” she recalls.

At the time, she didn’t realize how much those skills in coordination, communication, triage, and composure would shape her future as an educator.

Ackerman began her master’s degree in nursing education at Excelsior University in 2015, after she learned of the school’s partnership with her employer. At the same time, she decided to change from the OR to outpatient care, a change that allowed her more time to concentrate on her studies. She also focused her master’s Capstone project on an orientation program for outpatient offices.

“When I presented to the stakeholders at the organization, I was able to create an ambulatory nurse educator role position that I assumed upon degree completion,” she says. “That position still lives on today because of my Capstone project!”

She became the registered nurse for cardiothoracic surgery and eventually covered a wide range of ambulatory practices, including breast surgery, primary care, neurosurgery, and neurology.

Finding Her Place at Excelsior

Ackerman describes her experience in the nursing education master’s program as deeply affirming. “[The faculty] support and encouragement made me want to be like them,” she says.

She worked as an ambulatory nurse educator after she earned her Master of Science in Nursing Education in 2018, and then when she saw a faculty opening at Excelsior posted in 2019, she applied immediately. Even while teaching at Excelsior, she wasn’t done learning. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Nursing Informatics in 2024.

Ackerman’s favorite part about teaching at Excelsior is the nursing students themselves. “What I love most about teaching for Excelsior is the opportunity to support motivated, often working nurses and adult learners who bring rich life and clinical experiences into the classroom,” says Ackerman.

Empowering Nursing Students Through Advocacy

Some of the most formative experiences in Ackerman’s career came from unexpected places. She learned multitasking, emotional intelligence, and professionalism under pressure while waitressing during nursing school. Her time in robotic surgery taught her how to balance complex systems while staying grounded in patient-centered care.

Today, she draws on those same skills as she balances the needs of students, departments, and the University—keeping the learner at the center, just like the patient.

Ackerman’s primary focus at Excelsior is the Associate in Applied Science in Nursing program, where she teaches and oversees the final course, Nursing Capstone: Advanced Clinical Practicum. Her approach blends evidence-based practice with active learning strategies: case studies, realistic clinical scenarios, guided discussions, and reflective activities that encourage nursing students to apply concepts to their own experiences.

“The courses I oversee are designed to be creative, informative, and engaging by intentionally blending real-world application with active learning strategies,” she explains.

In her teaching, she frequently uses an example from when she worked in the cardiothoracic surgery office while pursuing her master’s. In her role, she often answered telephone calls from patients after their procedures. She remembers during one call a patient explained he didn’t feel right.

“I immediately told him to go to the nearest ER, as I suspected a pulmonary embolism,” Ackerman explains. “I notified the surgeon, who thought I was crazy, but I ended up being right, and he had a huge clot requiring additional surgery. This is a great example of the [NCSBN] Clinical Judgment Measurement Model, so I like to bring it up, as subjective and objective cues are critical to consider when caring for patients.”

Her commitment to the student learning experience has led to her earning a faculty award for innovation for two consecutive years, in 2024 and in 2025. She employs innovative, data-driven teaching strategies to enhance student persistence. For instance, she incorporates varied learning modalities, including structured video reflections, to support different learning styles while maintaining clear expectations. She has also created impactful resources, like a mini-podcast for “on-the-go” learning, and has led research investigating the effect of virtual animal observation on students’ test-taking anxiety.

Ackerman practices empathetic teaching, supporting student growth. She can quickly pivot and prioritize their needs, including responding to messages, grading, and providing feedback in a timely manner.

She encourages her nursing students to reach out with requests for extensions so they can submit their best work—and even suggests that they propose their own assignment due dates. “This teaches them to advocate for themselves,” Ackerman explains. “I truly believe that if you can’t advocate for yourself, you cannot advocate for a patient.”

The Torch He Carries: Jatik Gibbs-Judd’s Poetic Story

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

The thread that weaves together every chapter of Jatik Gibbs-Judd’s life isn’t luck, circumstance, or even resilience—it’s writing. Poetry. Putting words on a page became the one steady action he could rely on, no matter how chaotic the world around him became.

Well before Gibbs-Judd served nearly 14 years in the U.S. Navy, before he became a radiological control technician at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and before he earned a BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology from Excelsior University, he was a child navigating instability. Born to a 13-year-old mother, he spent his early childhood moving between homelessness, relatives’ homes, and foster care. Stability was something Gibbs-Judd did not have.

What he did have, at age 10, was a notebook—and his first poem, “Pain.”

Writing was never assigned or encouraged; it was survival. The adults in his life were overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed. “I never wanted to be the difficult child,” he said. “Writing allowed me someone to talk to when everyone else was too stressed to hear what I had to say.” Poetry was where he could place his fear and frustration without asking too much of anyone.

As adolescence brought new challenges, the instability continued. He eventually moved in with his father so he could finish high school in one place. He became the president of his senior class, but his high school years were not without challenges. Soon his father was in an unpredictable relationship, and Gibbs-Judd found himself facing homelessness again.

A Home in the Navy

Gibbs-Judd’s future was uncertain. “I didn’t want to be one of those people that stayed in college forever and was just bouncing around. So, I joined the Navy. To me, that was the best choice that I could possibly have, and it wasn’t necessarily the best reason for the choice, but it did ultimately save my life,” he recalls. The decision wasn’t glamorous; it was pragmatic. The military offered structure, income, and a guarantee he would never be homeless. “I get that, for most people, they have these big dreams of being like astronauts and things like that. That was not my dream. My dream was to not be homeless ever again,” Gibbs-Judd says.

Gibbs-Judd was with the Navy from 2008 to 2022 as a nuclear engineer. Yet even amid the discipline and demand of service, poetry stayed with him, quietly absorbing emotions he had trouble expressing aloud.

During an early deployment, Gibbs-Judd responded as a stretcher bearer to a violent incident involving mercenaries hijacked by Saudi Arabian pirates. As a nuclear engineer, he did not have experience responding to events in this role, but as he describes it, “if everything goes wrong, this is what you’re supposed to do; you have an assignment during that time that is separate from your actual, normal job.”

The resulting trauma embedded itself in his memory, often resurfacing years later as flashbacks and blackouts. “I realized that it did affect me, and so I ended up having to talk to somebody about it,” Gibbs-Judd explains. When he sought treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and later medically retired, writing again became an anchor: a private space where he could make sense of what he had endured.

Picking Up the Torch

While stationed in Atlanta in a recruiting role as a nuclear coordinator, he returned to performing spoken-word poetry, gaining traction at local events like the Sweet Auburn Music Fest. “Writing has always been something that I could depend on, even in my darkest hours,” he says. Even as life grew complex—supporting his children with special needs, helping care for an elderly family member, and managing a full-time job—writing never disappeared. It waited patiently, ready whenever he needed it.

That same persistence helped him pursue higher education. For years he didn’t believe a degree was within reach. Discovering that Excelsior University aligned perfectly with his radiological control technician experience felt like a door finally opening, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in February 2025. At Commencement in July 2025, he was the graduate torch bearer and delivered a poem he wrote called “The Torch I Carry.” He explains that the poem is a testament to others that there is hope and that you don’t have to feel like you’re in the dark; you can make it through the tough times to accomplish your goals. “[We’re] using the torch as that kind of guiding light, almost like a lighthouse in the dark, where you’re stuck in the middle of the sea,” says Gibbs-Judd.

 

A Light for Those Still Lost to Save

Since 2022, Gibbs-Judd has worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, starting as a radiological control technician, checking for potential radiation contamination in locations where specialized work needs to be done, and has recently been promoted to the role of building manager. He’s proud to say he has a stable home and can show his wife and kids—ages 13, 12, and 10—what hard work and determination can accomplish.

Poetry remains his constant companion. Sometimes, it takes the form of a performance, other times a scribbled line as a quiet reflection after a long day. It is the outlet that shaped him, the bridge between his past and present, and the steady hand that carries him forward.

What Can You Do with a Health Sciences Degree?

Posted on by Rafael Caycho

A Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences is a flexible degree that allows students to achieve their professional goals in the health care field. This high-demand degree prepares students for a wide range of careers in health care settings and can also serve as a strong foundation for graduate or professional studies.

What Skills Will You Learn with a Degree in Health Sciences?

Students can develop a wide range of valuable skills while obtaining a degree in health sciences. They can build a strong foundation in health care operations, planning, and policy, which can be used to enter a variety of allied health career paths or to continue education at the graduate level. Students also enhance leadership skills within the health care profession, learn how to collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary health care settings, and develop the ability to educate clients, colleagues, and the public on important health-related topics.

What Jobs Can You Get with This Degree?

Students who obtain a degree in health sciences can pursue a variety of entry-level or midlevel roles in health care settings. Some of these roles include:

Health Services Manager (Medical Office Manager)

A health services manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of health care departments or organizations. In this leadership role, sometimes called a medical office manager, you evaluate and analyzes different situations to make informed decisions that support efficient operations and help ensure high-quality patient care.

Patient Care Coordinator

Patient care coordinators serve as the link between patients, their health care providers, and insurance companies. They ensure patients receive appropriate care in a timely manner by scheduling appointments, coordinating services among providers, and helping patients understand the steps involved in their care. You may also opt for the similar role of patient relations coordinator, which involves more patient advocacy and fewer clinical and administrative duties.

Clinical Research Coordinator

Clinical research coordinators manage the daily operations of clinical trials and research studies. They assist with recruiting participants, collecting and managing data, and ensuring that studies follow approved protocols and ethical guidelines. This role involves working closely with multidisciplinary research teams.

Community Health Worker

A community health worker connects individuals and communities with health care services and resources. They often work with underserved populations to provide education, support, and advocacy, helping improve access to care and overall community health.

Health Educator

A health educator develops and promotes health programs that teach individuals and communities how to maintain healthy lifestyles and understand the impact of health behaviors on overall well-being. Health educators also promote policies and resources that support community health and may work in hospitals, schools, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations.

How Long Does It Take to Finish a BS in Health Sciences?

The time to complete a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences can vary depending on several factors. Typically, a bachelor’s degree takes four years to complete for a full-time student. Part-time students may take longer, depending on course load, breaks, or leaves of absence. Some students may be able to shorten the time to completion if their college honors transfer credits from other institutions or relevant professional certifications.

What Is the Job Outlook for Health Science Graduates?

The job outlook for health sciences graduates is very strong. Health care positions have been in demand for many decades, and this demand is expected to continue growing. Factors contributing to this growth include innovation in health care, an aging population, and the expansion of health care programs across the country. The continued demand for health care workers offers both job and financial stability for health sciences graduates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 23% from 2024 to 2034, and the median annual wage for these professionals was $117,600 in 2024.

How Can Excelsior Prepare You for a Career in Health Sciences?

Excelsior University’s versatile Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program offers a wide array of opportunities for students looking to start or advance a career in allied health. Choose a concentration that aligns most closely with your interests, from Management to Public Health to Health and Wellness. Or if you’re interested in multiple areas, opt for the Health Science concentration. Build the foundation of knowledge and skills that employers are looking for, all while learning at your pace with flexible online courses designed for busy working adults. And with Excelsior’s experienced faculty and academic advisors behind you, you’ll have the support you need to stay on track and achieve your goals.

Earning your bachelor’s degree in health sciences is a critical step in launching a successful career in health-related fields, but it’s just the first. Career Readiness at Excelsior University supports students and alumni in exploring career paths, building professional skills, and connecting with employers through resources, events, and practical guidance. Gaining hands-on experience through internships, volunteer work, or community involvement can also help you better understand your career goals and strengthen your professional preparation. And when you’re ready to move into the executive suite, consider earning your master’s degree.

Whatever your goals, Excelsior is here to help you build the career you want with the flexibility and support you need.

Hybrid Models for Today’s Learners

Posted on by David Schejbal

Excelsior University President David Schejbal spoke with Presidents Forum about Excelsior’s hybrid educational model that blends online learning with in-person labs and clinical experiences. President Schejbal details how Excelsior’s new site in St. Petersburg, Florida, expands nursing, cybersecurity, and electrical engineering programs while meeting workforce and military learner needs.

Watch the interview here.

The Past, Present, and Future of Nuclear Technology

Posted on by Caitlin Abram

Nuclear technology has always felt futuristic—even in 1789 when Martin Klaproth discovered uranium. The German chemist named the brand-new element after Uranus, which just eight years prior had captivated the scientific community as the first planet to be discovered by telescope. While scientists of that era understood uranium had special properties, knowledge hadn’t advanced enough to harness its power. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that the world saw the genesis of nuclear technology as we know it today with the advent of X-rays and Marie and Pierre Curie’s work on the phenomenon they named radioactivity.

By 1938, the process of nuclear fission had been discovered, and less than a decade later, the United States was fully in the Atomic Age, a period of rapid nuclear innovation following World War II. Advancements in energy and the increasing visibility of nuclear weapons development captured the public’s imagination with interpretations of isotopes and atoms appearing in everything from fashion to architecture, becoming a lasting part of the country’s midcentury visual vocabulary.

Nuclear technology and its uses haven’t stopped evolving since, and today, nuclear scientists and engineers are still looking toward the future and developing newer, safer ways to harness nuclear power and shape our world.

Brief History and Current State of Nuclear Technology

The history of nuclear technology spans from the late-19th-century discovery of radioactivity to the development of nuclear weapons in the mid-20th century to its more peaceful present-day use in sustainable energy generation. Explore a timeline of nuclear milestones to learn more.

1895: Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen uses electromagnetic radiation to create the first known X-ray image—his wife’s hand.

1911: Marie Curie wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work isolating the element radium.

1938: Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discover the process of nuclear fission using uranium.

1942: Enrico Fermi achieves the first controlled nuclear chain reaction.

1945: As part of the Manhattan project, the first atomic device is tested at Alamogordo, New Mexico. Not long after, the U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

1951: The first nuclear reactor to produce electricity designed and operated by Argonne National Laboratory goes live. It powers four light bulbs.

1954: The U.S. Navy launches the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus.

1979: The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant partially melts down near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

1986: A reactor explodes at the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, Ukraine, causing a fire and lasting damage—and intensifying distrust of nuclear power.

1992: The United States conducts its last underground nuclear weapons test, and a temporary moratorium is imposed on future weapons testing.

1994: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues final design approval for the first two of four advanced nuclear power plant designs.

2001: The U.S National Energy Plan includes a significant role for nuclear power in meeting energy demand and reducing air pollution.

2024: U.S. utilities operated 94 nuclear reactors with a total net generating capacity of nearly 97 gigawatts. Nuclear power accounts for approximately 19% of U.S. electricity generation.

The Future of Nuclear Energy and Tech

The future of nuclear energy is rife with opportunities for nuclear technologies that are cleaner and more efficient. Here are three new advancements worth looking forward to.

Nuclear Power and AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the latest innovation dominating daily life as well as existential conversations about ethics, humanity, and the future of work. However, a hidden cost of AI technology is the environment. The computer servers that power large-scale AI models need massive amounts of energy to run the processing speeds required. Today, the majority of that energy comes from burning fossil fuels, but nuclear power has quickly risen as a feasible solution to make AI more sustainable. MIT Technology Review posits that this new alliance between nuclear and AI would be mutually beneficial if the stakeholders can make the timing work. Big Tech power players like Google and Microsoft need a long-term source of reliable energy, and nuclear companies need the infusion of capital to fuel reactor upkeep and innovation.

Smaller and Faster Reactors

In the future, nuclear power will look different. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are designed to be simpler than traditional reactors and typically don’t feature the large, curved towers historically associated with nuclear reactors. Though small in size, the benefits of SMRs are numerous. These next-generation reactors are less expensive to build, safer because their smaller parts aren’t subject to the same pressures of larger reactors, and more flexible because their modular constructions allow them to be moved.

Nuclear Fusion?

Currently, all nuclear energy is produced by fission, a process that splits large atoms to generate heat. Nuclear fusion, by contrast, is where two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a single, heavier nucleus, releasing a massive amount of energy. This is the same reaction that powers the heat generated by the sun and other stars. Nuclear fusion holds immense promise as a safer, endlessly renewable energy source, and fusion waste is primarily helium and minimally radioactive neutrons instead of the more toxic radioactive by-products that nuclear fission produces.

Fusion energy has long been the white whale of the nuclear scientific community. We’ve understood how the fusion process works since the 1930s, but while the sun naturally has the gravity for these nuclear collisions to occur, on Earth we need to artificially engineer an environment that is hot enough and pressurized enough to create the same reaction. This is why sustainable nuclear fusion has been so hard to achieve.

Is nuclear fusion our energy future? The International Energy Forum estimates viable commercial use could still be decades away, but science is getting closer each year as our engineering capacity advances.

Shape the Future of Nuclear Technology with Excelsior

Does nuclear technology have you feeling energized? If you want to get more hands-on in the nuclear industry, Excelsior University’s BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology program prepares you with the practical training, experienced faculty, and industry connections you need. Our 100% online program is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET and features cutting-edge training simulators so you can be ready for the next generation of clean-energy careers.

Learn what you can do with an NET degree from Excelsior University and start powering your own future in nuclear technology. For even more industry info, read Excelsior’s other nuclear blog posts to debunk some common myths about nuclear energy and discover how nuclear energy is going carbon neutral.

Dwayne Johns, Associate of Science in Liberal Arts, 2020, Bachelor of Science in Business, 2023

Posted on by Jason Bonafide

Dwayne Johns of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, earned a Bachelor of Science in Business in 2023. He shares, “I began my academic journey pursuing an associate degree in science, which I completed in November 2020. At that time, balancing Navy responsibilities with school was a constant challenge. Unpredictable schedules, extended hours, and operational commitments meant that studying often took place late at night or during limited downtime. That success motivated me to continue my education. I went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business, which I earned in September 2023, again while serving on active duty. The business curriculum aligned closely with leadership and management responsibilities in the Navy, reinforcing concepts such as strategic planning, organizational behavior, and decision making.”

Matt Simmons, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 1989

Posted on by Jason Bonafide

Matt Simmons of Palmetto, Florida, earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1989, and he has continued to build on that foundation throughout his career. He recently published his second book, Elite Sales Pro Advantage, a co‑authored self‑improvement guide for sales professionals. The book has already earned high praise from industry leaders, including executives from multi‑billion‑dollar Fortune 500 companies and the CEO of a rapidly growing $25‑million sales organization. This latest work is a collaboration between Simmons and his longtime friend and colleague, Gary Adams.

Simmons remains busy and has nearly completed his third book, a compelling novel of struggle and redemption for a fictional baseball Hall of Famer. Simmons amplifies how his ability to complete his business degree with Excelsior University (then Excelsior College), while stationed in Japan in the U.S. Navy, was life-changing.

He shares, “I am very grateful to Excelsior for providing me with the opportunity to pursue my degree while overseas and changing locations, which otherwise would not have been available to me. I encourage anyone working and considering higher education to explore Excelsior University and the options they offer that allow individuals to pursue their degree while they provide for themselves and their families. A new level of success is possible in life with Excelsior.”