Assessing Japan's Nuclear Problem

John Metzger (above), a professor in Pitt’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and director of Pitt’s Nuclear Engineering Program, spoke during a March 16 lecture and discussion about the extent and danger of the damage sustained by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station during Japan’s March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Presented by the Nuclear Engineering Program and the Center for Energy in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, the free public event in Benedum Hall drew a large group of engineering students as well as members of the public. David Helling, an adjunct faculty in Pitt’s Nuclear Engineering Program, also spoke. Kent Harries, a Pitt professor of civil and environmental engineering, addressed the seismic issues associated with the event.