From Funding Hurdles to Full Roster: VCU Engineering at the 2026 American Nuclear Society Student Conference
When a funding shortage threatened to sideline half of a VCU Engineering Capstone team, a targeted, last-minute donation ensured every student could travel to Texas.
It didn’t take long for senior Jackson Place to start feeling energized at the 2026 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Student Conference last month.
The very first presentation he saw—a neutronics/thermal hydraulics analysis of a gas cooled reactor for space—ended up being one of his most memorable moments from the two-day event at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.
“The project and presentation were so well executed and interesting,” says Place. “Seeing them provided me with so much excitement to continue my academic journey and present my future work that will be in a similar field.”
Place was joined at the ANS conference by three other VCU engineering seniors: Blake Coghill, Joshua Piper and Ethan Villarreal. Together, the team of four had spent the last year working on their senior Capstone project, titled, “Future Power Solutions for Exploring Hypothesized Surfaces.” They were eager to present their work at ANS and network with world-class scholars and industry leaders across the entire nuclear sector—an experience that is often a catalyst for post-grad recruitment.
But attending the career-boosting conference almost didn’t happen—at least not for all four students.
Leading up to the big event, the team was only able to secure enough funding for two of the four students to travel to Texas. Half of the team was set to stay behind in Richmond while their teammates presented their collective year-long work, missing out on critical professional milestones.
That’s when donors Irene Burlock and Joseph Holicky III (B.S.’76/B; B.S.’77/H&S; M.S.’78/B) stepped in.
The couple—who have been generous donors to VCU for decades—donated a targeted gift of $2,500 to close the gap in funding. This one-time amount allowed the entire Capstone team to travel to Texas and attend the ANS conference together.
“This was the first time we’d been asked to make a donation outside our usual gifts,” said Burlock. “We were able to make up the difference so the entire team could attend. If we’re asked again, and if we’re in a position to do so, we’ll help.”
Joshua Piper said the conference experience gave him a sense of accomplishment and confidence in himself that he would not have experienced otherwise.
“Attending the ANS student conference was the pinnacle for me in my academic career,” said Piper. “Being able to present our project in front of peers and industry professionals was an invaluable experience that I will never forget.”
“Our poster presentation at the conference would have suffered without the entire team present,” said Blake Coghill. “With each person having a specialty, it made it really easy to divide up the poster into smaller portions to get our main thoughts across.”
Ethan Villarreal says if he were to miss the conference, he would not have had the opportunity to meet some research collaborators in person.
“The nuclear science field is very small, so the more one is able to network during the early stages of their career, the more opportunities they will find themselves with later down the road,” said Villarreal. “Getting a chance to meet these collaborators in person and get to know them beyond a Zoom screen is something that I would have dearly missed if not at this conference.”
“As a faculty member nearing the end of my seventh year at VCU, it makes me really proud to know VCU alumni are supporting our current and future students in enabling the development of their professional careers,” said Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Assistant Professor Lane Carasik, Ph.D., who served as faculty adviser to the student team. “It means a ton to know VCU Rams pay it forward for VCU Rams.”
As for Burlock and Holicky, they hold firm that those in a position to help VCU students should. In addition to donating to the College of Engineering, the couple gives to VCU Business and RamPantry, because “no one on that campus should go hungry.”
“Once a person’s life is in good enough order, it’s time to look back and give a hand to those coming up behind you.”
The VCU College of Engineering offers innovative undergraduate and graduate degree programs tailored to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving engineering field. As part of a premier research university, students are given the opportunity to perform real-world research in our state-of-the-art facilities as soon as they enroll. Browse videos and recent news to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.
Categories Foundation, Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Student Stories, Undergraduate Student Stories