Name: Ivan Trotsenko; Institution: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; Program: Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program (NNSA-MSIIP); Education Level: Graduate Student
January 7, 2025
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Ivan Lee Vladimir Trotsenko’s late grandfather could imagine an idea in his head and, with his own two hands, see it come to life. He was a master craftsman who even designed and built his own house, and young Trotsenko was greatly inspired by his ingenuity. During high school, his art teacher noticed he had a special talent. Trotsenko not only excelled in math and science but also won awards for visual design and sculpture.
Trotsenko graduated with his bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering and successfully defended his thesis for his master’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. In 2021 he participated in the Department of Energy (DOE) Scholars Program with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Today, Trotsenko is a participant in the National Nuclear Security Administration Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program (NNSA-MSIIP) and has again secured a placement with LLNL.
The NNSA-MSIIP provides paid opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at Minority Serving Institutions pursuing degrees in critical science, engineering, technology, mathematics and other disciplines that support the current and future missions of the NNSA.
Trotsenko finds himself at the forefront of research relevant to nuclear safety and materials research. He is part of the Environment, Safety and Health’s Engineered Safety Department in conjunction with the Ceramics and Polymers Group in the Materials Engineering Division at LLNL. The focus of his research project is looking at stronger and more efficient construction methods for nuclear facilities. He’s analyzing the enhanced safety and cost benefits of utilizing steel plate composite (SC) construction to replace reinforced concrete (RC) in the construction of nuclear facilities.
Trotsenko designed an educational poster about the project, in part thanks to a workshop he attended. Additionally, he learned how to use beam physics, shell physics and concrete crack modeling, which are highly useful for an engineer. He is also learning skills in independent problem solving and finds that this skill is helping him complete tasks in a timely manner. Trotsenko’s favorite part so far has been working on site at LLNL during summer because it gives him a sense of teamwork.
“I would highly recommend the program to others for two main reasons. One is that I am able to use resources that I could have never used outside the lab, like one of the world super computers. Two is the people that I work with are amazing and supportive.”
-Ivan Trotsenko, NNSA-MSIIP Participant
After his participation is completed, Trotsenko plans to complete a doctorate in Computational Data Science and Engineering. From admiring the creativity of his grandfather to simulating the physics of construction, Trotsenko hopes his time as a participant will make a big impact on how we construct nuclear facilities in the future.