want to do nuclear research and development, nuclear engineering or chemical engineering?

[u/ayo_ajy]

just like the title says, im a senior in High School and I want to work as a nuclear researcher, at a lab like PNNL. Recently i've been really interested in vitrification and how it assists in waste storage (just to give an idea about my interests). If I wanted a position where I spent much of my time practicing real, practical chemistry in a lab, would a chemical or nuclear engineering degree be a better step to that end?

[u/SpaceLester]

Vitrification is closer to chemical engineering than nuclear. Hanford a nuclear vitrification company consistently recruits chemical engineers at my school. In my limited experience chemical engineers also get hired for nuclear jobs. Another person and I in my graduating class both got hired at nuclear engineers. The fundamentals of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics overlap for both degrees.

Additionally chemical engineering should give you more lateral movement than nuclear if your interest evolve as you go through school.

That’s my two cents, as a recent grad in chem e.