Wyatt Buckbee

Versatile nuclear engineering graduate with a strong foundation in neutron and gamma radiation detection and computational modeling. Experience in fabrication processes and technical documentation enhances problem-solving capabilities. Proven ability to integrate scientific detector principles with practical applications during a college engineering team design project for a UAV based neutron and gamma radiation detection and gamma spectroscopy platform. Currently seeking engineering or technical roles involving MCNP modeling techniques, mechanical systems design and review, and radiation detection or detection system design/troubleshooting.

• Competitive Swimmer, 2016-2021
• 3D Printing Hobbyist, 2015-Present

I participated in a design project at Ann Arbor in my senior year of college. The goal of the project was to design and test components of a neutron and gamma detection system capable of on board pulse shape discrimination, and gamma spectroscopy. The project aimed to serve as an emergency response tool, and cleanup assisting device. The tested system successfully performed gamma spectroscopy and neutron counting and quantification with MCNP based simulations to predict detector response. The project was a success and provided a way for me to enhance my engineering design and workflow based skills. I served as the main MCNP 6.3.1 and Polimi programmer, provided data analysis techniques for measurement data, and analyzed simulation data to better quantify our systems behavior and improve our simulation confidence through variance reduction methods within MCNP input files. This project was aided by Shaun Clarke , Sarah Pozzi, and David Breitenmoser of the University of Michigan as project mentors and allowed my team to learn MCNP techniques directly from those involved with the programs development.  

Scott Suddon

General Manager/Co-owner

Electrolabs

Phone: (586) 713-4584

Note: Scott oversaw my work at Electrolabs and was my direct supervisor. 

Kortnie McBride

General Manager

Us Auto of Sterling Heights

Phone: (586) 610-0502

Note: Kortnie was my manager during my work with Us Auto Supply.

I have undertaken a total of 4 semesters of nuclear engineering centered labs during my time at Michigan's Ann Arbor campus. The labs consisted of radiation detection methods, nuclear data analysis and methods, Experiment recreation within MCNP and Polimi codes, and detector system troubleshooting and design. I worked with organic scintillators and detectors based around different detection methods. Lab procedures consisted of measuring uranium sources and determining U-235 enrichment with an HPGe crystal detector, neutron counting of an accelerator activated Deuterium source, and analyzing pulse shape discrimination algorithms to improve a detector systems ability to discriminate between detected neutrons and detected photons. In my time I was mentored by Dr. Shaun Clarke an associate research scientist and professor who worked on the development of the MCNP Polimi Extension directly, and was a major help in developing my personal MCNP input files, and simulation methods. During my senior lab with Dr. Clarke I studied the various radiation interaction methods with matter and how they translate into MCNP and other Monte Carlo Based Simulations. The methodology and inner workings of the MCNP code were explained to me so that I could accurately reproduce real measurement data from sources I programmed and troubleshooted myself. The labs required me to connect radiation interaction physics with real detector behavior, verifiable uncertainty, and engineering computational modeling. A strong foundation in radiation transport, detection physics, and data analysis gained from these labs has allowed me to design my own experiments, troubleshoot lab equipment, develop real world pulse discrimination algorithms, and analyze simulation results alongside real world measurement data to develop emerging detector systems.