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CORVALLIS - An Oregon State University graduate student in engineering who was home-schooled as a child and will earn his doctorate at age 23 is in Johannesburg, South Africa, participating in the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Kent Welter, a doctoral candidate in OSU's Department of Nuclear Engineering, is one of three delegates selected by the American Nuclear Society to provide scientific and technical information about nuclear technology as a viable, sustainable energy source in the medical and power industries.

"Nuclear energy has many positive aspects related to sustainable development," Welter said. "With help from other pro-nuclear organizations, we hope to inform the international community about these."

Welter, who will be in South Africa for 10 days, said he plans to attend plenary sessions on energy; global and local forums on renewable energy; debates on partnerships for renewable energy; and events hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"It can be informative to observe world leaders firsthand discussing changes in global policy related to sustainable development," Welter said. "But the best exchanges come from the informal discussions with government officials in the halls and between meetings. I am excited to represent the beliefs of the ANS at the summit and thank them for this opportunity."

Welter was home-schooled until age 14 in Oakridge and Eugene, and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at age18 from Oregon Institute of Technology, a master's degree in nuclear engineering at 20 from OSU, and later this month, at age 23, will become the youngest person ever to earn a doctorate from OSU's Department of Nuclear Engineering.

"Kent is a wonderful and very outgoing student, and the Earth Summit should be an extremely positive experience for him," said Andrew Klein, professor and head of the Department of Nuclear Engineering. "Having Kent represent OSU and the young generation of dedicated nuclear scientists is very exciting and we look forward to learning about his interactions at the summit."

OSU's nuclear engineering department is already a top-tier program, Klein said, and the Radiation Health Physics program is ranked third in the U.S.

"As we're building a top-25 college of engineering here at Oregon State, we're attracting more and more of the nation's brightest students," Klein said. "We have high expectations for our students and graduates. Like Kent, they will have a great impact on the world's future."

Klein believes nuclear power is an important part of developing a global sustainable energy supply.

"Nuclear power can be used to produce large amounts of electricity, fresh water, and hydrogen; it emits no greenhouse gases; and all fuels and wastes can be safely contained, transported, and disposed," Klein said. "That's something that cannot be even remotely dreamed about by any fossil fuel electricity supply option. Nuclear power needs to be a part of the sustainable energy solution for the planet."

Welter's research during his tenure at OSU focused on testing the safety systems of next-generation reactors and helped lead to certification of the Westinghouse AP600, a safer, modular reactor design.

This past summer, he spent five weeks in Beijing, China working at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technologies as an intern.

Welter said he chose OSU over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology, and other engineering programs because, "I just had a good feeling about the faculty. Something clicked. And I really liked their research."

He describes his graduate school experience at OSU, where he works with nuclear engineering professors Qiao Wu and José Reyes, as, "tough, exhilarating, time-consuming, and rewarding. It's opened my mind and made me want to learn more."

After graduation, Welter starts a job with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission doing project management where he "hopes to maintain the integrity of scientific review."