Simulating neutron behavior in nuclear reactors

Amelia Trainer's work is fundamental to understanding how nuclear reactors operate. A passion for computer modeling and poetry have stood her in good stead through her research career. Amelia Trainer applied to MIT because she lost a bet. As part of what the fourth-year nuclear science and engineering (NSE) doctoral candidate labels her "teenage rebellious phase," Trainer was quite convinced she would just be wasting the application fee were she to submit an application. She wasn't even "super sure" she wanted to go to college. But a high-school friend was convinced Trainer would get into a "top school" if she only applied. A bet followed: If Trainer lost, she would have to apply to MIT.