January 28, 2025
By Mikey Fuller

Abigail Robb, a graduate student in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering's Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics (NREMP) program, has been selected as a 2025 recipient of the Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship. The foundation provides scholarships to students to help develop careers in the safe management of nuclear materials.

“I am so excited to be recognized for my work in waste management because I am very passionate about this project,” Robb says.

Robb is a second-year Ph.D. student and conducts research with NREMP Program Chair Steven Biegalski.

Originally from Spokane, Washington, Robb received a bachelor's degree from Whitworth University and has worked on a variety of nuclear research projects with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), including one that focused on cleaning up radioactive tank waste at the Hanford Site in Washington to turn it from high-level to low-level waste. She will present her research on the project during the Waste Management Conference in Phoenix, Arizona where she will also accept her award.

“The work that is being done in the nuclear waste cleanup field has local and worldwide benefits, and I am happy to be a part of it,” Robb says. “Being recognized with this award will not just provide me with a platform to share my research and get insight from experts in the field but also open me up for future opportunities within nuclear engineering and waste management.”

As a nuclear engineer with a background in chemistry, Robb says she hopes to continue hands-on experimental research through graduate school and her career. She is also passionate about nuclear policy as it pertains to waste management and safeguards/security.

“I hope to step further into this field and bring my technical background into this type of work,” Robb says.

About the Roy G. Post Foundation

The Roy G. Post Foundation is a non-profit organization formed by former students, peers, and protégés of Roy G. Post, founding chief executive of WM Symposia, another non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and information exchange on global radioactive waste management.

The Roy G. Post Foundation has awarded scholarships to more than 285 undergraduate and graduate students from all around the world.